Name Change Request – Pinellas County, FL

The Name Change Request is the Pinellas County Property Appraiser (PCPAO) form that an owner completes to ask the agency to replace a previous name with a new name on a property record.

The form identifies the property by owner name, parcel number and property address, then asks for the previous name, the new name and the reason for the change. Each reason it lists carries its own supporting document: a marriage certificate, a final judgment or decree of divorce, a court order, a passport or birth certificate, or a naturalization certificate with the name change court petition. An "Other" option covers any other reason, with supporting documents attached.

The printed notice at the top says the change will not alter your deed, so it updates the appraiser's record and is not a change of title. The form also asks whether the property has a homestead exemption. If it does, you attach a Florida driver's license or Florida identification card that shows your new name.

The form states that it will not be processed without the required documentation and that it must be signed to be processed. PCPAO also offers an online submission option, which the form announces at www.pcpao.gov/how-do-i/change-my-name.

Property owners in Pinellas County whose name on the property record must change use this form. The reasons printed on it are:

• marriage;
• divorce;
• a legal name change;
• a correction to a first, middle or last name;
• naturalization;
• another reason, which you specify and support with documents.

Owners whose property has a homestead exemption should pay particular attention. The form asks you to answer Yes or No to the homestead question and, if Yes, to attach a Florida driver's license or Florida identification card with the new name. A notice at the bottom cites Section 196.011(9a), Florida Statute: an owner who fails to notify the Property Appraiser and was not entitled to an exemption in any of the prior 10 years can owe the exempted taxes plus interest and a penalty, and a tax lien notice may be recorded.

Do not use this form expecting it to change your deed; the form says it does not. The form has a line for the printed name of the person signing and no separate section for representatives.

Submit the form when the owner's name has changed and the property record needs to match it, for example after a marriage, divorce, court order or naturalization. The form prints no deadline of its own.

For properties with a homestead exemption, timing matters more. The notice on the form cites Section 196.011(9a), Florida Statute, which makes an owner who fails to notify the Property Appraiser responsible for exempted taxes, interest and a penalty if the Property Appraiser determines the owner was not entitled to the exemption in any of the prior 10 years. Gather the supporting document for your reason before you send the request, because the form will not be processed without it.

You can send the completed Name Change Request to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser by email, fax or mail, or submit it online.

• Email: [email protected]
• Fax: (727) 464-3448
• Mail: Pinellas County Property Appraiser, PO Box 1957, Clearwater FL 33757-1957
• Online: the form says you can submit your request at www.pcpao.gov/how-do-i/change-my-name.

The form asks you to print and return it. Whichever channel you choose, sign it, since a signature is required for processing, and include the documents that match your reason for the change, plus the Florida driver's license or identification card if the property has a homestead exemption. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.