Mississippi: Adult Legal Name Change Requirements

Requirements one by one

The filing starts in the resident county's chancery court

Current § 93-17-1(1) gives the chancery court or chancellor in the county
of residence jurisdiction “upon the petition of any person to alter the names
of such person.” The Mississippi Judiciary's adult guide turns that short rule
into a filing set: a civil cover sheet, a notarized petition, and a proposed
order filed with the chancery clerk. It then directs the filer to obtain a
hearing date.

The governing section does not list the petition's factual contents. County
instructions fill in local mechanics. DeSoto County, for example, requires a
certified birth certificate, treats age 21 as the adult track, lists a $148
fee, and expects hearing attendance unless the judge or special master excuses
it. Confirm the current packet and amount with the filing county.

Two restrictions turn on current status, not any criminal record

The restriction in 2022 SB 2263 §§ 2-3 defines an “offender” here as a physically
incarcerated person. That person cannot file a petition personally. A name
change is possible only when one of four officials files: a district attorney,
the sheriff of the county of incarceration, the Department of Corrections
commissioner or designee, or a Department of Corrections chaplain.

Effective July 1, 2026, § 45-33-30 separately restricts a person required
to register as a sex offender. The only permitted changes are those resulting
from marriage or divorce, supported by a certified marriage certificate or
divorce decree. The operative text does not create a broader exception.

Statewide sources do not prescribe publication or fingerprints

Section 93-17-1, the two restriction acts, and the Judiciary's adult guide set
no statewide newspaper-publication, posting, fingerprint-card, or criminal-
history-report step. They also state no special safety-confidentiality,
publication-waiver, or gender-identity track. Because the statute leaves most
procedure unstated, ask the chancery clerk about the county's current practice
before filing or placing sensitive information in a public document.

Fees and record updates remain separate steps

Fees are county-set. The Mississippi Judiciary publishes an affidavit for a
citizen who cannot prepay the costs or provide security, so ask the clerk how
to submit that request in the name-change case.

After the chancellor signs the order, the clerk files it. The statewide guide
recommends obtaining at least two copies; DeSoto County advises requesting the
certified copies needed for separate updates with Social Security, driver-
license, and other record keepers.

What trips people up

• The 2026 bill title is broader than the operative text. The title mentions
  people convicted of crimes of violence, but the enacted prohibition itself
  applies to people required to register under the sex-offender chapter. The
  cell follows the enacted section, not the title.
• Incarceration and registration are different restrictions. The 2022 rule
  blocks self-filing by a physically incarcerated person but supplies four
  official-filer routes. Section 45-33-30 instead limits a registered person's
  permitted name changes to marriage or divorce.
• A statewide guide is not a county fee schedule. DeSoto's $148 figure is
  one current county example; obtain the amount and packet from the chancery
  clerk where the petition will be filed.

Common questions

Must I publish the requested name in a newspaper?

No statewide publication step appears in the governing section or the
Judiciary's adult guide. Confirm whether the filing county imposes any local
procedure before assuming no notice will be required.

Must I get fingerprinted?

No statewide fingerprint or background-report step appears in the sources
that govern the ordinary adult filing. The separate incarcerated-person and
registered-sex-offender restrictions still apply when relevant.

Can I ask to file without paying the fee first?

The Mississippi Judiciary provides an affidavit for commencing a suit without
prepayment when the sworn eligibility statement is true. Ask the chancery clerk
how that affidavit is handled locally.

Does the signed order update all of my records automatically?

No. Request certified copies and use each agency's separate update process.

Statutes and sources

• Miss. Code § 93-17-1(1) — chancery jurisdiction in the county of
  residence. Official signed 2026 SB 2126
  (accessed 2026-07-30).
• Miss. Code § 45-33-30 — registered-sex-offender restriction, certified-
  document exceptions, and penalty. Official signed 2026 SB 2126
  (accessed 2026-07-30).
• 2022 Miss. Laws, SB 2263 §§ 2-3 — physically incarcerated person's
  self-filing bar and four official-filer routes. Official signed act
  (accessed 2026-07-30).
• Mississippi Judiciary adult guide — filing set, notarization, hearing,
  signed order, and copies. Official guide
  (accessed 2026-07-30).
• DeSoto County Chancery Clerk instructions — local adult age, residency,
  birth certificate, fee, hearing, and certified-copy practice. Official
  county instructions
  (accessed 2026-07-30).
• Mississippi Judiciary no-prepayment affidavit — sworn fee request.
  Official form
  (accessed 2026-07-30).