Changing Your Name in Michigan

The family division of circuit court may change the name of a person who has lived in the county for at least 1 year, files a written petition, and shows a sufficient reason and no fraudulent intent. The petition must disclose any criminal record (or state that there is none). The court may decide with or without a hearing, and if it holds a hearing it orders publication under court rule, except that the court must order no publication and a confidential record when the petition shows good cause, presumed for victims of assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking or stalking, or a person affirming gender identity.

When granting a divorce, the circuit court may, at the woman's request, restore her birth name or the surname she legally had before the marriage, or allow her to take another surname, if the change is not sought for a fraudulent purpose.