Name Changes for Adults

An adult resident of Nevada can petition the court for a name change. If all of the required forms are filed and the steps are correctly followed, the judge will typically approve of the name change without a hearing.

Make sure to read about the basics of name changes on the Name Change Overview page and the Frequently Asked Questions . Once you are ready to file for an adult name change, complete the steps on this page.

FYI!

If you were recently married and want to take your spouse's last name, you do not need to get a court order for a name change. Instead, most agencies will want to see a certified copy of your marriage certificate to change your name. You can order a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county where you were married.

Step 1. Complete the Papers

The following documents must be completed to ask the court for a name change:

Family Cover Sheet - required

This form asks for basic information about you so the Clerk of Court can open your case. You are the Petitioner. Use your current legal name when completing this (and all) forms.

Petition for Change of Name - required

This form tells the Court about your current legal name, the new name you would like to have, and the reasons why. Include your entire first, middle, and last name where listed.

You must disclose whether you have ever been convicted of a felony and provide details of any convictions. If you were convicted of a felony, you must get a copy of your fingerprints to submit to the Court with all your paperwork. You can get fingerprinted by going to any Department of Public Safety site (usually your local police department can do this).

Notice of Petition for Change of Name - required unless you are changing your name to conform to your gender identity.

Most adult name changes must be published in a newspaper in one time. This form contains the information that will be published.

FYI!

If you are changing your name for gender identity purposes, you do not have to fill out this form and you do not have to publish anything in the newspaper.

Order for Name Change - required

This is the form the judge signs to grant your name change. Although this will not be needed until the last step, it is a good idea to fill it out ahead of time and save it for later. This will be turned into the judge after you have finished all of the rest of the steps. Complete all sections on the form except for the date and signature line for the judge.

Step 2. File the Papers

FYI!

If you have been convicted of a felony, you will have to get your fingerprints to submit to the court with all your forms. You can usually get fingerprinted at any police station.

After you fill out the papers above, you will need to file them with the district court in your county. Visit Find My Court if you are not sure where your local district court is located.

The court will charge you a filing fee to file your papers. The fee is different in every county. Find out from your local court what the filing fee will be.

If you cannot afford the filing fee, please see Filing Fees and Waivers to find out how to ask the court to waive the fee.

Step 3. Publish the Notice of Petition for Change of Name

*You can skip this step if you are changing your name for gender identity purposes.*

The Notice of Petition for Change of Name must be published one time in a newspaper in the county where you filed your case. Contact a newspaper to arrange for publication.

After publication is complete, the newspaper will prepare an "Affidavit of Publication." This document must be filed with the court as proof that publication was completed. Sometimes the newspaper sends this document directly to the court for filing. If the newspaper does not, contact the newspaper to obtain the affidavit and file it yourself.

Step 4. Submit the Order to the Judge

The judge cannot grant you a name change until 10 days after the date the notice was published. Wait at least 10 days after the final publication date to do this step.

Fill out the form below, which asks the judge to approve the name change without you having to appear at a hearing. Most adult name changes are approved without a hearing as long as all the requirements are met. You will have to file this form with the clerk.

If you did not already fill out the order when you filled out your other paperwork, complete the form now. Complete all sections except for the date and signature line for the judge.

Submit the order to the judge for approval. Find out from your local court where to turn these papers in to the judge.

The judge will review your papers, and if everything is completed properly, the judge will sign the order. The judge's staff might call you when the order is signed so you can pick it up and file it yourself, or the judge's staff might send the order to you in the mail .

FYI!

Once you get your signed order, you will need to contact every agency and office where you wish to change your name so they can update your information. They will usually require a certified copy of the name change order, which you can obtain from the Clerk of Court.

If your order includes a request for a new birth certificate with your new name, you will need to contact the vital records department where you were born to find out their requirements. If you were born in Nevada, please see the Nevada Office of Vital Statistics to find out how to get your birth certificate changed.