Adult Legal Name Change Requirements in Kentucky

At a glance

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).