You should file your paperwork in the county in which you live. Some Prothonotary offices have sample petitions for you to fill out. Other offices require that you write your own petition. This step starts the name change process.Your petition must contain the following information:


Your desire and intention to change your name
Your reason for asking for a name change, which can be any reason that the Court will approve. However, you may not change your name to avoid creditors, commit fraud, or because you don’t want others to know that you have committed crimes in the past.
Your current address
All of your addresses for the five years prior to filing your petition;
, These forms differ in each county. However, they may include a Civil Cover Sheet, a Court Administration Office Scheduling Sheet, and an Order for Publication and Notice. Your county Prothonotary office may have these forms for you to fill out, or you may need to write your own forms. These forms are usually just to ensure that your case moves properly through the court system and that you complete all of the required steps to change your name.
 The amount of this fee varies widely from county to county, ranging from about $97.00 to $328.00. You can file an In Forma Pauperis (IFP) petition and order if needed. This petition asks the court to waive the normal fee because you receive public assistance or are otherwise unable to afford the fee or are considered to be low-income. If the judge agrees to waive the court’s fee, you will receive a signed order waiving the filing fee by mail., When you file your Petition for Change of Name, the court will issue an order that directs you to have your fingerprints taken. You may be able to receive that order from the court the same day that you file your petition, or you may receive it later in the mail. Using this order, you can set up an appointment with your local police department in order to get your fingerprints taken. The police department is likely to charge you a fee to get your fingerprints taken. The court will use your fingerprints to check your criminal history with the Pennsylvania State Police. If you have been convicted of certain crimes, you may not be eligible to change your name., After your fingerprints have been submitted, the court will schedule a hearing. You will receive a hearing date by mail, along with a completed Order for Publication and Notice. This Order directs you to publish notice that you wish to change your name.
 Your notice also will contain the date of the hearing that has been scheduled on your request to change your name. This allows any interested person to attend the hearing and object to your proposed name change.Your publication notice must follow these guidelines:


The notice must be published one time in two newspapers of general circulation in your county of residence or in a nearby county. You can use any newspaper in those locations. Since the fees may vary, you may wish to check with several newspapers to see which costs less. Your Prothonotary’s Office can tell you which newspapers are generally used and how to contact them.
A copy of the newspaper notice will serve as evidence that you have properly published the notice of your intended name change.
The court can waive the publication requirement if it finds that publishing notice would jeopardize the your safety.
 You typically satisfy this requirement by submitting an official judgment or lien check showing no outstanding judgments. This document must be signed by the Prothonotary’s office. Depending on your county’s requirements, you also may need to get searches done by the Clerk of Court’s Office and the Recorder of Deeds Office. You must provide proof of these searches to the court.


You must request that these searches be performed individually by each office. Each office may have a different form for making this request. Some offices in some counties may even require you to conduct the search yourself.
The Prothonotary’s Office and the Clerk of Court’s Office are typically located in your county courthouse. The Recorder of Deeds Office also may be in the courthouse or in another local government building, depending on your county.
Each office may charge a fee for the search requests. The amount of this fee is different in every office and varies from one county to the next.
Once you have paid the fee and the search is complete, the office will give you a signed document that states the results of the search. This is the document that you will present to the court when you attend your hearing.
 Your court hearing typically will be about one to three months from the date that your petition for name change is filed. This gives you plenty of time to publish the required notices. At the court hearing, the court will determine if you eligible for a name change. If you qualify under Pennsylvania law, the court will order your name change. Some people do not qualify for a name change. If the judge denies your petition for name change, you do have the right to appeal. However, the appeal process is complex and you probably should consult with an attorney first before attempting to file an appeal on your own. You will not be eligible for a name change for the following reasons:


To avoid creditors or debts that you owe
To commit fraud or similar criminal acts
To avoid people knowing about your past criminal convictions
File a Petition for Name Change in your local Prothonotary’s office.
File any other required forms.
Pay the court’s filing fee.
Get your fingerprints taken.
Get an Order for Publication and Notice signed by the judge.
Publish notice of your intended name change.
Present proof of financial standing to the court.
Attend a court hearing.
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