The Virginia Transman

Virginia Name Change Form

Above is the link to the Virginia name change form. You can fill it out on the computer and print it out and take it to your county clerk to file it, or you can fill it out at the courthouse because they usually keep copies on hand. If you choose to fill it out online and print it out, make sure the boxes are not still gray, because the court will not accept them like that.

I believe the procedures and costs will vary by county. In my county, it cost me $40 to file for a change of name. I was not asked to appear in court. About two weeks after I submitted my paper to the court, I received two copies in the mail that were signed by the judge, granting me my name change.

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Once you have the signed copies for the change of name, that is all you need to change the name on your driver’s license. You’ll have to fill out the standard form and probably pay a reissue fee which should run around $10. They’ll print you out a new vehicle registration as well with the correct name on it.

Once you have your new driver’s license, you’ll take that and the court order to your nearest Social Security building and get your name changed on your Social Security card.

Then begins the tedious process of changing your name on bank accounts, credit cards, work documents, health/car insurance, etc. All you need to change those things is a copy of your court order and your ID with the correct new name.

When you change your name in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the court automatically sends a copy of the court order to the Department of Vital Records and they keep that on file until you request a new birth certificate. If you’re planning on changing the gender marker on your birth certificate, I suggest you wait and do it all at the same time. It will save you time and money. You don’t need your birth certificate to prove anything after a name change, so it’s acceptable to wait until you can get your gender marker changed… unless it’s really far off and you would feel better with your correct name on your birth certificate.

Overall, changing your name is relatively easy. It just gets a little time consuming changing it on every document.