In California, 57 state agencies publish 57 official links for this service. Reviewed requirements cover availability notices (68), documents (2) and appointments (2). 56 counties have a page for it below.
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Choose the exact case type and court before filing. Court self-help information and a referral do not establish an attorney-client relationship.
Court fees, service requirements, response deadlines and exceptions depend on the current procedure. A link is an informational starting point, not a complete filing workflow.
Court branches, clerk windows, telephone assistance and remote appearances may have different instructions. Check the cited official page for the applicable channel.
57 guides with reviewed service links · Reviewed local guides
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The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
A Name Change Petition will request a court order to legally change your name or minor's name. With a court order you can change your legal name on government issued identification documents such as your driver's license, passport, and social security card. You will generally need a certified copy of the decree changing your name. After you complete your paperwork, we recommend you visit the self-help center to review your documents before filing.
Superior Court for Calaveras County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Local Name Change Information — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
Packets are available at the Self-Help Legal Center and the Court Clerk's Service Windows. You may also obtain forms at the Judicial Council Forms website along with links to helpful information and instructions.
Superior Court for Contra Costa County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for Del Norte County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for El Dorado County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The Civil Division processes all civil matters, including general civil, civil harassment restraining orders, name change applications and unlawful detainer cases.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
Unlimited civil cases also include other types of disputes that do not involve money, like cases to resolve (or “quiet”) title to real property, cases asking for civil restraining orders, and requests to change your name or your child’s name. Basically, an unlimited civil case is any case that is not a limited civil case under the definition of California Code of Civil Procedure, Section 86.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
Petition for Name Change packets are available and free of charge at any counter where Civil filings are accepted (petitions involving minors under guardianship should be filed in the court where the guardianship is pending).
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
In order to get a court order changing your name or a child's name, you must file a petition in the Superior Court in the county where you live. You can then use the court order to change the birth certificate, passport, social security card, driver's license, and other documents.
Superior Court for Los Angeles County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Local Name-change self-help; this statement does not establish a complete filing workflow
Divorce, Legal separation, Establish paternity, Modify child custody and visitation orders, Modify child and spousal support orders, Civil Harassment restraining orders, Guardianships (person only), Residential evictions, Name changes, Small claims, and actions involving the Department of Child Support Services.
Superior Court for Mendocino County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Local Name Change — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
This page can help you learn how to get a court order to change your or your child's name. With this order, you can change your or your child's name on ID documents, like driver's license, social security card, and passport.
Local Name Change — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
First, make sure you need a court order to change your name. There are other ways to change your name if it's related to marriage, divorce, or becoming a U.S. citizen.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
A team of paralegals and an attorney is available to assist you with the following case types: Landlord/Tenant (Unlawful Detainer or Eviction) Domestic Violence Family Law Name Change Guardianship of a Minor Civil Harassment Small Claims Emancipation Restraining Orders
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The Civil Division assists parties with cases involving: recovery of money or property in non-contract civil disputes or contract enforcement; civil rights, and, landlord tenant actions. Petitions to Change Name and various writs are also handled by the Civil Division.
Local Name Change — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
The process for changing a name can be complicated, and it is somewhat different depending on whether the name being changed is for an adult, or a child (minor), although many of the same forms are used. You can find more information about changing a name and/or gender for adults and minors on the tabs to your left. After a court grants your request, there are numerous places you need to notify (such as social security, DMV, passport office, etc.), to update your legal documents. Below you will find more information to help with that step.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
To obtain a court order to change your name or your child's name, you must file a petition in the Superior Court in the county where you reside. Once the court order is granted, you can use it to update the name on documents such as the birth certificate, passport, Social Security card, driver's license, and other records.
Superior Court for Riverside County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for Sacramento County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for San Benito County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for San Bernardino County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
For some cases, like petitions, the person who files is called the Petitioner, and the opposing parties are called Respondents. Examples of civil petitions include name changes, restraining orders, and requests for a court review.
Superior Court for San Diego County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for San Francisco County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for San Joaquin County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Local Name Change Form Packets — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
You may not need all of the forms listed above. Carefully review the Instructions for Filing a Petition for Change of Name (NC-100) or other applicable instruction forms before completing your paperwork.
Superior Court for San Luis Obispo County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
The specifically cited local court subject context; a named resource referral, with no claim that the local court operates the external resource
We have an online form preparation program available that will ask you to answer questions that are used to complete the forms needed to file a petition for a change of name. This program will also allow you to print out all the completed necessary forms.
Local court instructions for the specifically cited subject; the cited paragraph retains its own eligibility and filing scope
We have an online form preparation program available that will ask you to answer questions that are used to complete the forms needed to change a minor’s name with both parents applying. This program will also allow you to print out all the completed necessary forms.
Superior Court for San Mateo County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for Santa Barbara County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Superior Court for Santa Clara County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The process for changing a name can be complicated, and it is somewhat different depending whether the name being changed is for an adult, or a child (minor), although many of the same forms are used. Please see the California Courts Self-Help Guides for Name Change and Gender Recognition. Also, see the Self-Help Center's Name and/or Gender Change Forms & Instructions.
Superior Court for Santa Cruz County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The Civil Division in Santa Cruz, located at the Santa Cruz Courthouse, processes all civil matters, including general civil, name change applications, probate and unlawful detainer cases. All restraining orders are filed at the Watsonville Courthouse. For more information regarding restraining orders see the Restraining Order Division page.
The specifically cited local court subject context; a named resource referral, with no claim that the local court operates the external resource
Through a collaborative grant, self-help computers have been installed at two locations in Sierra County. The computers include interactive programs which assist in the completion of forms for: Divorce; Eviction (Unlawful Detainer Answer and Complaint); Guardianship; Modifying or Establishing Child Support and/or Child Custody and Visitation Orders; Parentage; Restraining Orders (civil harassment, domestic violence, elder abuse); Fee Waiver; Name Change; and Small Claims. All Judicial Council Forms are also available on the computers.
Superior Court for Stanislaus County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.
Shared California Courts self-help guidance, available for all 58 California county court contexts; local procedures and individual circumstances vary.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The Self-Help program can assist self-represented litigants with a variety of legal issues, including: Child Support Child Custody & Visitation Paternity/Parentage Name Change
Local Name Change — source-specific information; other procedures and appeals may differ
When you get the court order, you can use the order to change the name on a birth certificate, passport, social security card, driver’s license, and other documents.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
After you file your petition to change the name, you will get a court hearing. Before your hearing, you will have to put a notice in a court-approved newspaper for four weeks in a row, one day per week.
The specifically cited local court subject context; no complete-workflow claim
The Self-Help Attorney/Family Law Facilitator can provide procedural direction in the following types of cases: Adoptions Adult Adoptions Department of Child Support Services child support cases. Domestic Violence/Civil Harassment Guardianships Conservatorships Name Changes