Order to Show Cause for Change of Name
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File NC-120 with Ezel
Fill NC-120 with Ezel
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What Ezel does with NC-120
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What is NC-120?
California Judicial Council mandatory-use Order to Show Cause that the court issues after the petitioner files NC-100. The petitioner pre-fills the caption, lists the same present-name and proposed-name pairs from NC-100 item 2, picks the newspaper of general circulation that will publish the order, and brings the form to the clerk. The clerk inserts the hearing date, time, department, and room, and the judge signs. The petitioner then publishes a copy of the signed NC-120 in the chosen newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing (Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(a)).
What happens if you miss the deadline: If publication is not completed at least the required four consecutive weeks before the hearing, the court usually continues the hearing rather than denying the petition. The newspaper files a Proof of Publication with the court before the hearing; if it is missing, the petitioner must request a continuance.
How to file
- Filing fee
- No separate filing fee. NC-120 is filed inside the NC-100 case and travels under the NC-100 filing fee.
- Filing method
- in-person, mail, efile (county-specific)
- Filing deadline
- File NC-120 with NC-100 (or as soon as the clerk asks for it). After the judge signs, the petitioner must publish the order in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing (CCP 1277(a)). NC-100-INFO item 6 advises requesting a hearing date at least six weeks out so publication can be completed in time. The newspaper files Proof of Publication directly with the court.
- How to serve
- Two outbound steps after the judge signs: (1) publication in the chosen newspaper, four consecutive weeks before the hearing (newspaper files Proof of Publication); (2) for a child name change where the nonconsenting parent has not joined, personal service of the signed NC-120 on that parent under CCP 413.10, 414.10, 415.10, or 415.40, at least 30 days before the hearing (NC-100-INFO item 8(a)). NC-121 (Proof of Service) is filed before the hearing.
- Wet signature
- No
- Notarization
- No
- Original and copies
- Original plus two copies. Clerk file-stamps the original and returns two endorsed copies after the judge signs.
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Attorney bar number; pro se filers leave blank.
- Pro se filer fills with driver's license number.
- Out-of-state attorney fills home-state bar number.
Filer name. Must match NC-100 caption.
- Filer types proposed name; this caption uses current legal name.
- Filer drops middle name listed on NC-100.
Firm name. Pro se filers leave blank.
- Pro se filer fills with employer or self-help center.
- Attorney lists firm short name rather than the full firm name.
Filer street address.
- Filer fills proposed new address before the order is signed.
- Filer uses a P.O. Box that does not match the residence used on NC-100 item 1a.
Filer city.
- Filer abbreviates ('LA' instead of 'Los Angeles').
- Filer types neighborhood instead of city.
Filer state.
- Filer leaves blank when residence is in CA but mailing address is out of state.
- Filer types full state name in a small field; abbreviation expected.
Filer ZIP.
- Filer leaves blank.
- Filer enters ZIP+4 with no separator; basic 5-digit ZIP is fine.
Filer phone.
- Filer leaves blank for privacy; the form treats it as required.
- Filer lists a number disconnected since NC-100 was filed.
Filer fax. Effectively obsolete.
- Pro se filer types a phone number for fax.
- Filer fills 'N/A' instead of leaving blank.
Filer email. Optional but recommended.
- Filer lists a stale email no longer monitored.
- Filer omits and the court emails an updated NC-120 to the wrong address.
'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. Same as NC-100.
- Filer types county of residence rather than court county. Should match NC-100.
- Filer abbreviates 'L.A.'
Court street address.
- Filer copies a closed-courthouse address from older paperwork.
- Filer uses the mailing address only.
Court mailing address.
- Filer duplicates the street address when the courthouse uses a separate P.O. Box.
- Filer leaves blank in counties where mail goes through a separate P.O. Box.
Court city and ZIP.
- Filer omits the ZIP.
- Filer types the wrong ZIP for a courthouse with multiple ZIPs.
Court branch.
- Filer guesses a branch name in a multi-branch county.
- Filer types 'Main' or 'Central' when the local court uses a different branch name.
Petitioner caption name(s). Match NC-100 caption exactly.
- Listing the proposed (new) name. The caption uses the petitioner's CURRENT legal name.
- Filer types only the first petitioner when NC-100 listed two.
Case number from the clerk. Leave blank if filing NC-120 together with NC-100; the clerk stamps it on.
- Filer guesses a case number when filing concurrently with NC-100.
- Filer types a related case number from a different matter.
Item 1: petitioner's current legal name. Must match NC-100 item 1.
- Filer types the proposed name here; this is the current legal name.
- Filer's spelling differs from the NC-100 caption.
Item 1 row a: present name of the first person whose name is changing. Must match NC-100 item 2 row a.
- Filer types the proposed name in this field.
- Filer drops middle name.
Item 1 row a: proposed name of the first person.
- Filer mixes up rows when more than one person changing name; row a present and row a proposed must match.
- Filer uses initials or numbers; rejected in practice (In re Useldinger, 35 Cal.App.2d 723 (1939); clerk discretion under CCP 1278(a)(1)).
Item 1 row b: optional second person's present name.
- Filer leaves blank when NC-100 listed a second person.
- Filer enters the same name as row a.
Item 1 row b: optional second person's proposed name.
- Filer accidentally uses row b for an alias of the row a person.
- Filer omits middle name when proposed change includes one.
Item 1 row c: optional third person's present name.
- Filer leaves blank when NC-100 listed a third person.
- Filer types text in the field by mistake.
Item 1 row c: optional third person's proposed name.
- Filer uses initials or numbers (rejected in practice; In re Useldinger, 35 Cal.App.2d 723 (1939); clerk discretion under CCP 1278(a)(1)).
- Filer leaves blank when row c present is filled.
Item 1 row d: optional fourth person's present name.
- Filer leaves blank when NC-100 listed a fourth person.
- Filer types 'same as above'.
Item 1 row d: optional fourth person's proposed name.
- Filer leaves blank when row d present is filled.
- Filer uses initials or numbers.
Item 1 row e: optional fifth person's present name.
- Filer leaves blank when NC-100 listed a fifth person.
- Filer fills in row e present without filling row e proposed.
Item 1 row e: optional fifth person's proposed name.
- Filer leaves blank when row e present is filled.
- Filer uses initials or numbers.
Item 1 'Continued on Attachment 1' checkbox. Check only if more than five name pairs.
- Filer checks even though only five name pairs are listed.
- Filer adds a sixth pair to the form margins instead of using Attachment 1.
Item 2a hearing date. CLERK fills this in. Leave blank.
- Filling in a date. The clerk picks the date when you bring the form in.
- Filer copies a date from another case.
Item 2a hearing time. CLERK fills this in. Leave blank.
- Filer guesses a time of day.
- Filer types 'TBD'.
Item 2a department. CLERK fills this in. Leave blank.
- Filer guesses a department.
- Filer types 'TBD'.
Item 2a room. CLERK fills this in. Leave blank.
- Filer guesses a room number.
- Filer types 'TBD'.
Item 2b: hearing address radio. Almost always 'Same as above'. The 'Other' option is only used if the clerk tells you the hearing is at a different branch.
- Filer checks 'Other' when the hearing is at the same courthouse as filing.
- Filer leaves both options blank.
Item 2b: 'Other' hearing address. Used only if 'Other' radio is selected.
- Filer fills in 'Other' address when 'Same as above' is checked.
- Filer leaves blank after checking 'Other'.
Item 3a: publication requirement checkbox. Check 3a unless an exemption applies (gender identity / NC-125, Safe at Home, State Witness Program, juvenile-court minor).
- Leaving 3a blank because the user thought the clerk would check it. The petitioner must check it; otherwise the order is unclear about whether publication is required.
- Checking 3a in a Safe at Home / NC-125 / juvenile-court / State Witness exempt case.
Item 3a sub-radio: which county the newspaper serves. Resident filers pick 'In this county'. Non-resident filers (NC-100 item 1b) pick the petitioner's county of residence option.
- Resident filer accidentally checks the non-resident option.
- Non-resident filer leaves both options blank.
Item 3a: name of the newspaper of general circulation. Each county clerk has a list of qualified newspapers; ask the clerk for it.
- Picking a non-qualifying paper (e.g., a free shopper or an HOA newsletter). The newspaper must be 'legally qualified to publish orders and notices'.
- Filer picks a paper that does not cover the petitioner's county of residence.
Item 3b: 'Other' checkbox. Use when a publication exemption applies; describe the basis in the specify field.
- Filer checks 3b without filing the supporting NC-125 (gender identity) or other exemption paperwork.
- Filer checks 3b alongside 3a; only one should be checked.
Item 3b: free-text basis for an exemption (e.g., 'Petitioner is a participant in the Safe at Home address-confidentiality program; CCP 1277(b)' or 'Name change to conform to petitioner's gender identity; CCP 1277.5').
- Filer leaves blank after checking 3b.
- Filer cites a non-existent statute.
Date the judge signs. JUDGE fills. Leave blank.
- Filer types in the date.
- Filer asks the clerk to fill in this date; the JUDGE signs and dates.
Sources
- Form NC-120, Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (Rev. January 1, 2023)
- Form NC-100-INFO, Instructions for Filing a Petition for Change of Name (Rev. January 1, 2023)
- Cal. Code of Civil Procedure section 1277 (publication, hearing, notice to nonconsenting parent)
- California Courts Self-Help: Change Your Name
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