Legally Change Your Name in Iowa

Adult Name Change in Iowa

Whether it's after a wedding, a divorce, or a fresh start that needs a court order, we handle the Iowa paperwork: petition, the state's newspaper publication rule, and every agency afterward.

IN THE COUNTY COURT
STATE OF IOWA
In re the Name Change of:
[Your Current Name]
Petition for Change of Name
  1. Petitioner is over the age of eighteen and a resident of the County of [your county], Iowa.
  2. Petitionerโ€™s present legal name is [Your Current Name], and Petitioner desires to assume the name of [Your New Name].
  3. The change of name herein requested is not made for any fraudulent purpose, nor to avoid creditors, contracts, or obligations of any kind.
  4. WHEREFORE, Petitioner respectfully requests that this Court enter an Order changing Petitionerโ€™s name as set forth above.
Petitioner
Signature of Petitioner
Filed in Iowa
Iowa, sorted.
All
IA counties covered
Statewide
Varies
Court filing fee
Paid to the court
6 to 12
Weeks, typical
Court-order route
20%
Off with Friend+
On every IA kit
First, which path?

Two ways to change
a name in Iowa.

It comes down to one question: is your new name coming from a marriage or divorce, or for another reason?

๐Ÿ’
NO COURT ORDER

Marriage or divorce

Your marriage certificate or divorce decree is already the legal authority. Skip the courthouse entirely and go straight to updating your agencies.

  • No petition, no judge
  • No publication needed
  • Any of our kits works as is
Start with a kit
โš–๏ธ
COURT ORDER NEEDED

Any other reason

A fresh start, a family name, gender affirmation, a spelling fixed at last. Iowa requires a court petition. We prepare it for you.

  • We draft your Iowa petition
  • We handle filing instructions
  • Then the kit updates every agency
See how it works
What you get

What's in your IA kit.

Everything a Iowa adult name change needs, from the court petition to the agency cleanup.

๐Ÿ“
Petition
IA-correct

Pre-filled with your details and reason. Ready to sign.

๐Ÿ›๏ธ
Filing instructions
County-specific

Cover letter and where to send it for the right County Court.

๐Ÿ“ฐ
Publication
Arranged for you

We pick a Iowa newspaper that meets the state rule.

๐Ÿชช
Agency forms
Auto-filled

Social Security, DMV, passport, IRS โ€” every one you need, signed-ready.

๐Ÿ’Œ
Envelopes
Prepaid + pre-addressed

Drop them in the mail. No envelopes to print or labels to peel.

๐Ÿ“ž
Support
Real humans

Helpline if you get stuck or the court sends something weird back.

Honest comparisonPENDING #6

How we stack up against the alternatives.

No tricks. Here's what actually matters when you change your name in Iowa.

What matters most
๐Ÿ›๏ธ

Hire a Lawyer

Traditional law firms

$1,000 โ€“ $2,500
You are here

Legal Friend

AI-powered. Human-guided.

$39 โ€“ $159 BEST VALUE
๐Ÿ”ง

Total DIY

Doing it on your own

$0 + fees
๐Ÿ“‹Every agency form in one place
โš–๏ธIA court petition prepared (if needed)
๐Ÿ“ฐNewspaper publication arranged
๐Ÿ›‚Passport forms included
๐Ÿ“ฎPrepaid envelopes & postage
โฑTime to start filing
1 to 3 weeks
Same day
Up to you
๐Ÿ’ฌBilingual (EN / ES) support
Save up to $2,300
and weeks of stress.
Iowa pricing

Three kits.
Same for every state.

Kit prices below cover the agency paperwork. A IA court-order petition (if you need one) adds the court's $0+ filing fee, paid directly to the court.

FRIEND+Members save 20% on your IA name-change kit, plus early access to new document types.See Friend+ โ†’
โœจ

Guide + Forms

Get the guide and every form instantly. You fill them out.

$39
FLAT FEE
Choose Guide โ†’
    โœจ

    Done for You

    Answer a few questions, we prepare your forms within 48 hours.

    $149
    FLAT FEE
    Choose Done โ†’
      + $0+ IA court filing fee (court-order changes only)
      The court-order path

      Four steps to a
      certified IA order.

      This is the route for changes that aren't from a marriage or divorce. Marriage/divorce changes skip straight to updating agencies.

      ๐Ÿ“
      1

      File the petition

      We prepare your Iowa name-change petition and file it in the right court for your county.

      โš–๏ธ
      2

      Judge reviews

      A judge reviews and signs an order granting the change, usually without you appearing.

      ๐Ÿ“œ
      3

      Get your certified order

      The court issues your certified order, your new legal proof of name.

      โœ…
      4

      Update every agency

      Now the kit kicks in: Social Security, DMV, passport, bank, and the rest, all pre-filled.

      Iowa FAQ

      Iowa
      answers.

      The questions we hear most from people changing their name in Iowa.

      It depends on the reason. After a marriage or divorce, no โ€” your certificate or decree is enough, and you can go straight to updating agencies. For any other reason, Iowa requires a court petition and a judge's order. We prepare the petition for you either way.
      A marriage or divorce name change has no court cost, just our kit. A court-ordered change adds the court filing fee (a court filing fee depending on your county). Fee waivers are available if you meet income limits.
      You file in the county where you live. Our intake selects the correct court and gives you county-specific instructions.
      A court-ordered change typically runs 6 to 12 weeks, mostly waiting on the court. A marriage or divorce change is faster โ€” often a few weeks total โ€” since you skip straight to the agency updates.
      Yes, with care and no awkwardness. We prepare the petition and, where you qualify, request that the court waive publication and seal the record for your privacy and safety. We can update gender markers alongside the name wherever the agency allows it.
      Yes. Your data is encrypted, never sold, and only used to generate your forms. You can delete everything from your account at any time.

      Name change in nearby states

      Iowa, all 0 countys

      Start your IA
      name change.

      Free to begin. Tell us your reason and county in Iowa, preview your whole packet, and see if you'll need a court order before paying anything.