How to Change a Minor’s Name in California: Forms, Costs, and Hearing

To change a minor’s name in California, you file a petition in the Superior Court of the county where the child lives, pay a $435 filing fee, publish a legal notice for four weeks, serve the other parent if they aren’t joining the petition, and attend a hearing where a judge decides whether the change is in the child’s best interest.¹ The full process usually runs about three months.

Who Can File

A parent or legal guardian can petition for a minor’s name change. If both parents are deceased and no guardian exists, a close relative or family friend can file.² A guardian appointed by a juvenile or probate court files in the court that has jurisdiction over the child rather than the regular Superior Court.³

Guardians carry an extra requirement. Before considering the name itself, the judge must find that the child is likely to remain in the guardian’s care until adulthood and unlikely to be returned to the parents. Only then does the court reach the best-interest question.⁴

Whether Both Parents Agree Changes Everything

If both parents agree, they sign the petition together. There is no need to serve the other parent, and if no one objects, the judge can approve the petition without anyone appearing in court.⁵

If only one parent files, two things get added. The filing parent must personally serve the other parent with notice of the hearing at least 30 days beforehand,⁶ and the judge applies a best-interest-of-the-child test weighing the child’s well-being, stability, and relationship with each parent.⁴

If the other parent cannot be found, you must document diligent efforts to locate them. The court can then order an alternative method of notice, and it may allow the published Order to Show Cause to serve as notice to the absent parent.⁶

The Forms You File

Four Judicial Council forms make up a name change petition:

Petition for Change of Name (NC-100) is the main form that opens the case.⁷
Name and Information About the Person Whose Name Is to Be Changed (NC-110) attaches to the petition and lists the child’s current name, proposed name, date of birth, and the reason for the change. File one NC-110 per child.⁸
Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (NC-120) sets the hearing date. A judge signs it after you file, and it becomes the document you publish in a newspaper.⁹
Decree Changing Name (NC-130) is the order the judge signs if the petition is approved. You prepare it in advance so the judge can complete it at the hearing.¹⁰

The reason on the NC-110 does not need to be elaborate, but it must be genuine and not intended to defraud creditors, avoid law enforcement, or mislead anyone. Common reasons include reflecting a stepparent’s surname, matching a cultural or family name, or correcting a birth certificate error.

What It Costs

The filing fee is $435 as of January 2026.¹ You pay it when you file with the Superior Court clerk in the county where the child lives. If you cannot afford it, submit a fee waiver application with the petition.¹¹

Publication is a separate cost. You pay a newspaper directly, prices vary by newspaper and county, and a fee waiver does not cover it. Ask the newspaper listed on your NC-120 for a quote before committing. Budget for certified copies of the final decree as well, since you will need several to update the child’s records.

Publishing the Notice

Once the court signs the Order to Show Cause, you must have it published in a newspaper of general circulation in your county once a week for four consecutive weeks. Contact the newspaper promptly. The hearing is typically scheduled six to twelve weeks after the judge signs the Order,⁶ and with four weeks of publication built in, delays leave little room.

The newspaper will give you an Affidavit of Publication (sometimes called a Proof of Publication) once the run finishes. File that with the court before the hearing.

Serving the Other Parent

If only one parent signed, the other parent must be personally served with the filed documents at least 30 days before the hearing.⁶ California’s rules require an adult who is not you (typically a process server) to hand-deliver the papers.

When a guardian files, both living parents must be personally served at least 30 days before the hearing. If either parent is deceased or cannot be found, the guardian must serve the child’s living grandparents instead.⁶ Guardian petitions often stall here.

The Hearing

If no one files a written objection at least two court days before the hearing, the judge can approve the change without anyone appearing.⁴ That is how most uncontested petitions with both parents on board are handled. Some courthouses still require a brief appearance even for uncontested cases, so check with the clerk.

When someone objects, the judge holds a contested hearing. Both sides can present testimony, and the judge may question anyone under oath. The central question is whether the proposed change is in the child’s best interest, and the court can deny all or part of the request if any portion fails that standard.⁴ For older children, judges sometimes consider the child’s own preference, though no specific age threshold triggers a formal right to be heard.

If approved, the judge signs the Decree Changing Name (NC-130), and the change is legally effective.¹²

When Publication Doesn’t Apply

Two situations change the publication rules. If you or your child are a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault and are enrolled in California’s Safe at Home program, the petition, Order to Show Cause, and decree will not list the proposed new name publicly. The new name is kept confidential and filed with the Secretary of State,⁶ and the court cannot disclose it unless it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the allegations of violence or abuse are false.⁴

Petitions filed to conform to a person’s gender identity are exempt from publication entirely. No newspaper notice is required.

After Approval: Updating the Child’s Records

Ask the clerk for several certified copies of the decree before you leave the courthouse. Many agencies require an original certified copy, and ordering just one is a common mistake.

Start with the Social Security Administration, because most other agencies want the child’s name to match SSA records. Complete Form SS-5 and bring it to your local SSA office with the certified decree and proof of the child’s identity. The SSA accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency; photocopies and notarized copies are refused.¹³ A parent or legal guardian signs for a child under 18. The new card carries the new name on the same Social Security number, and any benefits the child receives are unaffected.

For the California birth certificate, complete the Application to Amend a Birth Record After a Court Order Name Change (Form VS 23) and mail it with a certified copy of the NC-130 and a $26 fee to the California Department of Public Health. That fee includes one certified copy of the amended record; additional copies are $31 each.¹⁴ Pay by check or money order to CDPH Vital Records; do not send cash.¹⁵

The IRS has no separate name-change form. It pulls name data from SSA, so once the SSA update goes through, future tax returns will match automatically. The rule to remember: the name and Social Security number on your return must match SSA’s records, or the return risks delay or rejection.¹⁶ If SSA has not processed the change by filing time, use the former name on that return.

Bring a certified copy of the decree to the child’s school, health insurance, doctor, and the DMV if the child has an ID card or learner’s permit. Each agency has its own form, but the certified decree is the document they all rely on.

1
Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule Effective 01-01-2026
2
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1276
3
California Courts. Guide for Guardians Changing a Child’s Name
4
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1278
5
California Courts Self-Help Guide. Change a Child’s Name Both Parents
6
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1277
7
Judicial Council of California. Petition for Change of Name NC-100
8
Judicial Council of California. Name and Information About the Person Whose Name Is to Be Changed NC-110
9
California Courts. Order to Show Cause – Change of Name NC-120
10
California Courts. Decree Changing Name NC-130
11
California Courts. Change a Child’s Name When One Parent Is Asking
12
Judicial Council of California. Decree Changing Name NC-130
13
Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card SS-5
14
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees
15
California Department of Public Health. Application to Amend a Birth Record After a Court Order Name Change VS 23
16
Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues