Please note: There are questions on this page covering multiple areas of our site. Please scroll down the page to find questions related to the area you are looking for.
using florida name change
Can I use your site to change my name if I am not transgender?
Yes! Anyone can use Florida Name Change to change their legal name. However, the petition provided in step 1 to change your legal name is not to be used in connection with a dissolution of marriage (divorce) or for adoption of children. If you want a change of name because of a dissolution of marriage (divorce) or adoption of children, the change of name should be requested as part of that case.
If I use florida name change, are you representing me as my attorney?
No. Florida Name Change is a free service to help Florida residents update their legal name and their identification documents, but does not constitute legal advice. The information on the site has been provided by, and confirmed by, Florida attorneys and is legally accurate, but is provided without guarantee or warranty.
I have already changed my name before, can I still use your site to change my name?
Yes, you can change your name again as long as you provide a copy of the previous name change (either through marriage, divorce, or court order) when you file your petition for name change. The automated process will guide you through these questions, don’t worry!
I am a parent seeking to change the name of my minor child, can I use your website?
Yes! In step 1, it will ask you if the person changing their name is an adult or a minor, and you will select “minor.” You, as their parent or legal guardian, will be petitioning the court on the child’s behalf for the name change. As such, you will write your name when it asks for “Petitioner.”
How do I know that my information is safe if I use your website?
When information is given to us using our self-help forms, the data is temporarily stored by our technology partners so that we can generate perfect pre-filled documents that can be emailed to our visitors. Every week the information stored with our technology partners is deleted. This makes sure that our visitor’s data is not stored longer than necessary.
The only information that exists after the weekly deletions is a list of email addresses for visitors that have filled out our forms. We do not store any personal information ourselves, so once it has been deleted from our partners it is gone for good.
The only information that exists after the weekly deletions is a list of email addresses for visitors that have filled out our forms. We do not store any personal information ourselves, so once it has been deleted from our partners it is gone for good.
updating gender marker
Can I update my gender marker through a court order?
Unfortunately, in most counties in Florida, the courts will not allow you to petition to change your gender marker by court order the same way you petition to change your name by court order. To change your gender marker on your identification documents in the state of Florida, you simply need a letter from a physician stating that you are undergoing “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.” The processes for updating the gender marker on your ID documents, and a sample of the required physicians’ letters, are provided and explained thoroughly in steps 2-5.
** Note: If you are a resident of Miami-Dade County, you can petition the court to change your gender marker by court order. This is currently the only county in Florida that consistently allows for this process. Simply indicate that you wish to change your name and gender marker when you begin filling out the Final Judgement of Name Change form.
** Note: If you are a resident of Miami-Dade County, you can petition the court to change your gender marker by court order. This is currently the only county in Florida that consistently allows for this process. Simply indicate that you wish to change your name and gender marker when you begin filling out the Final Judgement of Name Change form.
I would like to change my gender marker to a non-binary option, neither male nor female, can I do this?
Currently, this is not an option on federal documents nor on drivers’ licenses or birth certificates in the state of Florida. Other states have adopted third gender options on their state documents, but currently the only two options in Florida are male and female.
name change petition
I do not know the address of every place I have lived since birth, how do I fill out that section of the name change petition?
It’s okay if you cannot remember or access every address of every place you have lived since birth. Just do the best you can and provide as much information as possible.
If you know that you lived in Denver, Colorado from 1996-1998, you can just write the city, state, and years. If you remember that you lived on Wimbledon Street in Orlando, Florida from January to December of 2016, then list that. The more information you provide the better, but not including every single address will not preclude you from getting your name changed.
If you know that you lived in Denver, Colorado from 1996-1998, you can just write the city, state, and years. If you remember that you lived on Wimbledon Street in Orlando, Florida from January to December of 2016, then list that. The more information you provide the better, but not including every single address will not preclude you from getting your name changed.
Some of the forms in the name change petition process include a question that asks “Did a non-lawyer help you fill out this form?” What does that mean and how do I answer?
Unless you had an individual with you who assisted you in physically filling out the form, you answer no. If you are filling out the forms by hand (not using our auto-population online tool) then you will simply leave the section blank that asks for information about a non-lawyer. Florida Name Change is a free online service, but we are not “helping you” fill out the forms, nor are we representing you as your legal counsel / lawyer.
I live in Miami-Dade County and I want to file a name change petition.
We are working diligently to secure the right for every person in Miami-Dade County to file a petition pro se (without attorney representation) and without having to purchase a packet from the Self Help Program. However, unfortunately, the current rule in Miami-Dade County is that you must file the petition for name change with the assistance of an attorney, or if you do not have an attorney to assist you in filing, then you must purchase a packet of forms from the Family Court Self Help Program in the Miami-Dade Courthouse.
You can use this online tool (Florida Name Change) to fill out all of the required forms for a name change petition, and then contact Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. (LSGMI), whose contact information is listed on the county resources page, for assistance with filing the petition. LSGMI attorneys are willing and able to assist you in filing your petition if you qualify for their services.
If you wish to file for a name change without an attorney, you must go to the Family Court Self Help Center located on the 24th Floor, Room 2441 of the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center at 175 NW 1st Avenue. Your first step is to purchase a packet of forms ($40) with instructions on how to complete them, and make an appointment to return with the completed forms and all necessary documents. Upon your return, a staff member will check your papers for completeness and then you will be able to obtain a hearing date before the judge.
You can use this online tool (Florida Name Change) to fill out all of the required forms for a name change petition, and then contact Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. (LSGMI), whose contact information is listed on the county resources page, for assistance with filing the petition. LSGMI attorneys are willing and able to assist you in filing your petition if you qualify for their services.
If you wish to file for a name change without an attorney, you must go to the Family Court Self Help Center located on the 24th Floor, Room 2441 of the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center at 175 NW 1st Avenue. Your first step is to purchase a packet of forms ($40) with instructions on how to complete them, and make an appointment to return with the completed forms and all necessary documents. Upon your return, a staff member will check your papers for completeness and then you will be able to obtain a hearing date before the judge.
updating florida birth certificate
I was born in a state other than Florida, can I update my birth certificate using this site?
If you were not born in Florida, you cannot use our site to update your birth certificate, though you can use it to update all of your other documents. If you need assistance in updating a birth certificate in another state, you can refer to National Center for Transgender Equality’s ID Document Center at https://transequality.org/documents. You can also reach out to attorney Simone Chriss at [email protected] for assistance.
The Florida Department of Health website says that in order to update the gender/sex on a Florida birth certificate, you have to show proof of “sexual reassignment surgery.” Is that true?
No! While the government website still reflects that old policy, we have negotiated with them and they have agreed to allow individuals born in Florida to update their gender/sex on their birth certificate without any type of surgery. All that is required is a doctors’ letter stating that you have undergone “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.” This is explained fully, and a sample doctors’ letter is provided, in Step 5.
I received a denial letter from the Florida Department of Health stating that I cannot update my gender marker/sex on my birth certificate without proof of sex reassignment surgery.
This is an incorrect denial. PLEASE contact attorney Simone Chriss at [email protected] and inform her of this denial and she will help you obtain an amended birth certificate.
