Florida Form 12.982(d) minor-child name-change consent checklist

Start with the free official form

Florida Courts currently publishes Form 12.982(d), Consent for Change of Name (Minor Child(ren)), dated February 2018. The official PDF is three pages: one page of instructions followed by the two-page consent form. Read all three pages before entering information.

Source checked September 24, 2026. Confirm the revision on the current Florida Courts forms index ↗ before starting.

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The official instructions describe this form for a parent who is not a petitioner in the case and consents to the other parent's petition to change the name of their minor child or children. They direct the consenting parent to sign before a notary public or deputy clerk.

Sun State cannot determine whether consent is required, who may consent, whether a person is a birth or legal parent, whether the consent is sufficient, or whether Form 12.982(d) applies to the family's circumstances.

1. Match the existing case caption

The form asks for the judicial circuit, Florida county, case number, division, and petitioner's name shown in the name-change case. Use the existing case documents rather than creating a new caption.

The software cannot identify the correct case, determine venue, decide who should appear as petitioner, or correct a caption that differs from court records.

2. Identify the consenting parent

The form asks for the consenting parent's full legal name. Its printed consent language states that the signer is the birth or legal parent of the minor children named in the case.

3. Pair each current name with the requested name

The consent provides six numbered rows. Each row pairs a minor child's complete present name with the name requested in the underlying case. Blank rows may remain blank.

Compare every entry with the petition before signing. Sun State does not select a requested name, determine name availability, decide whether the entries match the petition, or assess whether the proposed change is in a child's best interests.

4. Understand the official filing context

The official instructions state that after the form is signed and notarized, it should be filed with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the petition was filed, with a copy kept for the signer's records. They say it should be attached to Form 12.982(c) when obtained before the petition is filed; otherwise, it may be filed separately after completion.

Those instructions do not mean consent replaces any other required step. Sun State cannot determine whether service or notice remains necessary, the effect of the consent, filing timing, local requirements, hearing procedure, evidence, or whether the petition will be granted. Confirm current procedure with the clerk or a licensed attorney.

5. Review the oath, contact fields, and notarization

The second form page states that the consenting parent is swearing or affirming that the claims in the consent are truthful and warns of fines or imprisonment for a knowingly false statement. It asks for the signer's printed name, address, city/state/ZIP, telephone, fax, and designated email.

Sun State leaves the signing date, signature, notarization, identification, and nonlawyer-assistance fields blank for manual completion. The signer remains responsible for reviewing the consent and signing before a notary public or deputy clerk.

Complete the consent already selected

The official blank PDF is free. Sun State's optional $19 self-service software transfers customer-supplied entries into its configured Form 12.982(d) and delivers editable, print, and unchanged blank PDFs. It does not prepare the petition, establish consent requirements, file the form, complete service, schedule a hearing, or review legal sufficiency.

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