Georgia - Campaign for Southern Equality

NOTE: This website provides information about acquiring medical or attorney referrals; it is not medical or legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee.

Georgia State Laws & Guidelines

Georgia law about name changes: O.C.G.A. § 19-12-1

What You Need:

Name Change Petition
Final Decree
Notice of Petition
Verification of Adult Name Change
Social Security Form (Forms vary by county, see your local clerk of court or court web site for the appropriate form)

Estimated Total Costs: $300.00.

For more information about state-issued documents in Georgia, see the National Center for Transgender Equality’s ID Documents Center.

Steps:

Obtain General Civil Case Filing Information and Final Disposition Forms from your county clerk’s office.
Fill out Petition, Verification, Notice, and Case Filing forms and sign in front of a notary. Make copies of all forms.
File forms at Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Filing fees may be different in different counties. Contact your county clerk’s office to find out filing fees and ask about a court fee waiver if you cannot afford the fees.
Within seven days of filing the petition you will need to submit a notice of publication in the local newspaper using the notice of petition form. This publication needs to run once a week for four weeks.
30 days after filing the petition, bring proof to the court that you have published the notice as required. If no objection is raised, the judge will set a date to decide your petition and will render final judgment or decree. Take this decree to the clerk’s office and ask for a certified copy.

*Additional documents may be required: Driver’s license or picture ID, birth certificate or current passport, copies of current bills showing current address.

Don’t Forget: Once your name change has been approved, you will need to update this with several government agencies. This includes changing your name with the Social Security Administration and the Georgia Department of Driver Services. You will need to change your name with Social Security Administration prior to changing it with the DDS. You will need to bring the copy of your name change order along with $20.00 for a corrected license.

gender marker change

Georgia will change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate rather than amend the old one.

Contact Information:

Vital Records Service
State Dept. of Human Resources
47 Trinity Avenue SW, Room 217-H
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-4750
Email: GDPHINFO@dhr.state.ga.us

Mr. Michael R. Lavoie
Director, Vital Records Unit
mrl0600@dhr.state.ga.us

Please contact the Legal Section of the Vital Records office (404-656-4901) and ask for instructions for correcting a vital record.

This document is intended for informational use only, and is in no way intended to constitute legal advice or the opinions of the Campaign for Southern Equality. Because the law is constantly changing, the Campaign for Southern Equality cannot guarantee that this information is accurate and up-to-date. Procedures may vary by county. If you have any questions, please consult a licensed attorney.

More than 500,000 trans folks call the South home. Trans in the South contains lists of trans-friendly service providers – from doctors to attorneys to counselors – across the South. This resource guide helps people find the services they need to survive and thrive.

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