California educators use CTC Form 41-NC, “Request to Change Name or Personal Profile,” to update a legal name, Social Security Number, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or date of birth on file with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. You print the two-page form, fill out the section that matches your change, attach the required supporting documents, sign under penalty of perjury, and mail the whole packet to the Commission’s Certification Division in Sacramento.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile There is no filing fee for the form, and no online submission option. Processing usually runs about four weeks, though it can stretch to twelve during busy periods.2Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Credentials FAQ – General Questions
What Form 41-NC Covers
Four kinds of changes require this form: legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. The Commission uses these identifiers to match you to your fingerprint-based background check results from the California Department of Justice and the FBI, so a mismatch can hold up credential renewals and employment verification.3Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Update Information
Address and email updates are not on this form. Those you handle yourself through your online CTC account, and submitting Form 41-NC for an address change will get the packet returned.
The most common reason to file is a legal name change after marriage, divorce, a court order, or naturalization. The form also handles plain corrections, such as a Social Security Number entered wrong on the original credential application or a date of birth that was recorded incorrectly. Fixing those promptly keeps your credential record aligned with your payroll name and your background check history.
Filling Out the Form
Download Form 41-NC from the Commission’s Applications, Forms, and Leaflets page.4Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Applications, Forms, and Leaflets You complete only the section that applies to your change, plus the signature block.
Section A: Name Change
Enter your CTC file number (on any existing credential document or inside your online educator account), your previous legal name, and your new legal name. Check the reason for the change: marriage, court order, dissolution of marriage, citizenship, or correction of a name recorded in error. Each reason has its own document checklist.
Section B: SSN or ITIN Update
List the number currently on file and the correct number. Attach a copy of your Social Security card or ITIN document showing the correct number.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
Section C: Date of Birth Correction
Enter the incorrect date on file and your correct date. Include a copy of a valid government-issued ID that shows the correct date: a driver’s license, passport, military ID card, or Permanent Resident card.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
Section D: Signature
Every submission needs Section D, no matter which other section you completed. Sign and date page two. The form is not valid without a signature and date, and your signature certifies the information is true under penalty of perjury.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
Supporting Documents by Change Type
Missing documents are the number one reason packets get bounced back. Every name change category requires three supporting items in addition to the form itself.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
- Marriage. A copy of your endorsed marriage certificate, a copy of your Social Security card or ITIN showing your married name, and a copy of a valid government-issued ID with your new name (driver’s license, military ID, Permanent Resident card, or similar).
- Court order. A certified copy of the completed, endorsed Decree of Changing Name, a copy of your Social Security card or ITIN with the new name, and a government-issued ID with the new name.
- Dissolution of marriage. A copy of the endorsed dissolution stating “the former name restored” (or an endorsed Ex Parte Application for Restoration of Former Name), a Social Security card or ITIN with the restored name, and a government-issued ID with that name.
- Citizenship. A copy of your Certificate of Naturalization, a Social Security card or ITIN with the new name, and a government-issued ID with the new name.
The pattern is the same every time: the legal instrument that authorized the change, proof that the Social Security Administration or IRS has the new name on file, and a government photo ID reflecting the new name. If you have not yet updated your driver’s license after a marriage, update it first or use another government ID that already shows the new name.
For an SSN or ITIN correction, the only required document is a copy of your Social Security card or ITIN. For a date of birth correction, a copy of a government-issued ID showing the correct date is enough. Make sure every photocopy is legible and includes seals or stamps; the Commission will reject documents it cannot clearly read.
Where to Mail It, Cost, and Timing
Send the completed form and all supporting documents in one package to:
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Certification Division
651 Bannon Street, Suite 601
Sacramento, CA 95811
ATTN: Educator Profile Change Request1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
There is no upload portal or email option.4Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Applications, Forms, and Leaflets The form itself has no filing fee. You will still pay the issuing agencies for any certified copies you order, such as a marriage certificate or court decree. Because the packet contains sensitive personal information, a trackable mailing method gives you proof of delivery.
The Commission processes requests in the order received. Plan on about four weeks under normal conditions and up to twelve during peak periods, typically summer before the school year starts. No expedite option is available.2Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Credentials FAQ – General Questions
Why Submissions Get Returned
The Commission will not process incomplete or illegible forms or supporting documents.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile The frequent problems:
- Missing a required document. Sending the marriage certificate but forgetting the Social Security card or the updated government ID will get the packet bounced. Every listed item is mandatory.
- Unsigned or undated form. Section D must be signed and dated or the form is invalid on its face.
- Illegible photocopies. Faded copies, cropped images, or missing seals trigger a return.
- Using the form for an address or email change. Those updates belong in your online CTC account.
Occasionally the Commission’s review flags a fingerprint issue, usually when a name change creates a mismatch with existing background check records. If that happens, you will be asked to submit a Live Scan receipt (Form 41-LS) confirming you were fingerprinted and paid the processing fees. Educators living outside California submit two FD-258 fingerprint cards along with the fingerprint processing fee.1Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Request to Change Name or Personal Profile
Confirming the Change Went Through
The Commission does not mail a confirmation letter. You verify the update yourself through the public Educator Search tool on the CTC website, which is also what school districts and employers use to confirm your status.5Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Look Up a Teachers Credential, Certificate and/or Permit Once your record reflects the new name or corrected identifier, the update is complete.
Form 41-NC changes the record in the system. If you also want a reprinted credential document showing your new name, that is a separate duplicate credential application with its own fee.