Any natural person, who has been domiciled in this state or who has been residing upon any military reservation located in said state, for more than thirty (30) days, and has been an actual resident of the county or such military reservation situated in said county, or county in which the military reservation is situated, for more than thirty (30) days, next preceding the filing of the action, may petition for a change of name in a civil action in the district court; provided, no person who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act may petition for a change of name. If the person be a minor, the action may be brought by guardian or next friend as in other actions.
§ 1631.Right to Petition For Change of Name
Chapter 33: Change of Name · Last amended November 1, 2014 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceLets any adult who has lived in Oklahoma, or on a military reservation there, and in the relevant county for more than thirty days petition a district court for a name change, bars registered sex offenders from petitioning, and lets a minor's petition be brought by a guardian or next friend.
Full Text of § 1631
Amendment History
Amended by Laws 2014, c. 35, s. 1, eff. 11/1/2014. Laws 1953, SB 149, p. 57, § 1, emerg. eff. 5/19/1953; Amended by Laws 1955, HB 847, p. 141, § 1, emerg. eff. 6/6/1955; Amended by Laws 1957, HB 704, p. 83, §1, emerg. eff. 3/28/1957.
Plain-English Summary
Section 1631 opens the door to a civil name-change action in Oklahoma's district courts. To petition, a person must have been domiciled in the state, or residing on a military reservation located there, for more than thirty days, and must have resided in the relevant county, or the county containing the reservation, for more than thirty days before filing.
The statute carries one flat bar: anyone required to register under the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act can't petition for a name change. For a minor, the action can be brought on the child's behalf by a guardian or next friend, the same way other actions involving minors proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can ask an Oklahoma court to change their name?
Any natural person domiciled in Oklahoma, or residing on a military reservation there, for more than thirty days, who has also resided in the relevant county for more than thirty days before filing.
How long do you have to live in Oklahoma before petitioning?
More than thirty days of domicile or residency in the state and in the county where the petition is filed.
Can a registered sex offender change their name in Oklahoma?
No. The statute bars anyone required to register under the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act from petitioning for a name change.
Can a child's name be changed under this statute?
Yes. If the petitioner is a minor, the action may be brought by a guardian or next friend, as in other actions.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: oklahoma name change residency requirement12 O.S. § 1631who can petition for a name change in oklahomasex offender barred from name change oklahoma