Tennessee Name Change Petition

The originally shown father's name and personal data may be removed from a birth certificate only upon receipt of either (a) a properly completed Rescission of Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity received by the State Registrar within 60 days of the date on which the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity was

A notarized affidavit, signed by all parents listed on the birth certificate, which shows the child's full name, date of birth, the incorrect name as it is listed on the certificate and the name as it should be correctly listed. No fee is required to amend a certificate that is less than one year old.

When you have your Name Change Court Order signed by the judge, you can get A Certified Copy of it that day from the same court. You need the Certified Copy to get your most important records changed. It will take you from 6 weeks to 6 months (usually 8 weeks or so) to get your Court Order.

You will be asked to pay a fee for submitting a name change petition and order, typically around $150. The court clerk will assign a court and hearing date.

It's a long process. While a legal document such as a marriage certificate or court granted petition will allow you to change your name, it won't be truly official until you've submitted name change applications with the Social Security Administration, the DMV, and other relevant institutions.

All you have to do is complete and file a petition for name change with the court. There are many reasons for officially changing your name. The most common are marriage and divorce. But if your birth name is Mergatroid or something like that, you might not need any other reason.

You must visit a Driver Service Center to make changes to your name. You will need your current license and the original or certified document showing the reason for the change; for example: An original or certified marriage certificate, original or certified copy of your divorce decree, or the original court order.