Skip to content

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025

Can a person born elsewhere than Minnesota legally change their name in the state, outside of a marriage license?

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost
yes

A person born outside of Minnesota who has been a resident for at least 6 months can legally change any part of their name, though it will not change their birth certificate. 

Outside of a name change due to marriage, applications for a name change must be filed with the district court in the county where the applicant lives, along with a form allowing a criminal background check. The application includes details about marital status, criminal history and whether the applicant has minor children who are also seeking name changes. A standard filing fee can be waived in cases of low income. 

Once forms are accepted, the applicant will have a court hearing, where they’ll bring two witnesses to testify to their identity. OutFront Minnesota recommends that one of these witnesses be the applicant’s spouse, if the applicant is married.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

See all fact briefs

MinnPost is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces thoughtful, in-depth journalism about civic and cultural affairs impacting Minnesota. Through our reporting, we take readers beyond the headlines and deep into the issues that matter through our public-service journalism, empowering them to engage in the politics and policy-making shaping Minnesota’s future.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.