New York Petition For Individual Adult Change of Name is a legal document that allows adult individuals to change their legal name in the state of New York. This process is referred to as a name change petition. The petition must be filed in the county of residence and requires several documents including a certified copy of a birth certificate, a fee, and a written statement explaining the reason for the name change. There are two types of name change petitions, general name change and marriage name change. A general name change petition is used when an adult individual wishes to change their name for any reason other than marriage. A marriage name change petition may be used when an adult individual wishes to change their name after getting married.