Adult Legal Name Change Requirements in Kansas

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Use the current petition checklist, not a generic notarized form

The statute's minimum list is short: § 60-1402(a) requires 60 days of Kansas residence, the reason for the change, and the desired name. The current Kansas Judicial Council petition adds the filing county, birth year and place, the name on the birth certificate, present and prior names, the proposed name and reason, and statements about debt or legal-process avoidance, fraud, prejudice, and the petitioner's best interests.

The petitioner signs that form under penalty of perjury. It does not contain a notary block. That matches § 60-211(a), which says a pleading ordinarily does not need verification or an affidavit unless another rule or statute says otherwise. Signing also certifies the filing is not for an improper purpose and that its factual contentions have evidentiary support.

Neither §§ 60-1401 to 60-1402 nor the current Judicial Council petition asks the adult to submit fingerprints, buy a state or FBI report, complete a registry check, or list criminal convictions. The court still evaluates the request at the hearing under the truth and reasonable-cause standard.

Follow the judge's notice direction before the hearing

Kansas does not impose publication in every case. Under § 60-1402(b), the court chooses notice by mail or publication. The current instructions tell the petitioner to ask the assigned court whether it requires publication, mail, or both. The current proposed order also allows the judge to find notice waived when no interested party exists.

If the court orders publication, § 60-307(d) requires notice once a week for three consecutive weeks in an authorized legal-notice newspaper published in the filing county, or a newspaper of general county circulation if none is published there. The Judicial Council publication form sets an objection date at least 41 days after first publication. Under § 60-307(f), the court must approve filed proof of service before judgment.

If the court orders mail notice, the Judicial Council instructions call for registered mail with return receipt requested. Section 60-1402(b) also permits registered or certified mail to the interested parties the court specifies.

Appear and prove the statutory standard

Section 60-1402(c) uses an express hearing model. The judge must be satisfied that the petition's allegations are true and that reasonable cause exists for the name change. The current Judicial Council order expects the petitioner to appear in person, give testimony, present evidence, and address any objections.

The same order tests whether the request is being used to avoid debts, obligations, or legal process; to mislead or defraud; or to prejudice another person. It also asks the court to find that the requested change serves the petitioner's best interests. The name-change statutes do not create a separate felony, incarceration, supervision, or sex-offender category bar.

Budget for the filing and any notice costs

The Kansas Judicial Branch's FY 2026-27 chart lists a $173 Chapter 60 docket fee plus a $22 surcharge, for a $195 total. Publication, mailed notice, and certified-copy expenses may be additional; § 60-2001(d) treats publication and service expenses as possible additional court costs.

If poverty prevents prepayment, § 60-2001(b) allows a poverty affidavit in lieu of the docket fee. The affidavit itself must give a factual basis for the inability to pay and must be sworn under oath. That sworn fee-waiver affidavit is separate from the name-change petition's perjury affirmation.

After the judge signs the order, the new name is the name ordered by the court, and § 60-1401 says the change does not affect legal rights. Kansas does not automatically send the order to Vital Statistics. Under § 65-2422a, a person who wants an amended Kansas birth certificate may present an authenticated order and request one; the Judicial Council instructions likewise say that step is optional and requires the applicant to send the certified order.

What trips people up

• Publication is not the only notice route. The assigned court decides whether the case uses publication, mail, both, or a waiver because no interested party exists. Do not buy newspaper space before receiving the court's direction.
• The petition and poverty affidavit use different signature rules. The current petition is affirmed under penalty of perjury without a notary. A poverty affidavit under § 60-2001(b) is sworn before a person authorized to administer an oath.
• Notice proof is part of hearing preparation. Bring the newspaper's proof of publication or the mail return receipts so the court can approve and file proof before entering judgment.
• The birth certificate does not update automatically. The certified order starts a separate optional request under § 65-2422a.

Common questions

Does Kansas require fingerprints or a criminal-history report?

Not under the current name-change statute or statewide Judicial Council adult petition. Those sources contain no fingerprint card, state/FBI report, registry check, or conviction-disclosure field.

Can the court waive the hearing if it waives notice?

The current sources do not create that shortcut. Section 60-1402(c) conditions the order on findings made "upon hearing," and the current proposed order expects the petitioner to appear and present testimony and evidence. A notice waiver because there is no interested party is not a hearing waiver.

Statutes and sources

• K.S.A. §§ 60-1401 to 60-1402. District-court authority, county venue, 60-day residence, minimum petition contents, notice choices, hearing, and reasonable-cause standard. Official Revisor § 60-1401 and § 60-1402 (accessed July 26, 2026).
• K.S.A. §§ 60-307 and 60-211. Publication timing and proof; pleading signature and ordinary no-verification rule. Official Revisor § 60-307 and § 60-211 (accessed July 26, 2026).
• Kansas Judicial Council. Current adult packet, including the expanded petition checklist, notice mechanics, hearing preparation, and optional birth-certificate step. Official instructions, petition, and proposed order (accessed July 26, 2026).
• K.S.A. §§ 60-2001 and 65-2422a. Poverty-affidavit procedure and optional amended birth certificate. Official Revisor § 60-2001 and § 65-2422a (accessed July 26, 2026).
• Kansas Judicial Branch. FY 2026-27 Chapter 60 filing total. Official fee chart (accessed July 26, 2026).