Massachusetts: Adult Legal Name Change Requirements
The short answer
A Massachusetts resident files notarized form CJP 27 in the Probate and Family Court for the county of residence, with certified birth and prior-name-change records. The Probation Department runs CARI and warrant checks, but the applicant supplies no fingerprints; the court may grant the petition administratively without a hearing, and the statutory standard is grant unless the change is inconsistent with public interests. Since November 25, 2025, routine publication was eliminated and new name-change files are impounded, although the court may order notice for good cause.
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This is the general rule in Massachusetts. Ezel applies current Massachusetts law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law and court | G.L. c. 210, §§ 12-14; Probate and Family Court division in the county where the petitioner resides |
|---|---|
| Who may petition and residency | Massachusetts resident age 18+ seeking own change; current county residence controls venue. No minimum residence duration stated (G.L. c. 210, § 12; Practice XXXV(a); CJP 27) |
| Petition contents and oath | Notarized CJP 27: current name, birth place/date, residence/mailing/contact facts, prior legal changes and aliases, proposed name and reason, CARI/WMS authorization, and certification of no out-of-state conviction/probation/parole record; certified birth record and prior-change records required |
| Criminal background check | Mandatory internal Probation Department CARI and Warrant Management System check for every subject age 12+; adult submits CJP 34 authorization. No petitioner fingerprints or separate FBI report (Practice XXXV(f); CJP 27) |
| Publication or notice | No routine publication since Nov. 25, 2025. For good cause, court may issue an order/citation requiring public or interested-party notice; ordered newspaper notice is at least 7 days before return date, with proof filed before allowance (G.L. c. 210, § 13(a); Practice XXXV(g)-(j)) |
| Safety, confidentiality, and special tracks | Petition and connected papers/docket entries are automatically segregated and unavailable for inspection unless petitioner requests or court orders access for good cause; case caption and docket number remain visible. Applies generally, not only to a safety category (G.L. c. 210, § 13(b); Practice XXXV(e)) |
| Hearing and grant standard | Court may decree administratively without citation or hearing; after ordered notice and no objection, it may still act without hearing. Change shall be granted unless inconsistent with public interests (G.L. c. 210, § 12; Practice XXXV(g), (j)) |
| Grounds for denial or restriction | No categorical felony bar. Court reviews CARI/WMS under the public-interest standard; incarceration, probation, parole, sexually-dangerous-person commitment, or DYS custody are examples of good cause for notice to agencies/prosecutors, not automatic denial |
| Fee and post-order effect | $165 total ($150 filing + $15 surcharge); additional $15 citation fee if notice ordered; G.L. c. 261 indigency waiver available. Decree establishes legal name and certified decree issues; register reports granted changes to Vital Records and Probation |
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Requirements one by one
File in the county Probate and Family Court
Under § 12 and Uniform Practice XXXV(a), a Massachusetts resident files in
the Probate and Family Court division for the county where the petitioner
currently lives. The law and current form state no minimum period of residence.
Form CJP 27 is for an adult age 18 or older.
Use the notarized official form and certified records
Current CJP 27 asks for the petitioner's current legal name, birth place and
date, residence and contact details, prior legal name changes, aliases, proposed
name, and reason. It also authorizes CARI and warrant checks and requires a
certification about out-of-state convictions, probation, or parole.
The petitioner signs before a notary. Under § 13(a), a certified birth
record must be filed before decree, along with the applicable prior decree,
amended birth record, or marriage record. The judge may excuse an unobtainable
record.
Probation performs the background review
Uniform Practice XXXV(f) requires the Probation Department to run a Court
Activity Record Information, or CARI, check and a Warrant Management System
check for every name-change subject age 12 or older. The adult signs CJP 27 and
submits release form CJP 34. There is no petitioner fingerprint card or separate
FBI report.
Publication is exceptional, not routine
Since November 25, 2025, § 13(a) allows the court to require public notice
only “for good cause shown.” After administrative review, the court may decree
the change with no citation or hearing. If the court issues an order of notice,
the citation controls public and interested-party service; ordered newspaper
publication must occur at least seven days before the return date, and proof of
notice must be filed before allowance.
Incarceration, probation, parole, sexually-dangerous-person commitment, and DYS
custody are examples of good cause for notice. The court may direct certified-
mail notice to corrections, parole, DYS, the Sex Offender Registry Board,
prosecutors, or sheriffs.
New petitions receive general confidentiality
Current § 13(b) makes the petition, connected papers, and permanent docket
entries unavailable for inspection unless the petitioner requests access or
the court orders otherwise for good cause. Practice XXXV says the materials are
segregated, but the case caption and docket number are not impounded.
This is a general rule for petitions filed on or after November 25, 2025, not a
safety-only or gender-identity-only track.
The court may decide without a hearing
The statewide rule is administrative review first. The court may issue the
decree without a citation or hearing. Even when notice was ordered, no objection
plus proper proof of service can lead to a decision without a hearing.
The grant standard in § 12 is direct: the change “shall be granted unless”
it is inconsistent with public interests. Criminal history is reviewed through
CARI/WMS, but the statute contains no categorical felony bar.
The filing fee is $165, with waiver available
The current total is $165: a $150 filing fee plus $15 surcharge. If the
court orders a citation, another $15 is charged. A qualifying petitioner may
file an Affidavit of Indigency for waiver under chapter 261. Optional e-filing
has a separate platform fee.
If granted, § 13(a) makes the decreed name the petitioner's legal name. A
certified decree issues; the register may also issue a sealed certificate. The
register reports granted changes to Vital Records and the Commissioner of
Probation.
What trips people up
- Old Massachusetts instructions are stale. Routine publication ended
November 25, 2025; publication now requires a good-cause order. - Impoundment is broad but not total. Filed materials and docket entries are
protected, while the caption and docket number remain visible. - The background check is court-run. The applicant authorizes CARI/WMS; no
fingerprint package is submitted. - A hearing is not automatic. Administrative decree without appearance is
expressly available.
Common questions
Must I publish in a newspaper?
Usually no. The court may order publication for good cause; if it does, follow
the citation's newspaper and timing instructions.
Are the records public?
The petition, connected documents, and permanent docket entries are generally
unavailable for inspection. The caption and docket number are not impounded.
Do I need fingerprints?
No. The Probation Department performs CARI and warrant checks after the adult
authorizes them on the required forms.
Will I have to attend a hearing?
Not necessarily. The court may grant the petition administratively without a
hearing, including after ordered notice when no objection is filed and service
is proved.
Statutes and sources
- G.L. c. 210, § 12 — county residence jurisdiction and grant-unless-
inconsistent-with-public-interests standard. Official Massachusetts Courts
law summary
(accessed 2026-07-26). - G.L. c. 210, § 13(a)-(b) — probation report, exceptional good-cause
notice, legal effect, record prerequisites, and general confidentiality.
Official current section
(accessed 2026-07-26). - Uniform Probate and Family Court Practice XXXV — current CARI/WMS,
administrative review, notice, impoundment, hearing, decree, and agency-
reporting procedure. Official practice effective January 6,
2026
(accessed 2026-07-26). - CJP 27 and adult filing guidance — current notarized form fields, records,
$165 fee, possible $15 citation charge, indigency waiver, and filing options.
Official CJP 27
and adult procedure
(accessed 2026-07-26).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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