Name change certificates

[Ze]

Just a quick sound off for the Americans here who have had their names legally changed: How many certificates did you order? The dollar amount will get really expensive for me really fast, so I was curious how many each of you ended up actually needing. I'm doing my own research on this, of course, but I'm doubting each of these places needs their own sealed document like they say they do in order to honor my eventual name change.

At least, I'm hoping...

[pamela_a]

It depends on how many places you may need to send one off to.
I received 1 from the court and purchased 2 more. If you can present it in person most places will just require you present a certified copy then they will make a copy for their records. The Mn. Dept. of Health required one to be mailed in to them with the form to amend my birth certificate so that one was out of my hands for a while. Social security and the Dept of Motor Vehicles (driver license) just needed to see a certified copy, as did my banks. The only other one I recall that needed a certified copy mailed to them was the State Dept for my passport. Depending on your time frame for getting everything changed you may be able to get by with fewer since they do send them back when they are done, but I found 3 worked well for me.

[CharleneT]

I bought two, one to keep in my safety deposit box, the other to copy etc. The other reason to get two, for me, was so if someone really just required an original, then I would have an extra without having to go back to the court house. Just in case it was a hurry . . .

Every dept/organization etc that has asked for one, has accepted a xerox of the original . . . so far :thumbsup:

[Stephenie S]

I got two copies from the court which was enough for me. Most places are satisfied with a copy even though some places needed to SEE the original.

Stephie

[DemonicDaughter]

I, like the others, kept a copy for myself and then had two others (three in total). The only place that wanted to keep an original was the Social Security office. Otherwise, everyone else saw the original and made a photocopy of it.

[Ze]

Thanks everyone. :hugs: So far this is sounding a little more manageable than I was worrying about yesterday.

All the documentation fees are piling up very quickly (likely $600-$700!) and it's making me queasy, so it's good to hear that I won't be needing many of the certificates. Every little bit helps.

Now I just need to stop eating and I can make up the rest of the money. :doh: I'm continuing to look for forms to waive fees, but so far I've only found one for name change. But hey, if they accept me, it'd still be $225 less...

[Victoria Anne]

Ze I got two certified copies and four standard copies and thus far I have only needed the standard copies and no one has kept one yet but I would suggest you get the two certified and at least a couple standard copies. As to cost Mass. will most likely be higher than AZ but my cost was $257 for the name change and $26 for the certified copies and $.50 for the standard copies. Best of luck.

[Ze]

Wow, Victoria. I had assumed Boston would be the more expensive area. It's $165 for the name change fee here and $20 each for certified copies. I oddly enough haven't seen an option to buy standard copies yet.

[Stephenie S]

You don't BUY standard copies, you go to a copy store and make the copies yourself from the original. It's 50 cents a copy at Kinney Drug.

And may I say you are looking exceedingly handsome in your new avatar.

Stephie

[Ze]

Ahhh...I thought they were somehow different than copies I could make myself.

Edit: Why thank you. :o

[Kieron Andrew]

Ahhh...I thought they were somehow different than copies I could make myself.

just copy the original save you a heap of money

[Victoria Anne]

standard copies are different as they are individually stamped with filed date info

[DemonicDaughter]

Ze, not all states are the same. In NY you can only get a court stamped original and order certified copies. Everything else you just photocopy.

The total cost for my name change as about $300.

I have a friend that's looking to change his name as well. So we registered him with a personal mail box in Las Vegas to establish residency. Six weeks later, we can fill out the paperwork to have his name change (downloaded from the county clerks office website) and go to the courts, pay a filing fee of about $200 and (according to the website) change your name that day. According to the net research, its the quickest way to change your name. Otherwise all other states are at least 6 month residency and averages $300 and up.

[CharleneT]

Yup, here in Iowa it is $320 for name change (assuming no lawyer involved), $20 per for court stamped originals. The "wait" is only 30 days though ;) $200 would be a very good price !