Oregon: Adult Legal Name Change Requirements

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notice route that appears in outdated instructions and forms.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).