Restoring Your Name After Divorce in New Jersey: Steps, Cost & Forms
Verified against Superior Court of New Jersey and .gov sources · Last verified July 16, 2026.
In New Jersey, you restore your former or maiden name after divorce through the divorce decree — request it in the divorce and the decree is your legal proof. There is usually no extra court fee. Then update Social Security first, then the DMV, then your passport. No newspaper notice is required.
Your personalized plan
Pick your state and situation for your exact filing fee, court, forms, and ordered steps.
What it costs
Restoring a former name is free when requested in the divorce; a post-judgment motion to resume a former name may carry a small motion fee
Superior Court, Law Division (Civil Part) in the county where you live
Step by step
- 1
Ask the court to let you resume a former name in your divorce complaint or at the final hearing — N.J.S.A. 2A:34-21 lets the court restore any name you used before the marriage or civil union, at no extra cost.
- 2
If the divorce is already final and you did not request it, file a post-judgment motion for a name change in the Family Part where your divorce was heard.
- 3
Get the gold-seal certified copy of your Judgment of Divorce (issued at the final hearing) that reflects the restored name.
- 4
Use the certified judgment to update Social Security, then the NJ MVC, then your passport, voter registration, and accounts.
Official forms
Every link goes to the official court or government host — never a paid re-host.
| Form | Code | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment of Divorce with name restoration (issued by the Family Part — no standalone statewide form) | — | Open ↗ |
- • You do not need a separate adult name-change complaint to return to a former name after divorce — the divorce case handles it under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-21, even years later.
Then update your IDs
Once you have the signed order, update Social Security first, then your New Jersey license, then your passport and accounts.
Divorce name change in nearby states
Restoring Your Name After Divorce in New Jersey: FAQ
Can I restore my maiden name without paying again in New Jersey?
What if I forgot to ask for my former name in the divorce in New Jersey?
Do I need to publish a notice to restore my name after divorce in New Jersey?
What's the first ID to update after a divorce name change in New Jersey?
Sources
Every fee, court, rule, and form on this page traces to an official government source:
See our verification methodology and themaster source list.