Changing Your Name in West Virginia

File a verified petition in the circuit court or family court of the county where you have lived for at least one year (or certain long-time former residents), stating the reason, the new name, and affirming that it is not to avoid debts or the law, that you are not a registered sex offender or convicted felon, and whether you want your identity protected for safety. At least 10 days before the hearing, notice must be published once as a Class I legal advertisement in the county (the new name may be left out for safety reasons, and the hearing may be closed for good cause). The court may grant the change if it finds no one will be harmed, the representations are true, and there is reasonable and proper cause without fraudulent intent.

When ordering a divorce, the court must, if either party asks, allow that party to resume the name used before the marriage without filing a separate name-change petition. The court also issues a one-page certified certificate of divorce showing the name change, which can be used as proof of the legal name change, including at the Division of Motor Vehicles.