Full question:
I am 34 years of age and my sister is 33 years of age. Our step Dad adopted us today ( 10-02-2009 ). the assistant DA signed off on the adoption of both my sister and myself along with the name change for my sister, however, he would not sign off on my name change and filed his papers to the judge on why he would not sign off on m name change. He said it had to do with something on my criminal background check. The only thing on there would be from a DWI charge from 7-8 years ago. He also said that I would need to file a petition to the judge for a hearing and request that the judge sign off allowing me to change my name. I need to know what forms I need to purchase and file. Thank You & God Bless
- Category: Name Change
- Date:
- State: Louisiana
Answer:
To change your name as an adult in Louisiana, you must file a petition with the district court in your parish of residence, birth, or where the Vital Records Registry is located. If you are incarcerated, you would file in the parish where you were sentenced. Your petition should explain why you want to change your name.
Louisiana law generally does not allow name changes if the court believes the request is intended for illegal purposes, such as avoiding debts or concealing a criminal record. A past DWI charge may affect your name change request, as it could be seen as an attempt to hide your criminal history.
If the court denies your name change due to your criminal history, you might consider seeking an expungement of that record. Expungement legally removes or restricts access to certain criminal records. In Louisiana, misdemeanor arrest records can be expunged if you were not found guilty. For felony records, expungement means they are removed from public access but not destroyed. Certain agencies can still access expunged records for investigative purposes (La. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 893; La. Code 44:9).
If you successfully expunge your record, you may then be able to reapply for your name change.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.