Kentucky: Adult Legal Name Change Requirements

Requirements one by one

File the statewide petition in District Court

Under KRS 401.010, an adult age 18 or older files in the District Court
for the county where the adult resides. The statute sets no minimum residence
duration. A resident of a U.S. Army post, military reservation, or fort may use
the District Court of any adjacent county.

The current AOC-295 petition asks for the original and requested names,
birth date and place, county residence and address, and purpose. The petitioner
must affirm that the request is not intended to avoid a legal obligation or
evade prosecution and sign under oath before a notary.

Kentucky uses a hearing, not newspaper publication

Chapter 401 and AOC-295 prescribe no adult newspaper publication, posting,
ordinary third-party service, or objection period. The official petition has a
hearing-scheduling block and distributes hearing notice to the petitioner or
counsel. The current AOC-296 order states that the court held a hearing
before making its findings and granting the change.

The adult statute sets no waiting period or substantive grant standard. It also
requires no applicant-supplied fingerprints, criminal-history report, or
general conviction disclosure. The official petition instead uses a purpose
statement and anti-evasion affirmation and warns that identity theft is a Class
D felony under KRS 514.160.

Sealing changes the ordinary recording route

Kentucky creates no name-change-specific safety finding, confidential-name
process, publication waiver, address-confidentiality route, or gender-identity
track. Current KRS 401.040 nevertheless recognizes that the court may order
the record sealed or otherwise restricted from public inspection.

Ordinarily, the court clerk certifies the name-change order to the county clerk
for recording. If the record is sealed or restricted, § 401.040 excepts that
certification. Ask the court about protection before filing an address or other
sensitive information in the ordinary public petition.

Budget for court filing and county recording

Effective July 1, 2026, CR 3.03(1) sets a $50 base District Court filing
fee for a natural-person name change. A $20 court-technology fee and any other
required facility, library, or statutory fees are additional. A person who
cannot pay without losing life's necessities may request in-forma-pauperis
relief under KRS 453.190 using AOC-026.

The separate county-clerk fee for recording a court-ordered name change is now
$33 under KRS 64.012. The July 2026 order form instructs the court clerk
to send the certified order and tells the petitioner to pay that recording fee.
Beginning January 1, 2028, § 401.040 shifts collection: the court clerk will
collect the county-clerk fee and forward it with the order.

What trips people up

• File with the Circuit Clerk, but the case is in District Court. Kentucky's
  circuit clerks serve both court levels; AOC-295 says to file in that office.
• No publication does not mean no appearance. The current statewide forms
  schedule and document a hearing.
• The $50 figure is not the whole current cost. Add the $20 technology fee,
  other required court fees, and the separate $33 recording fee.
• Do not wait until 2028 to record the order. Only the fee-collection method
  changes then; current § 401.040 already requires certification for recording
  unless the record is sealed or restricted.

Common questions

Must I publish the name change?

No adult publication requirement appears in Chapter 401 or AOC-295. The
statewide form instead schedules a hearing.

Do I need fingerprints or a criminal-background report?

Not under the current adult chapter or statewide petition. AOC-295 requires the
reason and an affirmation that the change is not sought to avoid an obligation
or evade prosecution.

Can the name-change record be sealed?

KRS 401.040 recognizes an order sealing or otherwise restricting the record and
then excepts the usual county-clerk certification. It does not supply a special
safety standard, so ask the court about the required motion and showing before
filing sensitive information.

What happens after the judge signs the order?

The court clerk sends a certified copy to the county clerk for recording unless
the record is sealed or restricted. The petitioner currently pays the separate
$33 county-clerk fee; the collection method changes in 2028.

Statutes and sources

• KRS 401.010 — adult age and District Court venue. Official current
  statute
  (accessed 2026-07-26).
• KRS 401.040 — certification, sealing exception, county index, and January
  1, 2028 fee-collection change. Official current
  statute
  (accessed 2026-07-26).
• KRS 64.012 and 453.190 — $33 recording fee and waiver eligibility.
  Official fee statute;
  official IFP statute
  (accessed 2026-07-26).
• Kentucky Court of Justice AOC-295 and AOC-296 — petition contents, oath,
  hearing, findings, and clerk instructions. Official
  petition;
  official order
  (accessed 2026-07-26).
• Supreme Court Order 2026-15 and AOC-026 — current base filing fee,
  technology fee, and costs-waiver form. Official fee
  order;
  official waiver form
  (accessed 2026-07-26).
• KRS 514.160 — identity-theft offense referenced by AOC-295. Official
  current statute
  (accessed 2026-07-26).