A New York name change petition is a court filing that asks a judge to legally authorize a new name. You file it in Supreme Court or County Court in the county where you live, or, if you live in New York City, in Civil Court. The petition must be notarized, backed by proof of birth, and submitted with a proposed order for the judge to sign.1New York Courts. Name Change Basics Filing fees run $65 in NYC Civil Court and $210 in Supreme or County Court,2New York Courts. New York State Filing Fees and once the judge signs the order most petitioners have to publish a notice in a designated newspaper.
What the Petition Must Contain
New York Civil Rights Law § 61 sets out everything the petition has to include. The basics are your current legal name, the name you want, your date and place of birth, your age, your current address, and the reason for the change.3New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law 61 – Contents
The statute also requires several disclosures about your legal and financial history:
- Whether you have ever been convicted of a crime or declared bankrupt.
- Any judgments or liens on record against you, and any lawsuits or proceedings you are a party to, with enough detail for the court to identify each.
- Whether you owe child support, whether payments are current, and the amount of any arrearage, along with the court and county collections unit involved.
- The same disclosure for any spousal support obligation: whether it exists, whether payments are current, and the outstanding balance if not.3New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law 61 – Contents
Stricter rules apply if you have been convicted of certain violent felonies or sex offenses listed in the Penal Law and you are currently incarcerated or under supervision by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision or a county probation department. In that case, § 61 requires you to specify each qualifying conviction, its date, and the court that entered it.3New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law 61 – Contents
The petition must be signed in front of a notary. An unsigned or unnotarized petition will be rejected.1New York Courts. Name Change Basics
Documents to File With the Petition
Along with the completed, notarized petition, you need to submit:
- A proposed Name Change Order for the judge to review and sign. This is a separate document from the petition.1New York Courts. Name Change Basics
- Proof of birth. If you were born in New York, § 61 requires a birth certificate, a certified transcript of it, or a certificate from the health commissioner or local board of health confirming that no record is available. If you were born elsewhere, a passport or equivalent proof satisfies the requirement.3New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law 61 – Contents
- A Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI), if you are filing in Supreme Court, so a judge gets assigned. There is no fee for the RJI.1New York Courts. Name Change Basics
Blank petition and proposed order forms are available on the New York Unified Court System website or from a court clerk’s office. Some courts also want a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can mail documents back to you, so check with your local court before filing.
Where to File and What It Costs
Where you file depends on where you live. New York City residents may file in Civil Court, where the fee is $65. Everyone else files in Supreme Court or County Court in their county of residence, where the index number fee is $210.2New York Courts. New York State Filing Fees You pay when you submit your papers, and the clerk assigns an index number that tracks your case through the system.4Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. How to Change an Adults Name in New York
You can file in person at the clerk’s office. Some counties also support electronic filing through the New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) system, though availability varies by county and case type.1New York Courts. Name Change Basics
If You Cannot Afford the Fee
Under CPLR § 1101, you can ask the court to waive the filing fee. You submit an affidavit stating the amount and sources of your income, your assets, any real property you own and its value, and that you lack the means to pay the costs of the proceeding. If the court denies the waiver, you have 120 days to pay the fee before the case is dismissed.5New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 1101 – Motion to Waive Costs, Fees, and Expenses
If a legal aid society or nonprofit legal services organization represents you, all filing fees and costs are automatically waived without a motion, as long as the organization certifies that you cannot pay.5New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 1101 – Motion to Waive Costs, Fees, and Expenses
What Happens After You File
A judge reviews the petition to decide whether the request satisfies New York Civil Rights Law. If it does, the judge signs the proposed Name Change Order, which is your legal authorization to use the new name.6New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law Article 6 – Change of Name
The signed order typically directs you to publish a notice of the name change in a specific newspaper. You have 60 days from the date the judge signs the order to get the notice published. The newspaper gives you an affidavit of publication confirming the notice ran, and you must file that affidavit with the County Clerk within 90 days of the date the order was signed.7New York Courts. Self-Help Center Procedures for Adult Name Change Petition Missing these deadlines can stall or invalidate the name change, so put them on a calendar as soon as the order is signed.
Publication costs vary by newspaper but generally run between $20 and $60 for a single insertion. You do not choose the newspaper; the court designates one in the order.
Sealing the Record If Publication Would Endanger You
If publishing your name change or leaving it in the public record would put you at risk, you can ask the court to seal the proceeding under Civil Rights Law § 64-a. The court looks at the totality of the circumstances, including the risk of violence or discrimination, and the statute specifically recognizes transgender status and domestic violence as grounds for the finding.8New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law CVR 64-a
The court cannot deny the request just because you lack a specific history of personal threats; the standard is based on risk, not proof of past harm. While a sealing request is pending, all identifying information in the filing (current name, proposed name, addresses, phone numbers) is automatically safeguarded and sealed to prevent accidental disclosure.8New York State Senate. New York Civil Rights Law CVR 64-a Raise this when you file the petition so the court can act before anything becomes public.
After the Order Is Signed
The signed order is your proof of the legal change, but it does not automatically update any other record. You will need to request changes separately with the Social Security Administration, the DMV, Vital Records, your bank, your employer, and anyone else who holds your name on file, and most of them require either the original certified order or a certified copy. Ask the clerk for several certified copies when you pick up the order, because courts charge a small per-page fee and you will go through them faster than expected.