NC-100

Petition for Change of Name

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California · No filing deadline.

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What is NC-100?

California Judicial Council mandatory-use petition for an adult name change, or for a parent or guardian asking the court to change a child's name. Filed in the superior court of the petitioner's county of residence (Code of Civil Procedure section 1277). Together with NC-110 (one per person whose name is being changed), CM-010 Civil Case Cover Sheet, NC-120 Order to Show Cause, and NC-130 Decree, this is the full opening packet. After filing, the court issues NC-120 setting a hearing date, the petitioner publishes the order in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four consecutive weeks (CCP 1277(a)), and if no objection is filed at least two court days before the hearing the judge usually grants the petition without a hearing.

What happens if you miss the deadline: There is no filing deadline for the petition itself. After the court issues the NC-120 Order to Show Cause, missing the publication or service deadlines (publication four consecutive weeks; for a minor, personal service on the nonconsenting parent at least 30 days before the hearing) usually means the court will continue the hearing or deny the petition without prejudice.

How to file

Filing fee: Roughly $435 to $465 depending on county (general superior-court civil filing fee under Government Code section 70611). Fee waiver via FW-001. NC-100-INFO item 5: 'There is no filing fee for minors in the State's address confidentiality program (Safe at Home).'
Filing method: in-person, mail, efile (county-specific)
Filing deadline: No statutory filing deadline. After filing, the court issues NC-120 setting the hearing date (typically at least six weeks out per NC-100-INFO item 6). The petitioner must publish the NC-120 in a newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing (CCP 1277(a)). For a minor whose nonconsenting parent has not joined, the petitioner must personally serve the nonconsenting parent at least 30 days before the hearing under CCP 413.10, 414.10, 415.10, or 415.40 (NC-100-INFO item 8(a)). Publication is excused for gender-identity changes, Safe at Home participants, State Witness Program participants, and minors or nonminor dependents under juvenile-court jurisdiction (NC-100-INFO item 7).
How to serve: NC-100 itself is filed (not served). Service obligations begin after NC-120 issues: publish in a newspaper four consecutive weeks (CCP 1277(a)), and for a minor name change without the nonconsenting parent's joinder, personal service of NC-120 on the nonconsenting parent at least 30 days before the hearing (CCP 1277(a)(4)). NC-121 (Proof of Service of Order to Show Cause) is filed before the hearing if service was required.
Wet signature: Yes, sign in pen after printing.
Notarization: No
Original and copies: Original plus two copies of NC-100, NC-110, NC-120, and NC-130 per NC-100-INFO item 4. Clerk file-stamps the original and returns two endorsed copies.

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NC-120

Order to Show Cause for Change of Name

Order to Show Cause for Change of Name. NC-120 is filed with NC-100 as part of the initial packet; the civil clerk will not accept NC-100 alone without a blank NC-120 stapled because the clerk completes NC-120 (hearing date, time, department, room) while the petitioner waits at the window. The petitioner pre-fills the caption (court, county, case number once assigned), item 1 (the present-name / proposed-name pairs and birth dates matching NC-100 item 1 verbatim, including middle names, suffixes, and accents; any typo or omission requires refiling because a published NC-120 with a typo cannot be cured by amendment at the hearing), and item 3 (the newspaper of general circulation that will publish under California Rules of Court rule 2.530). The clerk fills the hearing block, and a judge signs NC-120 to set the OSC. Once signed, the petitioner takes the certified NC-120 to a newspaper of general circulation for publication under Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(a) and CRC 2.532: once a week for 4 consecutive weeks before the hearing, with the last publication at least 30 days before the hearing. The newspaper files an Affidavit of Publication (Form NC-121 or equivalent) directly with the court after the run ends. Without a published NC-120 and NC-121 proof of publication on file, the judge cannot grant the name change at the hearing under CCP 1278. CCP 1277(a)(4) carves out limited confidentiality cases (transgender petitioners, domestic-violence survivors with a current restraining order, victims of stalking under CCP 1277.5) where publication is waived and the petitioner files NC-110G (gender-conforming) or NC-110A (DV-survivor) instead. The hearing operates by default: if no objection is filed and publication ran properly, the judge signs NC-130 granting the name change.

FW-001

Request to Waive Court Fees

Request to Waive Court Fees. NC-100 carries a first-appearance fee under Gov. Code section 70611 of roughly $435 to $465 in 2026 depending on county, paid at the time of filing the name-change packet (NC-100 Petition, NC-110 Attachment / NC-110A / NC-110G confidentiality screens for minor children, NC-120 Order to Show Cause, NC-130 proposed Decree Changing Name); FW-001 waives that fee for indigent petitioners under the general civil fee-waiver statute (Gov. Code section 68632). Eligibility is by means-tested benefit on FW-001 item 5.a (CalFresh, Medi-Cal, SSI, SSP, CalWORKs, Tribal TANF, CAPI, IHSS), by 125% Federal Poverty Guideline household income on item 5.b (with proof attached, typically pay stubs, tax returns, or benefit letters), or by financial hardship on item 5.c (with FW-001 item 7 line-by-line monthly income / expense breakdown). The clerk decides FW-001 ex parte within 5 court days under Cal. Rules of Court rule 3.51 (or referred to a judicial officer under CRC 3.55(d) if the basis is hardship rather than benefit / income). A granted FW-001 carries forward under Gov. Code section 68632(c) to every later filing in the same case: the NC-120 hearing fee (if separately charged), the certified-copy fee for the NC-130 decree (typically $25 to $40 per certified copy under Gov Code 70626; the petitioner usually needs 3-5 copies for Social Security SS-5, DMV DL-44, U.S. passport DS-82, employer, and bank record updates), and any post-hearing modification or supplemental petitions. Publication costs in a newspaper of general circulation (4 weeks under Code Civ. Proc. section 1277(a)) are NOT court fees and are NOT covered by FW-001; the petitioner pays the newspaper directly (typical cost $100 to $300 in metro counties, $30 to $80 in smaller counties). The court can order publication in a free legal-aid newspaper (county-bar daily news, county recorder bulletins, or other adjudicated outlets) for indigent petitioners under CCP 1277(b), and the wizard should surface the 1277(b) request when the petitioner files FW-001 with the NC-100 packet. Domestic-violence survivors, stalking victims, and those whose safety is at risk may request omission of publication entirely under CCP 1277.5(c) (no FW-001 needed for that carve-out, though FW-001 still waives the underlying NC-100 filing fee). A denied FW-001 is reviewable on FW-006 within 10 days under CRC 3.55(d).

POS-030

Proof of Service by First-Class Mail (Civil)

Proof of Service by First-Class Mail. NC-100 itself is non-adversarial (in rem proceeding under Code of Civil Procedure section 1276 and CCP Title 8 Chapter 6; no defendant party), so the petition is not 'served' in the traditional summons-and-complaint sense; statewide notice happens by newspaper publication of the NC-120 OSC under CCP 1277(a)(1) for four consecutive weeks (4-week publication run) in a newspaper of general circulation in the county under Government Code section 6064 (first publication at least 28 days before the OSC hearing date). POS-030 covers the narrow mail-service paths CCP 1277 imposes around the NC-100 packet for specific subset categories of petitioners: (a) for incarcerated petitioners filing NC-100 from inside CDCR / CYA / county jail / federal BOP custody, NC-100-INFO item 9 and CCP 1277(b) require mailed notice of the petition and OSC (NC-120) to the prison warden, the parole administrator (if the petitioner is on parole at the time of petition), or the county sheriff for a county-jail inmate, served at least 30 days before the hearing on the NC-120 calendar; the institutional service is by first-class mail with POS-030 documenting the mailing, with the petitioner's CDCR or BOP number on the caption for clerk identification. The 30-day pre-hearing notice runs from the date of mailing, with mail extension days under CCP 1013(a) applied if appropriate. (b) For minor-petitioner cases where one parent does not join the NC-100 petition (Family Code section 7611 / 7613 presumed-parent framework determines who counts as a parent for NC-100 consent purposes; both legal parents need to consent or be served), CCP 1277(a)(4) and CCP 1277.5 require the non-joining parent to be served with the petition (NC-100) and OSC (NC-120) by personal service under CCP 415.10 or by certified mail return receipt requested, with POS-030 documenting the certified-mail track; the non-joining parent has the right to appear at the OSC hearing to oppose, and gets at least 30 days from service before the hearing date on the NC-120 to file written objections. If the non-joining parent is dead, the death certificate is attached to NC-100 in lieu of consent under H&S Code 103430; if the non-joining parent is missing or unlocatable after a diligent search, the petitioner can move for service-by-publication on the missing parent under CCP 415.50 with a noticed motion. (c) For domestic-violence-survivor petitioners requesting a confidential name change under CCP 1277(e), the publication requirement is waived (no NC-120 publication; sealed file under CCP 1277.5(c)) and POS-030 is not required for any notice; the case proceeds entirely on the petitioner's signed NC-100. (d) Gender-identity-related name changes under NC-300 (separate form) bypass the publication and POS-030 service framework under CCP 1277.5; NC-100 is not the proper form for gender-identity-driven name changes. (e) For petitioners changing the name of a minor who is the subject of a custody or guardianship order, the existing custody / guardianship order's parties (including a non-petitioning parent with custodial rights or a court-appointed guardian) must be served with the NC-100 / NC-120 by POS-030 or personal service under CCP 1277(a)(4) at least 30 days before the OSC hearing. Anyone served under any of these paths gets at least 30 days before the OSC hearing date on the NC-120 to file written objections (the objection is in writing, attached to the case file; the objecting party then appears at the OSC hearing to be heard). The POS-030 server must be an adult who is not a party (CCP 1013a(1)); the petitioner cannot mail-serve their own NC-100 packet. The server requirement for personal service under CCP 415.10 is also non-party adult under CCP 414.10. Signed POS-030 is filed with the court before the OSC hearing date so the judge can confirm required noticees received the packet (CRC rule 7.1 / 8.832 governs file integrity for hearing prep); the proof-of-service must reach the court file at least 5 calendar days before the OSC hearing per local-rule custom (LA Local Rule 4.50 / SF Local Rule 8.5). If POS-030 is missing or defective at the OSC hearing, the court typically continues the hearing 4-6 weeks to allow proper service; second-failure of service may result in dismissal without prejudice. POS-030 service mechanics for an NC-100 packet: the server mails the NC-100 + NC-110 (verification by adult / minor petitioner) + NC-120 (OSC and hearing notice) + any NC-100-INFO informational sheet to the recipient at their last-known address (or institutional address for incarcerated noticees), waits for the return receipt (certified mail) or simply files the POS-030 (first-class mail), and the server signs the POS-030 declaration block under CCP 2015.5 penalty of perjury attesting to the date, place, and addressee of the mailing. Electronic service under CCP 1010.6 / CRC rule 2.251 is not the customary path for NC-100 noticees (incarcerated and non-joining-parent noticees rarely have e-service consent on file).

MC-025

Attachment to Judicial Council Form

Attachment (continuation). NC-100 item 2 (the present-name / proposed-name pairs) has space for three rows on the face form; petitioners changing multiple names (a parent changing their name plus children's names, a married couple consolidating to a single surname, a person resuming a former birth name plus adopting a new middle name) use MC-025 as Attachment 2 to list additional name pairs. Each row on Attachment 2 must include the present-name / proposed-name pair exactly as it should appear on the granted NC-130 Decree Changing Name and on the resulting Social Security, DMV, passport, and employer record corrections (misspellings or partial matches in NC-130 propagate as RAP-sheet-style data-quality errors that compound across federal databases under 42 USC 405). Item 6 (gender-identity changes under H&S Code 103430) and item 9 (reasons for the change) also commonly overflow when the petitioner needs to explain a complex history (e.g. a victim of identity theft documenting why the legal name differs from the name on credit reports, a survivor of domestic violence explaining why publication should be omitted under CCP 1277.5 for safety reasons, or a petitioner with multiple Out of Country aliases listing the history of names used); MC-025 covers those continuations as Attachment 6 or Attachment 9. Each MC-025 must show the case caption verbatim, the NC-100 item number being continued in the title block, the page-of-page numbering, and the petitioner's signature plus declaration-under-penalty-of-perjury language under CCP 2015.5. Petitioners filing for minors use NC-110 Attachment for the minor's parent / guardian consent block and NC-110A or NC-110G for confidentiality screens; those minor-specific continuation paths do NOT use MC-025 because the NC-110 / NC-110A / NC-110G forms are themselves continuations under CCP 1277 and Family Code section 7611 / 7613 with their own form numbers, not MC-025 overflow. Filing MC-025 when NC-110 was needed leaves the parental-consent block off-record and the petition is rejected at intake.

FL-100

Petition (Marriage/Domestic Partnership)

Anti-recommendation when the goal is restoring a former legal name as part of a divorce. Family Code section 2080 specifically authorizes the family-law court to restore a divorcing spouse's former name as part of any judgment of dissolution or legal separation; the petitioner checks FL-100 item 11.b 'restore my former legal name' (under 'Other Requests'), the respondent answers in kind on FL-120 item 11.b, and the order enters automatically on FL-180 item 4.f without a separate NC-100 case file, NC-120 OSC, NC-121 publication run, or the standalone $435 to $450 NC-100 first-appearance fee under Government Code 70670. The family-law track is faster, cheaper, and procedurally simpler than NC-100 for this use case because it rides on the dissolution calendar and does not require the four-week newspaper publication under Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(a). NC-100 remains the right form only for: (a) a brand-new legal name not previously held (the filer wants the name 'Aurora Quinn' for the first time, not the maiden name 'Ortiz' from before the marriage), (b) a child's name change in or outside dissolution (governed by FC 7611 / 7613 and routed through NC-110 + NC-120 even when parents are in an FL-100 case), (c) a gender-conforming name change (the NC-300 / NC-310 confidential gender-recognition path under CCP 1277.5, which protects the petitioner from publication), or (d) restoring a former name AFTER an FL-180 dissolution judgment already entered without the item-11.b request, where the post-judgment route is FL-395 (Ex Parte Application for Restoration of Former Name After Entry of Judgment) under FC 2080(b), not NC-100. The missed FL-100 item 11.b box is the most common reason for a later FL-395 ex parte after judgment.

FL-120

Response (Marriage/Domestic Partnership)

Anti-recommendation when a responding spouse in an FL-100 dissolution wants to restore a former legal name. FL-120 item 11.b (under 'Other Requests') lets the respondent ask the family-law court to restore a former name (parallel to FL-100 item 11.b for the petitioner) under Family Code section 2080; the order enters on FL-180 item 4.f without a separate NC-100 case file, NC-120 OSC hearing, NC-121 publication run, or the standalone $435 to $450 NC-100 first-appearance fee under Government Code section 70670. The family-law track is faster, cheaper, and procedurally simpler than NC-100 for this use case because it rides on the dissolution calendar and does not require the four-week newspaper publication under Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(a). NC-100 remains the right form only for: (a) a brand-new legal name not previously held (the respondent wants the name 'Aurora Quinn' for the first time, not the maiden name 'Ortiz' from before the marriage), (b) a child's name change in or outside dissolution (governed by FC 7611 / 7613 and routed through NC-110 + NC-120 even when parents are in an FL-100 case), (c) a gender-conforming name change (the NC-300 / NC-310 confidential gender-recognition path under CCP 1277.5 which waives publication and protects the petitioner's pre-transition name), or (d) restoring a former name AFTER the FL-180 dissolution judgment already entered without the item-11.b request, where the post-judgment route is FL-395 (Ex Parte Application for Restoration of Former Name After Entry of Judgment) under FC 2080(b), not NC-100. A respondent who knows they want their former name back should check FL-120 item 11.b at response stage; the missed check is the single most common reason for a later FL-395 ex parte after judgment.

FL-180

Judgment (Family Law)

Anti-recommendation when the filer is at the judgment-preparation stage of a dissolution / legal separation / nullity. FL-180 item 4.f restores a former legal name as part of the judgment under Family Code section 2080 if FL-100 item 11.b (petitioner side) or FL-120 item 11.b (respondent side), each under 'Other Requests', requested it (and even if not pre-requested, the court may grant on prove-up declaration or at trial). FC 2081 makes the FL-180 order alone sufficient proof of the name change for Social Security (Form SS-5), DMV (Form DL-44), U.S. passport (Form DS-82), employer, bank, and credit-card records, with NO four-week newspaper publication under CCP section 1277(a), NO separate OSC hearing on NC-120, and NO additional $435 filing fee under Gov Code 70611. Filers preparing FL-180 should check item 4.f and skip NC-100 entirely. If the FL-180 was ALREADY entered without item 4.f checked, the post-judgment route is form FL-395 (ex parte application for restoration of former name after entry of judgment) filed in the same dissolution case under FC 2080(b), NOT a separate NC-100; FL-395 carries no filing fee, no publication, and no hearing because the underlying dissolution already established the legal basis for the name change. NC-100 remains the correct form only for: (1) a brand-new legal name unrelated to divorce (changing to a name not previously held by the petitioner); (2) a minor child's name change, which requires both legal parents' consent under FC 7611 / 7613 or noticed alternative under CCP 1277.5(c) when one parent objects, is unknown, or is incarcerated; (3) a gender-conforming change (NC-100 item 6 with NC-300 supplement under Health & Safety Code 103430), where the petitioner can also seal the file under CCP 1277(b) to prevent disclosure; or (4) a name change by a person who was never married to the source-name spouse (e.g., a person who took an unmarried partner's surname socially and now wants legal restoration of their birth name; no FC 2080 / 2081 carve-out applies because there was no marriage to dissolve). Picking NC-100 when FL-180 item 4.f or FL-395 would have worked costs the petitioner the $435 fee, the four-week publication in a county-adjudicated newspaper, and a separate hearing on NC-120; an alert wizard should detect the dissolution context (active or completed FL-100 case) and route to FL-180 item 4.f or FL-395 instead.

Field-by-field guidance

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Atty Bar No

none

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 Name

blocker

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.

Filer Firm

none

Law firm name. Pro se filers leave blank.

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

Filer Street

blocker

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 City

blocker

Filer's city.

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

Filer State

blocker

Filer's state.

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

Filer Zip

blocker

Filer's ZIP code.

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

Filer Phone

blocker

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 Fax

none

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

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

Filer Email

none

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.

Filer Atty For

blocker

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

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

Court County

blocker

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'.

Court Street

warning

Courthouse street address.

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

Court Mailing

warning

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.

Court City Zip

warning

Courthouse city and ZIP.

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

Court Branch

warning

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.

Petition Caption Name

blocker

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

none

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.

Petitioner Present Name

blocker

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.

Residence Choice

blocker

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.

Name Change 1 Present

blocker

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.

Name Change 1 Proposed

blocker

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.

Name Change 2 Present

none

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.

Name Change 2 Proposed

none

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)).

Name Change 3 Present

none

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.

Name Change 3 Proposed

none

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

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

Name Changes Continued

none

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.

Minor Count

blocker

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'.

Minor Requester Choice

blocker

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.

Near Relative Name Relation

warning

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

Filer omits the relationship.
Filer lists relationship without name.

Guardian Name

warning

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'.

Juvenile Attorney Name

warning

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.

Other Specify

warning

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.

Gender Identity Box

none

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.

Gender Identity Who

warning

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'.

Gender Identity Other Name

warning

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.

Nc110 Pages

blocker

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.

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