Kentucky Name Change Center

The Kentucky Name Change Law Center is a resource on changing your name in the State of Kentucky for non-lawyers and pro se litigants. Please let us know if we have omitted a link to an important state resource and we will gladly add it.

Courts and Community Resources

State Statutory Resources

Kentucky Name Change Law

401.010 Who may have name changed.

Any person at least eighteen (18) years of age may have his name changed by the District Court of the county in which he resides. If he resides on a United States Army post, military reservation or fort his name may be changed by the District Court of any county adjacent thereto. Effective: January 2, 1978

History: Amended 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 395, effective January 2, 1978. -- Amended 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 66, sec. 1; and ch. 386, sec. 88. -- Amended 1968 Ky. Acts ch. 100, sec. 12; and ch. 200, sec. 9. -- Amended 1964 Ky. Acts ch. 155, sec. 1. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 3717.

401.020 Child, who may have name changed.

Both parents, provided both are living, or one (1) parent if one (1) is deceased, or if no parent is living, the guardian, may have the name of a child under the age of eighteen (18) changed by the District Court of the county in which the child resides. However, if one (1) parent refuses or is unavailable to execute the petition, proper notice of filing the petition shall be served in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure. If the child resides on a United States Army post, military reservation or fort his name may be changed by the District Court of any county adjacent thereto. Effective: July 15, 1980 History: Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 259, sec. 27, effective July 15, 1980. -- Amended 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 396, effective January 2, 1978. -- Amended 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 386, sec. 89. -- Amended 1968 Ky. Acts ch. 100, sec. 13. -- Amended 1964 Ky. Acts ch. 155, sec. 1. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 3718.

401.030 Facts shown on order book of court.

The original name, age and place of birth, the name to which the change is made, and the names of the infant's father and mother, if known, and of the person on whose motion the change is made shall be entered on the order book of the District Court. Effective: January 2, 1978 History: Amended 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 397, effective January 2, 1978. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 3719.

401.040 Certification of order for name change -- Index kept by county clerk.

(1) If the District Court orders any person's name to be changed under this chapter, a copy of the order shall be certified by the clerk of that court to the county clerk, for record. (2) The county clerk shall keep an alphabetical index for each book of records, referring to the page on which each person's name change appears, and giving the name from and to which it is changed. Effective: January 2, 1978 History: Amended 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 398, effective January 2, 1978. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 3720.