Happy family

Find a legal form in minutes

Browse US Legal Forms’ largest database of 85k state and industry-specific legal forms.

Kansas Name Change Law

Name Change – General – Kansas

Note:  This summary is not intended to be an all inclusive discussion of the law applicable to an action for change of name in Kansas, but does include basic and other provisions.

Name Change Action Allowed: In Kansas, a person may change their name by filing an action in the district court with appropriate forms.

Who is an adult? A person who has attained the age of 18 years is considered an adult.

Who is a minor? A person who has not attained the age of 18 years is considered a minor.

Is there any reason why a person might not be allowed to change his or her name? Yes.  The court must find that there is reasonable cause for the name change and the requested name change is consistent with the public interest.  A person is not allowed to change their name in order to avoid judgments or legal actions against him or her, or to avoid debts and obligations.  A person can not change their name to defraud any person.

Must the child agree to the name change? No, but the court may consider the wishes of a child old enough to express their wishes in considering whether to grant the Petition.

Must the parent(s) of the minor agree to the name change? The consent of the parents is not required statute, but the lack of consent or the objections of a parent would go the question of reasonable cause for the name change.

Requirements for Name Change Order: For an order of name change to be granted, the court must find reasonable cause reasons for the change and also that it is consistent with the public interest. A change of name upon marriage, dissolution, or divorce meets these requirements.

Is Publication of a Notice Required? This is discretionary with the court.  The court may prescribe notice by mail or by publication.

Who must be provided notice of the Petition? This is discretionary with the court.

Can individuals “object” to my Petition for Name Change? Yes.  Any reasonable objections made to the court may influence the court’s findings as to whether the change of name is based on reasonable cause and consistent with the public interest.

Procedures: The applicant files a petition in the district court in the county in which they resides.  The court will prescribe the notice of hearing to given by the petitioner.  It can be notice by publication in a local newspaper or notice by mail.

After the hearing, if the court is satisfied as to the truth of the allegations in the petition and that there is reasonable cause for the change of name, the court will issue an order granting change of name.

Additonal Information and Instructions

Statutes: Kansas Statutes Annotated, Chapter 60.–Procedure, Civil, Article 14.–Change of Name

60-1401. Jurisdiction and costs:
The district court shall have authority to change the name of any person, township, town or city within this state at the cost of the petitioner without affecting any legal right.

60-1402. Change of name of person; notice; order:

(a) Petition. A petition may be filed in the county in which the petitioner resides stating: (1) That the petitioner has been a resident of the state for at least 60 days, (2) the reason for the change of name, and (3) the name desired.

(b) Notice. Service of notice of the hearing may be made either by mail or by publication, in the discretion of the court. If notice is directed by publication, such notice shall be published as provided in subsection (d) of K.S.A. 60-307, and amendments thereto; and if notice of hearing is directed to be given by mail, service of notice may be made by registered or certified mail to parties of interest, as prescribed by the court.

(c) Order. If upon hearing the judge is satisfied as to the truth of the allegations of the petition, and that there is reasonable cause for changing the name of the petitioner the judge shall so order.

60-1403. Municipalities.

A petition for the change of name of any township, town, or city may be filed in the district court of such county, signed by a majority of the legal voters of such body, setting forth the cause why such change is desirable and the name to be substituted. The court, upon being satisfied by proof that the prayer of the petitioners is just and reasonable, that notice as required in the foregoing section has been given, that the petitioners are legal voters of such township, town, or city and that they desire the change, and that such change will not result in an objectionable confusion of names within the state, may order the change prayed for in such petition.

Statutes: Kansas Statutes Annotated, Chapter 60.–Procedure, Civil, Article 3.–Process

60-307. Service by publication

(a) When permissible. Service may be made by publication in any of the following cases:

(1) In actions to obtain a divorce, maintenance or an annulment of the contract of marriage if the defendant resides out of the state or if the party with due diligence is unable to make service of summons upon the defendant within the state.

(2) In actions brought against a person who is a nonresident of the state or a foreign corporation having in this state property or debts owing to the person sought to be taken by any of provisional remedies or to be appropriated in any way.

(3) In actions which relate to or the subject of which is real or personal property in this state, if any defendant has or claims a lien or interest, vested or contingent, in the property, or the relief demanded consists wholly or partly in excluding the defendant from any interest in the property, or in actions for partition or for foreclosure of a lien, if the defendant is a nonresident of the state or a foreign corporation or if the party with due diligence is unable to make service of summons upon the defendant within the state.

(4) In all actions in which the defendant, being a resident of this state, has departed from this state or from the county of the defendant’s residence, with the intent to delay or defraud creditors or to avoid the service of a summons, or hides in the state or county with that intent, or in an action against a domestic corporation which has not been legally dissolved, if the officers thereof have departed from the state or cannot be found.

(5) In any of the actions mentioned in this subsection, publication service may be had on any of the following who are made defendants as such: The unknown heirs, executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors and assigns of any deceased defendants; the unknown spouses of any defendants; the unknown officers, successors, trustees, creditors and assigns of any defendants that are existing, dissolved or dormant corporations; the unknown executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, successors and assigns of any defendants that are or were partners or in partnership; the unknown guardians, conservators and trustees of any defendants that are minors or are under any legal disability; and the unknown heirs, executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors and assigns of any person alleged to be deceased.

(b) Construction and effect. The process provisions of this section shall be construed as separate and permissive methods of obtaining service. If the defendant served in accordance with this section does not appear, judgment may be rendered affecting the property, res or status within the jurisdiction of the court as to the defendant, but the service shall not warrant a personal judgment against the defendant.

(c) Affidavit for service by publication. Before service by publication as provided in this section can be made, one of the parties or the party’s attorney shall file an affidavit stating any of the following facts that are applicable:

(1) The residences of all named defendants sought to be served, if known, and the names of all defendants whose residences are unknown after reasonable effort to ascertain the same.

(2) The affiant has made a reasonable but unsuccessful effort to ascertain the names and residences of any defendants sought to be served as unknown parties in accordance with subsection (a)(5).

(3) The party seeking service by publication is unable to procure service of summons on the defendants in this state.

(4) The case is one of those mentioned in clauses (1) through (4) of subsection (a).

The affidavit shall be deemed sufficient if in substantial compliance with the form set forth by the judicial council.

When the affidavit is filed, service may proceed by publication

(d) Publication; form of notice; description of property, when. The notice shall be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in some newspaper published in the county where the petition is filed and which newspaper is authorized by law to publish legal notices. If there is no newspaper published in the county, the notice may be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. The notice must name the defendants to be served and notify them and all other persons who are or may be concerned that the defendants have been sued in a named court and must answer or plead otherwise to the petition, or other pleading, filed in the court, on or before a date to be stated, which date shall be not less than 41 days from the date the notice is first published, or the petition or other pleading filed will be taken as true, and judgment, the nature of which shall be stated, will be rendered accordingly.

The notice shall be deemed sufficient if in substantial compliance with the form set forth by the judicial council.

Where the action affects property, the notice need not expressly describe the property, unless the description is otherwise required by law, but the property may be identified by reference to the pleading.

(e) Mailing copy of notice. The party seeking to secure service by publication shall, within seven days after the first publication, mail a copy of the publication notice to each defendant whose address is stated in the affidavit for service by publication.

(f) When service complete. Service by publication shall be deemed complete when it has been made in the manner and for the time prescribed in subsections (d) and (e), and the service shall be proved. No judgment by default shall be entered on the service until proof of service is made, approved by the court and filed.

Other Name Change References:

Period of minority:
The period of minority extends in all persons to the age of eighteen (18) years, except that every person sixteen (16) years of age or over who is or has been married shall be considered of the age of majority in all matters relating to contracts, property rights, liabilities and the capacity to sue and be sued. Kansas Statutes Annotated, Chapter 38 Minors, Article 1 General Provisions, §38-101.


Inside Kansas Name Change Law