Vermont: Adult Legal Name Change Requirements

Requirements one by one

File the current adult form where you live

Under § 811, a person “of age and sound mind” uses a signed, sealed, and
acknowledged name-change instrument before the Probate Division judge. Section
813 places the filing in the probate district where the adult resides. The
current Judiciary page translates that into the Probate Division of the Superior
Court for the county of legal physical residence and identifies current form
700-00122.

The June 2026 form asks for the current full legal name, place and date of birth,
requested first, middle, and last names, town of legal physical residence,
contact details, and whether the adult wants a Vermont birth certificate changed.
The adult signs a penalty-of-perjury declaration. The judge's acknowledgment may
occur by personal appearance or virtual video.

Do not add publication or broad criminal-history paperwork

Current Chapter 13, form 700-00122, and the Judiciary's adult filing steps do
not require newspaper publication, public posting, prosecutor service,
fingerprints, a general criminal-history report, conviction disclosures, or a
corrections clearance. The current adult route is not the minor procedure, where
service questions can arise when a parent does not consent.

The same current sources state no name-change-specific safety sealing,
publication-waiver, or separate gender-identity track. General court-record
rules may still apply, and a gender-marker change follows a separate process.

The court performs the Sex Offender Registry check

Section 817 requires the Probate Court to ask the Department of Public
Safety whether the adult appears on the Sex Offender Registry. The adult does
not obtain fingerprints or a registry report for filing. If the result is
positive, the court must permit the Department to appear and cannot grant the
change without finding a compelling purpose.

This is a heightened route, not a categorical ban. Chapter 13 and current form
700-00122 state no separate felony, incarceration, probation, parole, debt,
judgment, lien, or general criminal-record restriction.

Attend the scheduled hearing and obtain the order

The current Judiciary page says the court schedules a hearing and mails the
date. Chapter 13 states no separate ordinary fraud or public-interest test; the
ordinary statutory route is the acknowledged instrument of an adult of age and
sound mind. A positive Registry result adds the compelling-purpose standard in
§ 817.

If granted, the order establishes the new legal name. The adult is responsible
for notifying agencies and other institutions; the court does not automatically
update every outside record.

Pay $150 or request a waiver

The current Judiciary page sets the filing fee at $150 and links the ordinary
application to waive filing fees and service costs. It also warns that the local
court may require a certified birth certificate and photo identification, so
the adult should confirm those filing attachments with the clerk.

Under § 816, an adult may separately give the State Registrar a birth
certificate and certified name-change decree and request amendment. The amended
Vermont certificate is marked “Court Amended.”

What trips people up

• Use current form 700-00122. The former “PC 122” label is outdated.
• Do not arrange newspaper publication for the ordinary adult case. Current
  official sources contain no such step.
• The judge acknowledgment is part of the instrument. The current form
  provides for personal appearance or virtual video.
• A Registry match is not an automatic denial. It triggers Department of
  Public Safety participation and a compelling-purpose finding.

Common questions

May I file by email?

Yes. The current Judiciary page permits filing in person, by mail, or by email;
follow the court's current filing procedures.

Will the clerk require my birth certificate and photo ID?

Possibly. The Judiciary says those documents may be required and directs adults
to ask the filing court about its attachments.

Does the court notify every agency after the order?

No. The adult is responsible for notifying other institutions. A Vermont birth-
certificate amendment is a separate request supported by the certified decree.

Statutes and sources

• 15 V.S.A. §§ 811, 813, 816, and 817 — adult procedure and court,
  residence filing, birth-certificate amendment, and court-run Sex Offender
  Registry check. Official current Chapter
  13 (accessed July
  31, 2026).
• Vermont Judiciary, Adult Name Change — current form, filing county and
  methods, $150 fee, waiver, possible attachments, hearing, and post-order
  responsibility. Official court
  page (accessed July
  31, 2026).
• Form 700-00122 (06/2026) — current petition fields, perjury declaration,
  Registry notice, and in-person or virtual-video acknowledgment. Official
  current petition
  (accessed July 31, 2026).