Last Updated on May 11, 2022 by Fair Punishment Team

Introduction

Currently, wondering whether or not it is possible to change your signature in place of a brand new one? If you answered yes to that question, then rest assured that you have clicked on the right article. Changing signatures are more common than you might think, and you’re free to make the change whenever you want.

Just think about it: given the mere simple fact that there is no requirement (across any state at the time of writing) for a person to have a legally-recognized, “official” signature, it means that you will be able to change your signature at any time you like. At least, you can certainly do so in theory, but does that mean that it’s a good idea?

Even though you might want to swap out your signature for a shiny new one, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind before deciding to do so – and this is where we come in to lend a helping hand. Below, we are going to be talking you through the process of changing your signature, as well as some things to consider prior to making your decision. Let’s jump in.

Can You Change Your Signature?

As we have already discussed briefly above, it is indeed possible to change over your signature, as there is nothing legally binding you to stick to the signature that you currently use. Unlike your actual name that was assigned to you by your parents at birth, there is nothing legally binding for you to keep your current signature, and this is for a variety of different reasons.

For starters, we’re sure that you’ll agree with us when we say that, when it comes to making a signature, our scribble can often change depending on the pen that we are using or if we’ve happened to have a little too much coffee that day – and this means that signatures are not an overly reliable indication of a legitimate identifier.

With that in mind, it should come as no surprise to hear that, for this simple reason alone, there is nothing stopping a person from deciding to change their signature from one style to another, and you can do so without any worries of getting in trouble for doing so.

However, while it might be possible to change your signature without landing yourself in any legal hot water, it is worth keeping in mind that many adults tend to fall into a habit of using the same style of the signature over and over again while signing various documents – and this could potentially lead to a few issues if you suddenly decided to switch out the signature that you have been using for many years to a new one.

For this reason, if you currently have had your signature for a long period of time but you would still like to change it, then we recommend that you take the time to notify your bank and other important institutions that you are going to be making a change to your signature, as these types of places are known for carrying out thorough checks to detect any obvious or unusual changes to a person’s signature – as this is an indication of fraud.

Alongside making sure that you are letting important financial institutions know that you are planning to swap out your signature for a brand new one, we also recommend that you take the time to consider whether or not you’re going to need to add your new signature to official documents – such as your passport.

If you are making a drastic change to your signature and it looks completely different from the signature that you have previously used, then you will likely need to request to get a new passport so that you can sign it with your new signature.

Changing your legal name alongside your signature:

Now that you have taken the time to read the above information regarding a signature change, we are hoping that you are now in a much better place to make a decision about whether or not making a switch to your current signature for a new one is the right option for you to take.

If alongside your signature you would also like to change the legal name that was assigned to you upon your birth, then it’s very important that you keep in mind that you will need to legally change your name, you won’t be able to just officially change it on the fly.

To quickly run you through this process so that you do not confuse it with changing your signature, please keep in mind that in order to legally change your official, full legal name you will need to follow a specific procedure put in place by the state that you currently live in. The procedure for legally changing a name will often vary from state to state, and some states offer a more streamlined method than others.

As an example, while it is common for most states to require a petition for a name change to be made by the person who would like to make the change in order for the court to process it and approve the change for whatever reason, there are some states that require additional documentation to be put in place as a formality (including an Order to Show Cause) that will need to be circulated for 4 weeks prior to the name change across multiple publications available to the general public (such as the newspaper) in order to lower the chances of fraud.

So, in other words, if you’re interested in changing your legal name along with your signature, we strongly urge you to make sure that you’re well aware of how the process will work according to the state that you currently live in.