Is there a residency requirement?
Answer: Yes. You must reside in the county where the petition is filed for at least a year prior to filing.
Is there a publication requirement?
Answer: Yes. The Ohio Revised Code, Section 2717(A) sets forth the publication requirements.
That section provides as follows:
- Notice of the application shall be given once by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least thirty days before the hearing on the application. The notice shall set forth the court in which the application was filed, the case number, and the date and time of the hearing.
Do I need to state a reason for changing my name?
Answer: Yes. Ohio name change law requires a "reasonable and proper" cause for changing your name.