Changing a Name
735 ILCS 5/21-101 — a petition in the county of residence, after 3 months in the State
A resident who wants to take another name petitions the circuit court of the county where they live. The petitioner must have lived in Illinois for 3 months at the time of the hearing or of the order.
Who handles this in Illinois: Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
A person required to register under the sex offender, violent offender against youth or arsonist registries may petition only for marriage, religious beliefs, status as a trafficking victim, or gender related identity, and a person with an unfinished felony sentence faces limits of their own in the section.
Sources for this section (1)
- 735 ILCS 5/21-101 — Proceedings; parties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.