Adult Legal Name Change Requirements in Louisiana
At a glance
| Governing law and court | La. R.S. §§ 13:4751-4755; district court of parish of residence, parish of birth, or Vital Records Registry venue; incarcerated petitioner uses sentencing parish (§ 13:4751(B)) |
|---|---|
| Who may petition and residency | Person age 18+; no minimum residence duration. Venue may rest on residence, birth, or Vital Records Registry parish rather than residence alone (Civ. Code art. 29; § 13:4751(B)) |
| Petition contents and oath | State the reason for the requested change (§ 13:4751(B)). Current LSBA self-represented form adds current/proposed name, birth date, Social Security number, domicile parish, address, and requested judgment; it is signed but contains no notary block |
| Criminal background check | No applicant-supplied fingerprints or criminal report required by §§ 13:4751-4755. District attorney must be served and checks felony prohibitions; Orleans DA currently runs a criminal-history/background check (§ 13:4752) |
| Publication or notice | No newspaper publication. Serve the parish district attorney or district attorney pro tem with the petition and citation to answer; the DA represents the state (§ 13:4752) |
| Safety, confidentiality, and special tracks | No express safety-sealing, confidential-name, publication-waiver, address-confidentiality, or gender-identity track in §§ 13:4751-4755; ask the court before filing sensitive identifiers |
| Hearing and grant standard | Judge may hear and determine the case in open court or chambers and render the judgment justified by the relief, law, and evidence (§ 13:4753). No statutory waiting period; DA may answer, waive trial/appearance, or object |
| Grounds for denial or restriction | Any felony: cannot petition until sentence is satisfied, including imprisonment, probation, or parole. Any felony enumerated in R.S. 14:2(B): permanent bar (§ 13:4751(D)) |
| Fee and post-order effect | Applicant pays proceeding costs (§ 13:4755); parish amount varies (Calcasieu currently $265). Non-inmate may request IFP using District Court Appendix 8.0. New name becomes true/lawful after judgment is recorded in parish miscellaneous records; Louisiana birth registrant separately sends certified judgment to Vital Records (§ 13:4754) |
Requirements one by one
Choose among Louisiana's statutory venue options
An adult—age 18 or older under Civil Code article 29—may file in the district court for the parish of residence, parish of birth, or the parish that is venue for the Vital Records Registry. An incarcerated applicant files in the district court for the parish of sentencing. Louisiana states no minimum residence duration.
Under § 13:4751(B), the petition must state the reason for the requested change. The current LSBA self-represented form also asks for the current and requested names, birth date, Social Security number, domicile parish, and address. It includes a proposed judgment but no notary block.
Serve the district attorney instead of publishing
There is no newspaper-publication step. Under § 13:4752, the district attorney or district attorney pro tem represents the state and must be served with the petition and citation to answer.
The statute does not require the petitioner to supply fingerprints or a criminal-history report. The district attorney checks the criminal restrictions. Orleans Parish currently describes an investigator-run history and background check, followed by either an answer and waiver of trial and appearance or an objection.
The judge may decide the case in court or chambers
Section § 13:4753 allows the judge to hear and determine the case in open court or in chambers and to render the judgment justified by the requested relief, law, and evidence. The chapter sets no fixed waiting period. Local next steps depend on the district attorney's response and the assigned judge.
Sections 13:4751-4755 contain no separate safety-sealing, confidential-name, address-confidentiality, publication-waiver, or gender-identity track. Ask the court about protecting sensitive identifiers before putting them in the record.
Felony history can delay or permanently bar the petition
Under § 13:4751(D)(1), a person convicted of a felony cannot petition until the sentence is satisfied. The restriction expressly includes imprisonment, probation, and parole.
Under § 13:4751(D)(2), conviction of a felony enumerated in R.S. 14:2(B) is a permanent statutory bar; completing that sentence does not restore eligibility under the name-change chapter.
Record the judgment before treating the new name as effective
Section § 13:4754 makes the requested name the person's true and lawful name only after the judgment is recorded in the parish miscellaneous records. For a Louisiana birth record, the registrant must separately provide Vital Records with a certified copy of the judgment; the registrar may alter only the registrant's name.
The applicant pays the proceeding costs under § 13:4755, and the amount varies by parish. Calcasieu currently lists a $265 name-change advance deposit. A qualifying non-inmate may ask to proceed in forma pauperis using the Louisiana District Court Appendix 8.0 affidavit.
What trips people up
- District-attorney service is not newspaper publication. The statute requires service and an answer, not an advertisement in the parish journal.
- Residence is only one venue route. Birth parish and Vital Records Registry venue are separate options.
- Not every completed felony sentence restores eligibility. R.S. 14:2(B) convictions remain barred.
- Signing the judgment is not the final statutory step. Record it in the parish miscellaneous records before treating the requested name as lawful.
Common questions
Must I publish the petition?
No. Serve the parish district attorney with the petition and citation under § 13:4752.
Will I need fingerprints?
The statewide chapter does not require petitioner-supplied fingerprints. The district attorney performs the felony screening; local investigation practice can vary.
Is a courtroom hearing mandatory?
The statute permits determination in open court or in chambers. The assigned judge and the district attorney's response control the local next step.
Does the court automatically change my Louisiana birth certificate?
No. After recordation of the judgment, send Vital Records a certified copy if you want the Louisiana birth record changed.
Statutes and sources
- La. R.S. §§ 13:4751-4755 — venue, petition reason, felony restrictions, district-attorney service, determination, judgment recordation, birth-record procedure, and costs. Official § 13:4751; § 13:4752; § 13:4753; § 13:4754; § 13:4755 (accessed 2026-07-26).
- La. Civ. Code art. 29 — age 18 majority. Official current article (accessed 2026-07-26).
- Louisiana State Bar Association and Orleans Parish DA — current self-represented petition fields, service workflow, background review, and DA response. LSBA form; DA guidance (accessed 2026-07-26).
- Louisiana Supreme Court District Court Rule 8.0 — Appendix 8.0 IFP request. Official current rules (accessed 2026-07-26).
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — current $265 example. Official fee schedule (accessed 2026-07-26).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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