Form NC-120 is California’s Order to Show Cause for Change of Name, the Superior Court order that sets your hearing date and tells the public you’re asking to change your name. You fill in the caption and the names being changed, leave the hearing date blank for the clerk, and file it with the rest of your name change packet. Once a judge signs it, you take the stamped order to a newspaper, which runs the notice weekly for four weeks before your court date.
What NC-120 Actually Does
NC-120 is not the petition. The petition is NC-100. NC-120 is the order the court issues in response to that petition, and it does two jobs at once: it schedules the hearing, and it orders anyone who objects to appear and explain why the name change shouldn’t be granted. The order is what the newspaper publishes, which is how California satisfies the public-notice requirement built into the name change statute.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1277
The Forms You File With NC-120
NC-120 goes in with a packet. For an adult changing their own name, that packet is:
- NC-100, the Petition for Change of Name
- NC-110, the attachment with details about the person whose name is changing
- NC-120, the Order to Show Cause covered here
- NC-130, the Decree Changing Name, which you partially fill out and the judge completes
- CM-010, the Civil Case Cover Sheet, if your county requires it
Parents filing for a minor use the same NC-120 but may need additional paperwork depending on whether both parents consent.
Filling Out NC-120 Field by Field
Download the current version of NC-120 from the California Courts website or pick up a printed copy at the clerk’s office.2California Courts. Order to Show Cause — Change of Name (NC-120) The form is one page, with a short note about minors on page two.
The Caption
At the top, enter the name and address of the Superior Court branch where you’re filing. Put your current legal name as the petitioner, spelled exactly as it appears on your government ID. Leave the case number blank if you don’t have one yet; the clerk assigns it when you file.
Item 1: The Names
Item 1 recites that a petition has been filed and lists each name change, with the present name on one side and the proposed name on the other. Multiple people on the same petition get their own lines. Check every letter. A typo here follows you through publication and onto the decree.3Judicial Council of California. Order to Show Cause — Change of Name
Item 2: The Hearing
Item 2 is the order to appear. You leave the hearing date, time, and department blank. The clerk fills those in after reviewing your paperwork.
Newspaper
Below the hearing block, enter the name of the newspaper that will publish the order. It has to be a newspaper of general circulation that runs legal notices in the county where you’re filing.4California Courts Self Help Guide. Start the Name Change Process If you’re not sure which papers qualify, ask the clerk for a list.
Signature Line
Don’t sign the bottom of NC-120. The judge or judicial officer signs it. You get a filed-stamped copy back to use for publication.
Filing the Packet and What It Costs
Take the completed packet to the Superior Court clerk in the county where you live. The filing fee runs $435 to $450 depending on the county.5California Courts Self-Help. File Your Name Change Petition Adult If you can’t afford it, file Form FW-001, Request to Waive Court Fees, with the packet.6California Courts. Request to Waive Court Fees You qualify if you receive certain public benefits, your household income is low enough, or paying the fee would leave you unable to cover basic needs.
Some counties allow electronic filing. Check your court’s website or call the clerk before making a trip.5California Courts Self-Help. File Your Name Change Petition Adult
The newspaper fee is separate from the court fee. It can run anywhere from under $100 to several hundred dollars depending on the paper. Call a few before you file so you can plan for both costs.
Publishing the Signed Order
Once the clerk returns your stamped NC-120 with the hearing information filled in, California law requires the order to run in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing. The hearing itself must be set at least six weeks and no more than twelve weeks after the order is issued, which gives you a window to complete publication on time.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1277
Bring the stamped order to the newspaper you named on the form. The paper runs the notice and issues a Proof of Publication when the four weeks are up.7California Courts. Publish Your Request to Change Your Child’s Name Ask whether the paper will file the proof with the court directly or send it to you. Either way, confirm it reached the clerk before your hearing. Without it, the judge can’t verify you met the publication requirement.
Anyone who wants to object must file a written objection, with reasons, at least two court days before the hearing, and must also appear.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1277
When You Can Skip Publication
Publication isn’t required in every case. If you’re changing your name to conform to your gender identity, you can request a waiver by checking box 6 on NC-100 and explaining the reason at Item 7c on NC-110. If the court grants the waiver, you skip the newspaper step and go straight to the hearing.
Participants in California’s Safe at Home program, run by the Secretary of State, can petition for a confidential name change without the standard public notice, keeping their new name and address out of public records.8California Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions The program is open to victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse, among others.
Extra Step When the Petition Is for a Minor
When one parent files to change a child’s name and the other parent hasn’t joined the petition, the petitioning parent must serve the non-petitioning parent with a copy of the Order to Show Cause or a notice of the hearing at least 30 days before the court date.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1277 Service is in person, or by mail if the other parent is outside California.
If you don’t know where the other parent lives, you’ll need to file a separate request asking the court to waive service. Some counties use a local form for this. Either way, come to the hearing with documentation showing you made a real effort to locate the other parent before asking to skip the step.
What Happens at the Hearing
Some courts grant uncontested name changes without requiring you to appear, as long as the paperwork and proof of publication are in order. Call the clerk before your date to find out whether your court expects you in person or has already approved the change.9California Courts Self-Help. What to Expect on Your Court Day Adult Name Change
If anyone filed an objection, you have to appear. The judge hears both sides and decides. Petitions are denied when the court finds the change is being used to dodge a debt, avoid a criminal record, or commit fraud, or when the change isn’t in a child’s best interest. Procedural slips, like publishing in the wrong newspaper or missing a form, usually get fixed with a corrected filing and a new hearing date.
When the petition is granted, the judge signs NC-130, the Decree Changing Name, which is your official court order. Ask the clerk for several certified copies before you leave, because nearly every agency you update afterward will want one.