How Trans People Can Change Their Name on Their Experian Credit Report

First Steps

When you change your last name, such as after marriage or divorce, you simply notify your creditors, who then inform the credit bureaus. Changing your full name due to gender transition is a bit more involved. Before requesting a name change on your Experian credit report, you'll need to complete the following steps:

1. Complete your state's requirements for a legal name change. This typically includes filing a name change request (and providing required documentation) with your local court. Advocates for Trans Equality maintains a state-by-state guide to the name change process. While we understand not everyone chooses to go through a formal legal name change, updating your name on your credit report will require a court order document.
2. Update your name on government identification documents. Once you have received your court order documents, you can start the process of changing your name on government ID documents, such as your birth certificate, Social Security card, passport, driver's license or state identification card.
3. Update your legal name on your financial accounts. When your updated government IDs are in hand, you can update your name with lenders, creditors and financial institutions with which you have accounts.

Once you complete the name change with Experian, your deadname will be removed from your credit history, so it's important that any financial institutions reporting to us also have your current name. If creditors submit payment information containing your deadname after the update, your credit profile may be inconsistently reported, which could affect your report and scores. Updating your name with Experian and your creditors helps to keep your credit history intact.

Tip: Differences as simple as your name appearing with or without a middle initial could cause delays in credit applications and other credit-related activities, so be sure your legal name and the name on your financial accounts match exactly.

Learn more: Financial Documents You Need to Update When You Change Your Name

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Documentation Required for a Name Change

To change your name on your credit file, we will need a few documents that prove your new identity and address:

1. A copy of the court order reflecting your legal name change. The court order must include both your former and current legal names.
2. A government-issued identification card with your old or new legal name. This could be a driver's license, state ID card, military ID or passport. We understand you may not have new forms of identification yet, so we can accept either an old or new government-issued ID.
3. A dated copy of a utility, bank or insurance statement with your old or new legal name addressed to you at your current mailing address.

How to Submit a Request to Change Your Name With Experian

You can submit a name change request with Experian by following these steps:

1. Request a name change online by uploading supporting documents or get instructions for beginning a name change by mail.
2. When prompted in the online process, enter your identifying information as we currently have it on file so we can locate your credit information. You'll also need to include your Social Security number, date of birth and all the addresses you've lived at in the past two years.
3. When filling out the online forms, specify that this is a legal name change, not a dispute of the name appearing on your credit report. Include a note such as "My legal name is now _____; please see attached documents" in the explanation field.
4. Upload the required documentation detailed above for quicker processing.

Uploading your documentation online can help speed the name change process. Once we receive a copy of the required documents—either online or in the mail—it takes about 10 business days to update your information within our systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Experian is committed to making sure your credit report is accurate and reflects your identity. Updating your name across all three credit bureaus as part of your gender transition helps to protect both your credit history and your privacy.

You'll want to check your credit report a month or so after requesting your name change to ensure it's accurate. To keep tabs on your credit report and FICO^® Score^Θ going forward, consider signing up for free credit monitoring from Experian. It's a convenient way to track your score progress and get alerts of changes on your credit report that could signal fraud.