Adult Legal Name Change Requirements in Oregon

At a glance

Requirements one by one

File in the circuit court for the county of residence

Under ORS 33.410, the name-change application belongs in the residence county's probate court or the circuit court exercising that jurisdiction. In current practice, the OJD adult packet directs a name-only petitioner to the circuit court for the county where the person lives. The statute sets no minimum residence duration.

The statewide petition accepts a person age 18 or older or a person emancipated by court order. It asks for current and requested names, all names formerly used, contact information, the applicable public-interest facts, and the basis for sealing if one applies. The petitioner signs a declaration under penalty of perjury; the statewide form does not use a notary block.

Adult publication was removed from the procedure

Current ORS 33.420(1) limits name-change notice to a minor child's parents and legal guardian. The statewide adult packet contains no newspaper publication, courthouse-posting, third-party service, or ordinary objection period. An adult name-only petitioner therefore does not follow the old public- notice route that appears in outdated instructions and forms.

No statewide fingerprint card or applicant-supplied criminal-record report is required. The statewide form instead asks whether the petitioner is currently on probation, parole, or post-prison supervision and whether sex-offender registration is required. Local additions remain possible: Lane County's current supplement asks the petitioner to disclose convictions.

The ordinary decision is ex parte under a public-interest test

The statewide proposed judgment is submitted ex parte, meaning without an opposing party appearing. Washington County's current instructions expressly say the petitioner does not appear or have a hearing. The statewide statute sets no mandatory adult hearing or waiting period, though a judge may require more information in a particular case.

ORS 33.410 directs the court to grant the name change unless it finds the change is not consistent with the public interest. The statewide form therefore asks for explanations concerning child-support arrears or a current support order, protective, stalking, or restraining orders, current supervision, sex-offender registration, and prior names. Those disclosures are not categorical bars; they give the court information for the statutory public-interest decision.

Two statutory sealing routes are narrow and different

For a name-change case, a certified adult participant in Oregon's Address Confidentiality Program may request sealing under ORS 33.420(3)(a). The court must seal the record unless it enters an order finding statutory good cause not to do so. The ordinary name-only applicant has no general safety- sealing option in this chapter.

Oregon separately allows a person to request a name change and legal-sex change in the same proceeding under ORS 33.460(3). If that applicant asks to seal the legal-sex-change case, ORS 33.420(4) requires sealing. A combined legal- sex request is optional and distinct from the ordinary name-only filing.

The filing fee can be waived or deferred

ORS 21.135 sets a $124 filing fee for an ORS 33.410 name-change application. Under ORS 21.682, a judge may waive or defer all or part of the fees and court costs upon finding that the party cannot pay them.

The judgment is effective when entered in the court record. The court does not automatically update the petitioner's other state or federal records; the petitioner obtains and supplies the signed or certified judgment as each record holder requires.

What trips people up

• Old Oregon packets still describe public posting. Current § 33.420 limits name-change notice to minor cases; the adult packet has no publication step.
• The public-interest boxes are disclosures, not automatic denials. The statute still uses one grant standard: grant unless inconsistent with the public interest.
• Name-only sealing is limited. The Chapter 33 route applies to a certified adult Address Confidentiality Program participant, not every generalized safety concern.
• Local forms can add information. Lane County's supplement asks conviction questions even though the statewide packet requires no background report.

Common questions

Must I publish or post notice?

No for the ordinary adult petition. Current ORS 33.420's name-change notice rule is for a minor child's parents and guardian.

Is a hearing mandatory?

No statewide adult hearing is required. The proposed judgment is submitted ex parte, and Washington County expressly uses a no-hearing papers process.

Does a criminal record automatically bar a name change?

Chapter 33 creates no categorical felony, incarceration, supervision, or registry bar. The court applies the public-interest standard, and the current forms require relevant disclosures.

Can I combine a name change with a legal-sex change?

Yes. ORS 33.460(3) allows both in one proceeding. The legal-sex-change portion has its own sealing rule when sealing is requested.

Statutes and sources

• ORS 33.410 — court, residence venue, and public-interest standard; ORS 33.420 — minor-only notice and the two sealing routes; ORS 33.460(3) — combined name/legal-sex proceeding. Official current Chapter 33 (accessed 2026-07-26).
• ORS 21.135 and 21.682 — $124 filing fee and waiver or deferral. Official current Chapter 21 (accessed 2026-07-26).
• Oregon Judicial Department adult packet — eligibility, contents, disclosures, perjury declaration, sealing requests, and ex parte judgment. Official statewide packet (accessed 2026-07-26).
• OJD local instructions — no-hearing practice, judgment effect, agency updates, and local conviction supplement. Washington County instructions; Lane County supplement (accessed 2026-07-26).