Petition for Change of Name

Attorney state bar number, only filled if an attorney is filing.

• Pro se filer fills with driver's license number.
• Out-of-state attorney fills home-state bar number.

Filer's full name. For a pro se petition, this is the petitioner's CURRENT legal name.

• Pro se filers sometimes type their proposed new name here. The caption uses your CURRENT legal name; the new name only appears in item 2.
• Filer drops a middle name from government ID.

Law firm name. Pro se filers leave blank.

• Pro se filer fills with employer name.
• Pro se filer types 'Self' or 'N/A'.

Filer's mailing street address.

• Filer uses an address they no longer access for mail.
• Filer types proposed new address that does not match the residence used in item 1a.

Filer's city.

• Filer abbreviates ('LA' instead of 'Los Angeles').
• Filer types neighborhood name instead of city.

Filer's state.

• Filer leaves blank for in-state CA.
• Filer types full state name in a small field.

Filer's ZIP code.

• Filer leaves blank.
• Filer enters ZIP+4 with no separator.

Filer's phone number.

• Filer leaves blank for privacy; the clerk uses this to confirm the hearing.
• Filer lists a number disconnected since the petition was filed.

Filer's fax. Effectively obsolete for pro se filers.

• Filer types 'N/A'.
• Pro se filer fills phone number for fax.

Filer's email. Optional but recommended (some courts e-mail hearing notices).

• Filer lists a stale email no longer monitored.
• Filer omits and clerk has no fast way to send conformed copies.

'Attorney for' caption. Pro se filers type 'Self-Represented' or 'In Pro Per'.

• Pro se filer leaves blank.
• Pro se filer types 'N/A'.

County of the superior court where the petition is filed. Code of Civil Procedure section 1277 sets venue: California residents file in the county of residence; non-residents seeking a new California marriage license or birth certificate file in the county where the marriage took place or where the birth certificate was issued.

• Filing in the county of work or birth instead of residence. CCP 1277 keys off where the person whose name is being changed currently lives.
• Filer abbreviates 'L.A.' instead of 'Los Angeles'.

Courthouse street address.

• Filer copies a closed-courthouse address from older paperwork.
• Filer uses the mailing address only.

Courthouse mailing address (often the same as street).

• Filer duplicates the street address when the courthouse uses a separate P.O. Box.
• Filer leaves blank when courthouse routes mail through a separate P.O. Box.

Courthouse city and ZIP.

• Filer omits the ZIP.
• Filer types the wrong ZIP for a courthouse with multiple ZIPs.

Courthouse branch name. Many counties have multiple branches; the clerk routes name-change cases to a specific civil branch.

• Filer guesses a branch name in a multi-branch county.
• Filer types 'Main' or 'Central' when the court uses a different branch name.

Petitioner name(s) as they appear in the case caption. List every petitioner.

• Listing the proposed (new) name. The caption uses present legal name(s).
• Listing the minor's name when a parent is petitioning.

Case number assigned by the clerk at filing. Leave blank on the original; the clerk stamps it on.

• Inventing a case number before filing. Always leave blank on the original.
• Filer types a related case number from a different matter.

Item 1: petitioner's current legal name. If a parent or guardian is petitioning for a minor, this is the petitioning parent's or guardian's name, not the minor's.

• Filling in the minor's name when a parent is petitioning. Item 1 is the petitioner; the minor goes in item 2.
• Filer types proposed name here.

Item 1: residence radio. 1a (resides in this county) is the standard pro se path. 1b options are only for non-California residents asking the court to issue a new California marriage license (1b(1)) or California birth certificate (1b(2)) in a county where the marriage occurred or the birth certificate was issued (NC-100-INFO item 1(b)).

• Picking 1a when the person whose name is changing lives in a different county. Venue is wrong, the clerk can reject the filing or transfer it.
• Picking 1b when the petitioner lives in California; 1b is for non-residents only.

Item 2 row 1: present (current legal) name of the first person whose name is being changed.

• Filer types proposed name here.
• Filer drops middle name listed on birth certificate.

Item 2 row 1: proposed (new) name. Under common law preserved by CCP 1279.5(a), the court generally grants any name that is not chosen for fraud or to evade creditors (In re Ritchie, 159 Cal. 651 (1911); In re Buyer, 33 Cal.App.3d 297 (1973)). Numerals, punctuation, or symbols are rejected in practice (In re Useldinger, 35 Cal.App.2d 723 (1939); local clerk discretion under CCP 1278(a)(1)'s 'as the court may deem right and proper' standard).

• Including special characters, numerals, or hyphens that the local civil branch will reject. If you want a hyphen or apostrophe in the name, check with the clerk first.
• Picking a name that mirrors a celebrity's name; courts may reject for likely fraud.

Item 2 row 2: optional second person's present name. Use only if the petition changes the name of more than one person.

• Filer leaves blank when more than one name is being changed.
• Filer fills in for an alias of the row 1 person; aliases are listed on NC-110, not NC-100.

Item 2 row 2: optional second person's proposed name.

• Filer leaves blank when row 2 present is filled.
• Filer uses initials or numbers (rejected in practice; see In re Useldinger, 35 Cal.App.2d 723 (1939) and clerk discretion under CCP 1278(a)(1)).

Item 2 row 3: optional third person's present name.

• Filer leaves blank when more than two names are being changed.
• Filer fills with text in lieu of the actual name.

Item 2 row 3: optional third person's proposed name.

• Filer leaves blank when row 3 present is filled.
• Filer uses initials or numbers.

Item 2 'continued' checkbox. Check only if changing more than three names; attach a typed list labeled 'Attachment 2' (MC-025 is the standard continuation form).

• Checking the box without preparing the attachment, or preparing the attachment without checking the box.
• Filer adds a fourth pair to the form margins instead of using Attachment 2.

Item 4: count of people in item 2 who are under 18. Required field; enter 0 if no minors.

• Leaving blank. If no minors, type 0; if 1 or more, item 5 must be filled in.
• Filer types '1 minor' instead of just '1'.

Item 5: who is requesting the name change for the minor(s). Required if item 4 is 1 or more. CCP 1277(a)(4) requires personal service of the NC-120 on a nonconsenting parent at least 30 days before the hearing if only one parent is petitioning.

• Picking 5b (one parent) but not arranging personal service on the other parent. The court will continue or deny the hearing without proof of service.
• Picking 5d (guardian) without filing NC-110G.

Item 5c: name and relationship of the near relative making the request.

• Filer omits the relationship.
• Filer lists relationship without name.

Item 5d: name of the guardian. The guardian also attaches NC-110G (Supplemental Attachment to Petition for Change of Name (Declaration of Guardian)) for each child whose name is to be changed (NC-100-INFO item 4).

• Forgetting NC-110G. Guardians need NC-130G as the decree, not NC-130.
• Listing the minor as 'guardian'.

Item 5e: name of the attorney for an individual under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

• Listing the minor's social worker rather than the appointed attorney.
• Filer leaves blank when 5e is the basis.

Item 5f: free-text 'other' description (e.g., 'foster parent under court order').

• Filer leaves blank after checking 5f.
• Filer uses 5f for a basis already covered by 5a-5e.

Item 6: checkbox indicating the petition seeks to change a name to conform to gender identity. Most filers leave blank. NC-100 carries the gender-identity box, but if the petitioner ALSO wants a court order recognizing a change of gender (and a new California birth certificate or marriage certificate), the correct form is NC-300, NOT NC-100. Form text page 1: 'To change your name as part of a petition to recognize a change of gender ... use form NC-300.'

• Checking item 6 when the petitioner also wants gender recognition; the correct path is NC-300.
• Leaving item 6 unchecked when relief should be confidential under CCP 1277.5; without it, publication may be required.

Item 6 radio: 'petitioner' (the petitioner's own name) or 'other' (a different person, e.g., a child).

• Filer leaves blank after checking item 6.
• Filer checks both 'petitioner' and 'other'.

Item 6: name of the other person whose name is being changed to conform to gender identity. Required if 'other' is selected.

• Filer leaves blank when 'other' is selected.
• Filer enters petitioner name when 'other' is meant for a child.

Item 7a: number of NC-110 pages attached. Each person whose name is being changed requires their own NC-110.

• Filing NC-100 without NC-110. Item 7 is mandatory, and the verification under penalty of perjury is on NC-110, not on NC-100 itself.
• Filer counts only one NC-110 when each person whose name is being changed needs their own.