Arizona Name Change Laws: Court Process, Fees, and Restrictions

Arizona consolidates almost everything about a personal name change, adult petitions, minor petitions, and the restrictions that can block one, into a single statute, ARS Section 12-601, filed in superior court. Unlike many states, Arizona has no mandatory newspaper-publication requirement for an ordinary name change, though the next section of the same article, ARS Section 12-602, lets the court order notice when it decides notice is warranted.

This guide covers who can file, what the court requires, county-by-county filing fees, and the separate statute that lets someone restore a former name during a divorce.

Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Adult Petition Process

Arizona adults file an application in superior court, in the county where they live, under ARS Section 12-601, which requires «setting forth reasons for the change of name.» There is no dedicated statewide petition form; county superior courts, including Maricopa County's Self-Service Center, publish their own application packets.

Filing Fee

Arizona has no single statewide filing fee. Reported figures for a name-change application range from roughly $188 to $301, with the higher end reflecting Maricopa County. Because Arizona's counties each set their own court fees, confirm the current cost with the superior court clerk in your county before filing. A fee deferral or waiver is available through form AOCDFGF99AZ for petitioners who cannot afford the cost; the waiver itself is handled administratively by the court rather than set out in the statute.

Minor Name Changes

A parent, guardian ad litem, or next friend of a minor may file in the county where the minor lives, under the same ARS Section 12-601. The court must consider the best interests of the minor, a standard written directly into the statute.

Name Change After Divorce

Arizona keeps divorce-related name restoration in a separate statute, ARS Section 25-325, inside the dissolution chapter. Either spouse can ask the court to restore their former name at any point before the decree of dissolution or annulment is signed, and the court must order it restored on request. See Arizona divorce laws for the broader dissolution process.

Publication

Arizona does not make newspaper publication automatic. ARS Section 12-601 contains no newspaper-notice clause, so nothing in the application statute obliges a petitioner to publish an ordinary name change, unlike most states covered in this guide.

Publication is still available at the court's discretion. ARS Section 12-602(A), the next section of the same Change of Name article, provides that «if upon the filing of the application for change of name the court deems it proper that notice be given, it may order that notice of the application be given by publication or by service upon any party interested.» Most routine applications proceed with no notice order at all, but a judge can require publication or service on an interested party in a particular case, so treat publication as discretionary rather than ruled out.

ARS Section 12-601 also lets a petitioner ask the court to seal the application and judgment for certain protected persons, a separate confidentiality option from publication.

Restrictions

Every Arizona applicant must declare, under penalty of perjury, any felony convictions, pending felony charges, or an intent to adopt a name «for the purpose of committing or furthering the commission of any offense.» The court can deny the petition based on that declaration, and a name change already granted can later be set aside if the petitioner is convicted of a qualifying offense. Arizona does not appear to have a separately codified sex-offender-specific bar beyond this general felony and fraud-intent declaration, which does still reach registrants with a qualifying felony conviction.

Outside parties also get a window to object. Under ARS Section 12-601(D), a victim as defined in ARS Section 13-4401, or a prosecutor, has standing to contest a legal name change at any time before entry of judgment and for up to one year after judgment is entered.

A granted name change does not wipe the slate clean either. ARS Section 12-602(B) provides that a change of name does not release the person from obligations incurred under the original name, or defeat property rights or rights of action held in that name, the same principle the applicant has to acknowledge in the ARS Section 12-601(C) declaration.

Marriage-Based Name Change

Arizona has no statute specifically codifying a marriage-based name change. A newly married person typically changes their last name by presenting a marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, which accept it as standard proof, the customary practice used in most states without a dedicated marriage statute.

Domestic Violence and Safety Considerations

ARS Section 12-601 allows the court to seal the application and the judgment for certain protected persons, which can help limit public access to a name-change record. That said, a sealed state court record does not automatically make a new name confidential with the Social Security Administration or the U.S. State Department, each of which applies its own separate confidentiality rules. Anyone changing their name for safety reasons should ask the court directly about sealing at the time of filing.

Related Arizona Records

See Arizona marriage and divorce records for obtaining certified copies your petition may require, and Arizona court records for how name-change case files fit into the state's broader court-records rules.

For the general nationwide process, see how to legally change your name, what it costs to change your name, and the post-name-change checklist.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Arizona name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Because Arizona's filing fee is set county by county, confirm current costs and forms with your local superior court before relying on anything here for a specific situation.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.