If someone has changed their name recently, you can include the alternate name in your background verification request. Sometimes, during the course of a search, the report will be returned with additional names or aliases associated with the person’s addresses or social security number. If this occurs, simply ask the individual about the other names. An individual can change their first name, last name, middle or any combination. When conducting a background investigation, you can simultaneously run a name and address history trace. In this way, you can get back all addresses and alias names that are connected with the individual’s social security number.

Before the name can be legally changed and become a part of public records used for background searches, the person is required to meet the residency requirement for the state. The requirement may be anywhere from six months to a year and the person must offer proof of residency. The name change process starts with a petition that must be filed in the county where the individual resides. Proof of the current name must accompany the petition. A passport, birth certificate or driver’s license is usually deemed sufficient proof of identity. Then, a “Notice of Petition” must be published in a newspaper in the county. After the notice is published, the newspaper furnishes the person with a “Certificate of Publication,” which must be given to the court clerk.

The court clerk sends the name change petition to the judge and the individual must appear before the court to explain the reason for the name change. If there are no objections to the name change, and everything else is in order, the judge may sign off on the petition. If the judge approves the name change, the individual must notify companies and agencies of the name change, companies including the DMV, Social Security Administration, banks, credit card issuers, employers and other parties. In some cases, the new name may start appearing in background check reports in a matter of days if the proper notifications are sent out.