Adult Legal Name Change Requirements in Michigan

At a glance

Requirements one by one

File in the family division after one year in the county

An adult files in the family division of the circuit court for the county where the adult has lived for at least one year. The written petition must show a sufficient reason for the proposed name and that the change is not sought with fraudulent intent. See § 711.1(1).

Michigan requires the SCAO-approved petition. Use PC 51 for the ordinary route or PC 51c when requesting nonpublication and a confidential record. For an adult-only case, the form states county residency, the reason, absence of fraudulent intent, criminal-record information, and the current and proposed names and birth date. The petitioner signs under penalty of perjury; the official form does not use a notarized verification block.

Disclose criminal history, but do not submit fingerprints

The petition must include any criminal record, including a pending charge, or affirmatively state that no criminal record exists. The court may use LEIN or ICHAT to check, and the court—not the petitioner—bears that search cost.

Public Act 229 eliminated the former fingerprint requirement effective April 2, 2025. Current PC 51 contains the criminal-record disclosure but no fingerprint submission. A criminal record is not an automatic statutory bar or a presumption of fraudulent intent under current § 711.1(1).

Publication remains ordinary, even when no hearing is set

Unless the safety-confidentiality statute applies, the court orders notice in a newspaper in the county where the case is pending. Current MCR 3.613(B) requires the published notice to give the petitioner, current name, proposed name, and either hearing details if a hearing will occur or the deadline for a person with the same or a similar name to move to intervene. The publisher's affidavit proves publication.

The statewide name-change rule does not state one universal adult insertion count. PC 50 and PC 50d leave the number of publications for the court to complete. Current Kent County instructions require the publication affidavit at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing or intervention deadline. Follow the filed court order and court-completed publication form.

Good cause requires nonpublication and a confidential record

When the petition shows good cause, § 711.3(1), § 711.3(4)(e), and MCR 3.613(C) require the court to order no publication and keep the proceeding confidential. Good cause includes physical danger, an increased likelihood of danger, or unlawful discrimination or retaliation.

The court must presume good cause when the statement says the petitioner or an endangered person is a victim of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or seeks to affirm gender identity. Use PC 51c, which includes the ex parte request and statement of good cause. The court may not demand proof of an arrest or prosecution to find good cause.

An adult hearing is discretionary

The court may grant an adult petition with or without a hearing. If it uses a hearing, it sets the time and place. The grant standard remains sufficient reason and no fraudulent intent. A person with the same or a similar name may be allowed to intervene to show fraudulent intent. See § 711.1(1), § 711.1(2), and § 711.1(4).

Filing totals vary by the local court

SCAO's circuit-court fee chart lists a $150 name-change civil filing fee and a $25 electronic-filing-system fee for civil actions. § 711.2 separately states a $10 county fee. Courts package local charges differently: Jackson County currently posts a $175 filing fee, while Kent County posts $187 including one certified copy. Confirm the filing total with the local court.

The core filing fees are waivable; use MC 20 to request a waiver based on qualifying public assistance, eligible legal-services representation, low household income, or financial hardship.

If the changed-name order concerns a person with a criminal record, the court must send it to State Police and, when applicable, the Department of Corrections, the relevant county sheriff, or the family court with recent jurisdiction under § 711.1(3). A petitioner seeking a Michigan birth-record change must provide a certified copy of the order to the State Registrar.

What trips people up

• Fingerprints are obsolete. Guidance that still requires them predates Public Act 229's April 2, 2025 effective date.
• Publication and hearing are separate questions. An adult order can be entered without a hearing, but ordinary publication still occurs and may use an intervention deadline instead of hearing details.
• Use the confidential form before publishing. PC 51c is the route for a good-cause nonpublication and confidential-record request.
• The official petition is not notarized. PC 51 uses a declaration under penalty of perjury.

Common questions

Must every adult attend a hearing?

No. Current § 711.1(2) lets the court enter an adult order with or without a hearing.

Does a criminal record prevent a change?

Not automatically. It must be disclosed, and the court may check LEIN or ICHAT. The governing standard is still sufficient reason and absence of fraudulent intent.

Is affirming gender identity a publication exception?

It is an express presumed-good-cause ground. A qualifying PC 51c petition requires nonpublication and a confidential record; this does not itself change a gender marker.

Statutes and sources

• MCL 711.1 — court, one-year county residence, reason/fraud standard, criminal-record disclosure and court check, discretionary adult hearing, publication, intervention, and criminal-record order transmission. Official current section (accessed 2026-07-26).
• MCL 711.3 / 2024 PA 229 — mandatory nonpublication and confidentiality, good-cause statement and presumptions, including victimization and affirming gender identity. Official enacted act (accessed 2026-07-26).
• MCR 3.613 — mandatory SCAO form, newspaper notice contents and proof, ex parte confidential-record procedure, and sealed-file handling. Official current Chapter 3 (updated May 1, 2026; accessed 2026-07-26).
• Michigan SCAO forms — current PC 51 ordinary petition, PC 51c confidential petition, PC 52 order, and MC 20 fee-waiver request. Official name-change forms; MC 20 (accessed 2026-07-26).
• Michigan SCAO circuit-court fee chart — $150 name-change filing fee, $25 civil electronic-filing-system fee, and waiver status. Official fee table (accessed 2026-07-26).
• MCL 711.2 and current county instructions — statutory $10 county fee and current posted local totals. Official current section; Jackson County; Kent County (accessed 2026-07-26).