How To Change Your Name

Posted: 4 July, 2022

With the proper paperwork a court is able to change your name. You may want to change your name for many reasons including, dislike of your current name, your name is difficult to spell, your name is too long, or you wish to change back to your maiden name.

Step by Step Name Change

    • The basic requirements are outlined in Nevada Statue 41.270.
    • The first step is to petition the court. This basically means to request the court for a name change.
    • The family court has generic for forms for filing for a name change or you can hire an attorney to draft the petition for you.
    • The petition must contain your current name, the name you want to change to, the reason you want to change your name; and must include any felony convictions.
    • Name changes for children is slightly different than for adults. In addition to the basic requirements for adults, a parent or guardian must apply on behalf of a child. If the child is 14 years old or older, the child must agree to the name change, and both parents must agree to the change.
    • Once the petition has been completed, you’ll need to file the petition with the Family Court. Ask the clerk of the court for the amount charged for a name change. You may apply for indigent status if you cannot afford the filing fee.
    • Once the petition has been filed with the clerk, you need to draft a notice.
    • You will need to publish the notice and name change petition in a newspaper for three consecutive weeks unless your safety is at risk; and then, you’ll need to ask the court to waive that requirement.
    • Those who want to object to your name change have until 10 days after the last publication date to file an objection with the clerk. If this happens, the court will schedule a hearing.
    • If a hearing is requested the court shall listen to the objections and make a decision as to the name change. The court will then enter the order granting or denying the name change.
    • If no objections occur, the court will enter an order granting the name change without a hearing.
    • Once the name change is granted, the clerk sends a certified copy to the state registrar of vital statistics.

Criminal Record

You can still get your name changed if you have a criminal record. Be sure that you admit to the criminal record in the petition. The clerk forwards a copy of the granted name change to the central repository for Nevada records of criminal history, where it will be filed in your record.

If you do not notify the court that you are a convicted felon in the petition, the court will rescind the granted name change order and will file the order in your criminal record. It will also notify the state registrar of vital statistics that it is rescinding its order granting your name change.

After The Name Change

After the court grants your name change, you’ll have to notify everyone else including but not limited to banks, government agencies, department of motor vehicles and other offices. You must contact each office yourself and provide it with a copy of the order changing your name. And, finally, you’ll need to contact the Nevada Office of Vital Statistics to get your birth certificate changed.

Need a name change? Call Right Lawyers at (702) 914-0400.