The change of name in Mexico is a procedure that is contemplated in the laws of the country.
The process, costs and requirements will depend on the Mexican state in which the procedure is carried out.
If your parents have given you a name for which you have been teased, if you want to change your last name because it does not fit your social reality or if you need to change your name after a gender change, continue reading this article and learn how to change your name in Mexico: costs and requirements.
It will serve you as a guide to carry out the procedures and obtain a new identification in the country.
When can you request a name change in Mexico?
Changing your name just because you want to is not possible in Mexico, since the procedure is legally allowed under the following situations:
1. That the registration of your birth has never been made before a Civil Registry, this is called apocryphal registration or false registration.
2. When your birth certificate presents an error in the spelling of your name or surname.
3. In case your name exposes you to bullying and pejorative situations, in other words, if you have been the object of ridicule because of your name.
4. If you change your marital status, affiliation, nationality or sex.
In all these cases the procedure is simple, although it could take from three months to three years.
Steps to make a name change in Mexico.
If you are under the circumstances mentioned above, you may follow the following steps to change your name or surname.
If you are doing the process in Mexico City, the process you will need to begin is called “aclaración de acta por enmienda” (clarification of record by amendment).
Step 1: Go to the Civil Registry and request the procedure mentioned above,
There you will be given an application form to fill out and submit in writing the reasons for the name change.
Step 2: The requirements to be submitted with the application are the following:
- A copy of your birth certificate.
- Your official identification, i.e., your identity card.
- Proof of your address.
- The receipt of payment for the process, which in Mexico City has a cost of 600 pesos, but if you carry out the process in the State of Mexico it is free of charge.
Once these two steps have been completed, the only thing left to do is to wait for your application to be approved and the change to be made.
After getting the change at the civil registry, you will have to go to all the government offices where you are registered with your old name to take the proof of notification so that your name is updated.
In the case of obtaining the change and not notifying the pertinent authorities, you risk having legal problems with your new name in any future proceedings.
Change of name due to change of gender.
In the case of requesting a name change due to a change of gender, the steps are somewhat different and are as follows.
First of all, the procedure you are going to request is called “change of name due to a change of gender”.
Step 1: Request an appointment at the Civil Registry.
Step 2: Go on the day of the appointment and fill out the name change request form indicating your new name.
- If you were born in Mexico City: you will be given a new birth certificate with your new name.
- In case you were born in another state of Mexico: you will be given a pre-act that you must take to the civil registry where you were presented by your parents so that a stamp is placed and the change is recorded in writing.
Then you will have to take this sealed pre-act back to the Civil Registry where you started the name change process and it is at that moment when they will issue you a new birth certificate with your new name.
As we mentioned the process will depend on the Mexican state where the procedure is done, these steps apply for Mexico City and the State of Mexico, but if the procedure is requested for example, in the State of Puebla the process would be as follows:
Step 1: Go to a family court with the above mentioned requirements:
- Copy of your birth certificate,
- Official identification (identity card),
- Proof of address and receipt of payment (if applicable),
- In addition to written testimonies given by your acquaintances depending on the case.
Step 2: File a lawsuit against the judge of the Civil Registry where your birth certificate was issued.
Once the Family Judge studies the case and reviews the documents presented, he/she will either grant your new name or deny your request.
If you live in a Mexican state other than those mentioned above, we recommend that you contact the civil registry office in your city where they will provide you with detailed information on how the process is carried out in that region.
Examples of the most frequent cases in which a name change is requested in Mexico.
1. A person who has the surnames of his mother and biological father, but was abandoned as a child by his father and never had contact with his paternal family.
His mother remarried and this person was raised by a guardian who has had the role of father.
In this case, the person is requesting a “clarification of the record by amendment” because he/she wishes to take the last name of his/her biological father and take the last name of the father who raised him/her and assumed all the support of the family.
2. A person whose parents gave him/her a name by which he/she has been teased, such as Superman, Rocky, Hannibal, Goku and even Covid as is currently happening.
In this case, the person can request the “clarification of record by amendment” procedure to change his or her name.
3. A person who made a change of gender and requires the change of his or her name, in this case performs an application procedure called “change of name by change of gender” mentioned in this article.
As you can see the change of name in Mexico, although it is a simple process, it will depend mainly on two elements, the city or state where you make the request and the reasons for which you make the request.
Do you need a lawyer?
Are you in Baja California Sur, Mexico? Todos Santos, Los Cabos, La Paz, Loreto, San Jose Del Cabo, Los Cabos, El Pescadero? Are you in Nuevo Leon, Mexico? Apodaca, Cadereyta Jiménez, El Carmen, García, San Pedro Garza García, General Escobedo, Guadalupe, Juárez, Monterrey, Salinas Victoria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Santa Catarina and Santiago…
At Cabo Lawyers we seek to satisfy the different legal needs of our clients, both in their business and personal matters. Contact us at: (+52)8119384461, where we will gladly advise you.
