Los Angeles Name Change: Forms, Fees, and Publication

A legal name change in Los Angeles runs through the LA County Superior Court: you file a petition, pay a $435 filing fee, publish a notice in a local newspaper for four consecutive weeks, and attend a short hearing about six to eight weeks later. Most cases wrap up in roughly three months. What follows walks through each step, the forms you’ll need, the exemptions that can shorten the process, and the records to update once the judge signs your decree.

Who Can File in LA County

You have to live in the county where you file. California directs name change petitions to the superior court of the petitioner’s county of residence, so you need to be a current LA County resident to file here.¹ If you’ve moved recently, sort out your address documentation before filing.

Your petition has to state your current legal name, the new name, your place of birth, and the reason for the change. California doesn’t keep a list of approved reasons. Marriage, divorce, personal preference, cultural or religious identity, and gender transition all qualify. The court’s concern is that you aren’t changing your name to commit fraud or dodge a legal obligation, and every petitioner is run through a background check as part of the court’s review. You sign the petition under penalty of perjury declaring you aren’t required to register as a sex offender.²

The Forms You Need

California uses statewide Judicial Council forms. You can download them from the California Courts website or pick up a packet at any court self-help center. For an adult name change, you’ll need:

NC-100, Petition for Change of Name (the main form)
NC-110, the attachment with details about each person whose name is changing³
NC-120, Order to Show Cause (sets the hearing date and triggers publication)
NC-130, Decree Changing Name (the final order the judge signs)
CM-010, Civil Case Cover Sheet

If your change is to conform your name to your gender identity, swap NC-120 for NC-125. That single substitution puts you on a very different track, described below.

Fill every field in carefully. The clerk will reject inconsistent or incomplete forms, and NC-110 is signed under penalty of perjury. When the petition involves a minor, both living parents generally have to consent; if one doesn’t sign, the other must be formally served.

Filing Fee and Fee Waiver

The filing fee in LA County is $435.⁴ That covers filing the petition and getting a hearing date. It doesn’t cover newspaper publication or certified copies of your decree.

If you can’t afford the fee, submit Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) with your petition. You qualify if you receive public benefits like Medi-Cal or CalFresh, your household income is below the court’s thresholds, or your income doesn’t cover basic needs plus court costs.⁵ An approved waiver also covers the newspaper publication cost.

Where and How to File

Any LA County resident can file at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can also file at the courthouse that covers your zip code. The court’s name change packet lists which courthouses handle these cases and which zip codes they serve.⁶

Bring your completed forms plus at least two extra copies of everything. The clerk stamps your originals, assigns a case number, and returns your copies. The judge then signs the NC-120 and sets a hearing date, usually six to eight weeks out. That gap is deliberate: it gives you time to complete publication.

Publishing the Notice

Once your Order to Show Cause is signed, you have to publish it in a newspaper of general circulation in LA County. The notice runs once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing.⁷ The point is to give anyone with a legitimate objection a chance to see the notice and respond.

Rates vary. Some smaller papers that qualify as papers of general circulation charge much less than the major dailies, so it’s worth calling a few for quotes. Ask the self-help center for the court’s list of approved newspapers. Most papers handle the logistics once you bring them a copy of the signed order.

After the final week runs, the newspaper sends you a Proof of Publication. File it with the clerk before your hearing date. Missing this step or filing late can get your petition dismissed, and you’d have to start over.¹

When You Don’t Have to Publish

Two situations remove the publication requirement entirely.

If you’re changing your name to conform to your gender identity, publication is waived and so is the hearing, unless someone files a written objection showing good cause. Disagreement with the petitioner’s gender identity does not qualify as good cause.⁸ Most gender identity name changes are granted without a court appearance. Use NC-125 in place of NC-120 when you file.

If you participate in California’s Safe at Home address confidentiality program and your name change is connected to domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, publication is waived and your new name stays confidential with the Secretary of State rather than going into public court records.¹ Enrollment in Safe at Home is free and handled through in-person meetings with a victim’s assistance counselor at a designated enrolling agency.⁹

The Hearing and the Decree

Bring your filed paperwork and Proof of Publication to the hearing. If no one has filed a written objection at least two court days before the hearing, the judge can grant the petition without holding one at all.¹ Most uncontested petitions go through with little discussion. From filing to signed decree, expect roughly three months.¹⁰

Once the judge signs NC-130, your name change is legally effective. Head to the clerk’s office and request certified copies of the decree at $40 each.¹¹ Get three or four while you’re there. Different agencies will want them at the same time, and going back for more later means another trip.

If Someone Objects

Objections are uncommon. To oppose your petition, a person has to file a written objection showing “good reason” against the change. The court then sets a hearing, and the judge can question anyone involved under oath before deciding.¹ The most common objections come from a non-consenting parent when a minor’s name is at issue, or from creditors alleging the change is meant to defraud. Vague disapproval isn’t enough. When both parents don’t consent to a minor’s name change, the judge decides based on the child’s best interest.

If You’re Under Criminal Supervision

You still have the right to file, but there are extra steps. If you’re under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or serving a county jail sentence, you must provide a copy of your petition to the department or sheriff’s office when you file. Registered sex offenders face a higher standard: the court must deny the petition unless granting it serves the interest of justice and won’t adversely affect public safety, and if approved, the petitioner has to notify local law enforcement within five working days.²

Updating Your Records After the Decree

The court order changes your legal name. Nothing else updates on its own. Work through the agencies below in order, because later updates lean on earlier ones.

Social Security

Start here. Fill out Form SS-5 and bring it to a local SSA office along with your certified court decree and a photo ID. SSA needs originals or certified copies; photocopies aren’t accepted. If more than two years have passed since your court order, you may be asked for additional identity documents.¹² The new card is free.

California DMV

Once your Social Security record is updated, visit a DMV office with your certified decree and current license or ID. DMV will issue a new card in your new name.

California Birth Certificate

If you were born in California, mail Form VS 24B (Application to Amend a Birth Record) to the California Department of Public Health with a certified copy of your decree. The amendment fee is $26 and includes one copy of the amended record; additional copies are $31 each.¹³ Make the check or money order out to “CDPH Vital Records.” If you were born elsewhere, contact that state’s vital records office.

IRS

The IRS doesn’t have a standalone name change form. Update your Social Security record before you file your next return so the name matches. If you’re also changing your address, you can note your prior name on line 5 of Form 8822.¹⁴

Passport

Which passport form you use depends on when your current passport was issued and whether it’s expired. The State Department’s online fee calculator identifies the right form and cost.¹⁵ You’ll need a certified decree and a new passport photo either way.

Banks, Employer, Insurance, and Everything Else

After the government records, update your bank accounts, credit cards, employer payroll, health insurance, voter registration, utilities, and any professional licenses. Most institutions accept a certified copy of the decree. Do these in batches, keep a running list, and try not to let too much time pass between IDs. There’s no legal deadline for most of these updates, but mismatched names across accounts and mail get harder to untangle the longer you wait.

1
Justia. California Code of Civil Procedure Title 8 – Change of Names
2
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1279.5
3
Judicial Council of California. Petition for Change of Name NC-100
4
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. 2026 Civil Fee Schedule
5
California Courts. Ask for a Fee Waiver if You Cannot Afford Court Fees
6
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Name Change Locations and Instructions
7
California Courts. Publish Form NC-120 in the Newspaper
8
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1277.5
9
California Secretary of State. Safe at Home – Frequently Asked Questions
10
California Courts. Adult Name Change
11
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Civil Fee Schedule – Certified Copies
12
Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card SS-5
13
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees
14
Internal Revenue Service. Change of Address Form 8822
15
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees