How to Change Your Name on a Birth Certificate in NJ

To change your name on a birth certificate in NJ, you need two things in sequence: a Superior Court order approving the name change, then an amendment application filed with the New Jersey Department of Health’s Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. The court filing fee is $250. The birth certificate amendment itself costs $2, with a certified copy of the updated record running $25 for the first copy and $2 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.¹ Expect the full process to take several weeks.

File a Name Change Petition in Superior Court

Start by filing a verified complaint with the Superior Court in the county where you live. The complaint states your current name, your desired new name, and the reason for the change. You’ll file it alongside a sworn affidavit that discloses your date of birth, Social Security number, any criminal convictions, and any pending criminal charges.² The affidavit must also state that you are not seeking the change to avoid criminal prosecution, duck creditors, or commit fraud.

The packet includes an Order Fixing Date of Hearing form, which the court completes with your hearing date and time. You can file online or by mail, with the $250 filing fee payable to “Treasurer, State of New Jersey.”³ New Jersey no longer requires newspaper publication of the notice.

Attend the Hearing and Get the Court Order

The court schedules an in-person hearing after your paperwork is processed. The judge confirms your identity, reviews the paperwork, and asks about your reason for the change. As long as the request isn’t frivolous or intended to defraud anyone, approval is routine.³

Once the judge signs the order, keep the original safe and order several certified copies. You’ll need one for the birth certificate amendment and additional copies for every other agency and institution you update afterward.

Submit the Amendment to the Office of Vital Statistics

With your court order in hand, apply to amend the birth record through the New Jersey Department of Health’s Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. You’ll need three things:

A completed Application to Amend a Vital Record (Form REG-15)
A copy of the court order granting the name change
A letter identifying the record to be corrected, including the current name on the record, the date and place of birth, and the parents’ names⁴

The processing fee to record a legal name change is $2. Order several certified copies of the amended birth certificate at the same time; the first costs $25 and each additional copy ordered together costs $2.¹

If You Have Pending Criminal Charges

Pending charges don’t bar you from changing your name, but they do add a step. You must serve copies of your verified complaint, affidavit, and Order Fixing Date of Hearing on the county prosecutor handling your case by certified mail, at least 20 days before your hearing.³ Providing false information on your affidavit about criminal history is a fourth-degree crime under New Jersey law.²

A criminal record alone does not disqualify you. The judge weighs whether the change has a legitimate purpose. If credit issues or criminal history complicate your case, an attorney is worth considering.

Changing a Child’s Name

A parent or legal guardian files on behalf of a minor using a separate set of forms designed for that purpose.³ If only one parent is filing and the other parent lives separately, the filing parent must serve copies of the complaint and hearing order on the other parent, who then has the chance to object.

If the other parent objects, the judge decides based on the child’s best interests, weighing factors like how long the child has used the current name and, for older children, the child’s own preference. When one parent cannot be located despite reasonable efforts, the court can still proceed after reviewing the circumstances.

What Can Delay or Derail the Process

Incomplete paperwork is the most common hold-up. If your affidavit is missing details like your Social Security number or criminal history disclosure, the court will send it back for correction. The Office of Vital Statistics may also reject your amendment application if the identifying information doesn’t match what’s on the original birth record, so pull the current certificate first and copy its details exactly.

Courts will deny petitions that look designed to evade legal obligations, dodge creditors, or facilitate fraud. If a petition is denied, you can refile once the underlying issue is resolved, but you’ll owe the $250 filing fee again. For straightforward requests tied to personal preference, marriage, divorce, or gender identity, denials are uncommon.

A Note on Gender Marker Changes

If you also want to update the gender marker on a New Jersey birth certificate, that is a separate process and does not require a court order. Under the Babs Siperstein Law, you can update the marker through self-attestation by submitting a form selecting male, female, or undesignated/non-binary, with no medical documentation needed.⁵ If you’re changing both your name and the gender marker, you can handle them in the same mailing, but the name change still requires the court order.⁶

1
New Jersey Department of Health. Vital Statistics Fees at a Glance
2
Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes 2A:52-1 – Action for Change of Name
3
State of New Jersey. Transgender Information Hub – Step by Step Guide
4
New Jersey Department of Health. Correcting a Vital Record
5
New Jersey Department of Health. Amend Sex Designation to Reflect Gender Identity
6
State of New Jersey. Transgender Information Hub – Updating Birth Certificate