Name Change, Name Conformity, or Birth Certificate Correction: Which process is right for my situation?

Change of Name:

(Click here for forms relating to an application to change an adult’s name [1].

Click here for forms relating to an application to change a minor’s name [2].)

• I want to change all or part of my name to a new name.
• I want to change all or part of my child’s name.
• I want to change my last name, and I did not recently get married.
• I want to restore my maiden name following a divorce, and I did not do so when the divorce was pending.

Name Conformity:

(Click here for forms relating to Name Conformity. [3])

• My name does not match on one or more of my official identity documents (Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Driver’s License, Passport, Marriage Certificate, or Divorce Decree).
• An inconsistency in my name is prohibiting me from getting a driver’s license.
• I was not born in Ohio, and I have an error or misspelling on my birth certificate.
• My child was not born in Ohio and has an error or misspelling on their birth certificate.
• I was born in Ohio, but the name on my birth certificate does not match the name I have used all of my life.
• I was in a common law marriage with no marriage certificate to document my name change.
• The name I currently use is a name on one or more of my official identity documents.

Birth Correction or Modification:

(Click here for forms relating to Birth Correction or Modification. [4])

• I was born in Ohio, and I have an error or misspelling on my birth certificate.
• I was born in Ohio. One of my parents’ names is misspelled, or my birthdate is incorrect on my birth certificate.
• My child was born in Ohio. One of the names is misspelled, or the birthdate is incorrect on my child’s birth certificate.
• The error on my or my child’s birth certificate is a true error – not a desired change or alternate spelling acquired following birth.

Situations Probate Court Cannot Correct:

• I want to add or remove a parent from my birth certificate.
• I want to add or remove a parent from my child’s birth certificate.
• I want paternity testing to prove the father on my child’s birth certificate is not the biological father.
• I was married at the time my child was born. My husband is not my child’s biological father, and I want to correct my child’s birth certificate.

If the situation regarding your name is not referenced in one of these sections, you should contact the Probate Court or an attorney before commencing any legal action regarding your name. The situations described that Probate Court cannot correct are generally matters outside of the Probate Court’s jurisdiction. It is recommended that you contact the Ohio Department of Health or an attorney to assist you in these types of situations.