§ 19-12-3.Certificate of name change; use as evidence; form of certificate
Chapter 12. Name Change · Last amended 1999 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-12-3
Plain-English Summary
Once a superior court enters a final order changing a name, the petitioner can ask the clerk of that court for a certificate of change of name. The request can be made at any time after the final order. The clerk must issue the certificate, under the seal of the court, once the petitioner pays the fee set in paragraph (4) of subsection (g) of Code Section 15-6-77. The certificate is received as evidence of the facts it states, which makes it a handy proof of the new name.
Subsection (b) gives the certificate’s form, which the clerk must follow in substance. It certifies that the named petitioner obtained a final order of change of name in the Superior Court of a stated Georgia county on a stated date, as the court’s records show. It then gives the full name (or names) before the order and the full name (or names) after it. The clerk dates it, signs it, and places the court’s seal on it. No notary or witness is involved; the clerk’s signature and the seal give the certificate its authority.
The certificate doesn’t replace the final order itself, and it isn’t a new birth certificate. It is a shorter document drawn from the court record. The section was last amended in 1999.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get proof of my name change in Georgia?
Ask the clerk of the superior court that granted the change for a certificate of change of name. Once you pay the fee set by § 15-6-77(g)(4), the clerk must issue the certificate under the court’s seal. You can request it any time after the final order is entered.
Is a Georgia certificate of name change valid as proof?
Yes. The section says the certificate shall be received as evidence of the facts contained in it — that the petitioner obtained a final order in a named county’s superior court on a stated date, and the names before and after the change.
What does a Georgia certificate of name change say?
It follows a form in subsection (b). It certifies that the petitioner obtained a final order of change of name in a named county’s superior court on a stated date, as shown by the court’s records. It gives the full name before the order and the full name after it, and the clerk signs and dates it under the court’s seal.
Who issues the name change certificate in Georgia?
The clerk of the court that granted the name change issues it, at the request of the petitioner who sought the change. The clerk signs it and places the court’s seal on it. No notary is needed. The petitioner pays the fee set in § 15-6-77(g)(4).
Is there a deadline to request a name change certificate in Georgia?
No. The petitioner may request the certificate at any time after the final order of change of name is entered. The clerk of the court that granted the change issues it, under the court’s seal, once the fee set by § 15-6-77(g)(4) is paid.
Amendment History
Laws 1968, p. 327, § 1; Laws 1991, p. 1324, § 5; Laws 1999, p. 81, § 19.
Formerly Code 1933, § 79-504.