Change Your Name in New Jersey

There are many reasons why you might wish to change your name. It may be that you have just gotten married or divorced, or you might have another personal reason why you want a name other than the one with which you were born. In any case, changing your name in the State of New Jersey is a relatively simple process that can be completed in a fairly short period of time.

Steps

Changing Your Name as an Adult

  1. Download, complete, and sign the name change packet. The New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts has prepared forms for unrepresented persons to file with the court and request a name change. Visit their website and download the name change packet.[1]This packet provides most of the forms necessary for a legal name change, including:
    • Verified Complaint for Name Change and Certification – Form A provides the court with your current name, your proposed new name, your address, your date of birth, your social security number, your parents’ names, and your reason for wishing to change your name. You also must disclose if you have ever been convicted of a crime or if there are criminal charges currently pending against you.
    • Order Fixing Date of Hearing – Form B requires you to fill out some basic information about yourself, including your current name, proposed name, and complete mailing address. The court will complete the rest of the form for you, including the date, time, and location of your court hearing.
    • Final Judgment Form – Form C will be the form that the court uses to formally issue your name change. The Court will complete this form for you.
  2. Download, complete, and sign the Civil Case Information Statement, if necessary. This form must be filled out and submitted to the court if you plan representing yourself in court. You must download this form separately from the rest of the name change packet. This form summarizes your case for the court.[2]
    • For the "case type number," enter "151." This number corresponds to a request for a name change.
    • If you will be hiring an attorney, he or she will typically complete this form for you.
  3. Make sure your forms are complete. There are several additional things that you should do before actually mailing in or delivering your forms to the court. These are requirements that the court has established for requesting a name change.
    • Ensure that your forms are all printed on 8 1/2 x 11 white paper.
    • Make one copy of all of the forms for your records and one copy to include with the original forms when you file them with the court.
    • Enclose a check or money order for $250.00, made out to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey." This is a required court filing fee that anyone wishing to change his or her name must pay.
    • Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for the court to return the forms to you. Be sure you have attached adequate postage.
  4. File the forms with the Superior Court in the county in which you live. Take the forms to your local courthouse in person or submit them to the court by mail. This is the first step to processing your request for a name change.
    • The New Jersey Courts website provides the addresses of all local court branches, so you can find the address of the one nearest to you.
    • If you want to mail your forms, send them via certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you will be notified when they have arrived.
  5. Wait for a response from the court. After reviewing your documents, the court will return a copy of your Verified Complaint and Order Fixing Date of Hearing forms, completed to indicate the date you will need to appear before the court for a judgment.
    • The Court also will add a docket number to the documents. It is important to take note of this number, because you will use it every time you file documents or speak with the court to indicate which case is yours.
  6. Contact the newspaper and have your notice published. You must have the Order Fixing Date of Hearing published in the indicated newspaper at least two weeks before the date of your hearing. When your documents are returned to you by the court, information will also be provided as to the newspaper in which you should publish your notice. Contact the newspaper about their requirements and procedures for the publication of legal notices.[1]
    • The packet of forms that you previously downloaded includes a sample announcement that you can use as a model for your submission to the paper.
    • The cost of this service will vary by newspaper. In some cases, it can cost several hundred dollars.
  7. Give notice by mail to any required persons. If you have pending criminal charges in the state of New Jersey, you must notify the law enforcement agency that is prosecuting you of your intent to change your name. You must send a copy of the Verified Complaint and Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the prosecutor in the county in which your charges are pending. If the Office of the Attorney General filed the charges against you, you must send a copy of those same documents to Director of the Division of Criminal Justice, R.J. Hughes Justice Complex, 25 W Market St, PO Box 085, Trenton, NJ 08625-0085.
    • If you must give notice to these law enforcement agencies, you must mail the copies of these documents by regular mail and certified mail, return receipt requested.
    • You must mail these notices at least 20 days before your scheduled court hearing.
  8. Submit your affidavit of publication to the court. Once your notice is published, you will receive an affidavit of publication from the newspaper. Make a copy for your records and immediately send the original to the court.[1]
  9. Attend your court hearing. Appear in court on the appointed date and time of your hearing. Be sure to bring copies of your documents with you, just in case the court has any questions about whether you have complied with all of the legal requirements.
    • Be on time and dress appropriately for a court hearing.
    • Speak respectfully to the judge and respond politely to any questions that he or she may have.
  10. Publish the final judgment. Once the judge has made his decision, the final judgement will be entered into the record. Shortly thereafter, you'll receive a copy. This judgment also must be published in the newspaper within 20 days of its date. You must publish the judgment just as you did with the Order Fixing Date of Hearing.[1]
    • The version published by the newspaper should not include your social security number. Remove it from the version you send to the paper, if it has not been omitted already.
    • After the newspaper publishes the judgment, you'll receive an affidavit of publication, which you should promptly send to the court. Keep a copy of the affidavit for your records.
  11. Order two copies of your final judgment from the court. In order to officially notify other government offices of your name change, you will need two certified copies of the final judgment, which should have raised seals. [3]
    • Certified copies of your final judgment cost $25 each. The New Jersey Courts website provides a document request form to get a copies of your final judgment, which can be mailed or delivered to the Office of the Superior Court Clerk with a check or submitted in person with a cash payment. You can also email the form to SCCOMailbox@judiciary.state.nj.us.
    • Checks should be made payable to “Treasurer – State of New Jersey”.
  12. Notify other government offices of your name change. You will need to let other government agencies and offices know that you have changed your name. They will require proof of your name change in order to change your name on other official documents, including your identifying documents.[4]
    • Notify the Social Security Administration of your name change. Bring a certified copy of the final judgment and other necessary identification to get the name on your social security card changed.
    • Notify the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission of your name change. If you have a driver's license, you must notify the MVC of your name change within two weeks. Bring a certified copy of your final judgment and your current driver’s license to the MVC.
  13. Send one certified copy of your final judgment to the New Jersey Treasury Department. After your name change is issued, you have 45 days to notify the Department of Treasury by sending that department one of your certified copies. You must also include a check or money order in the amount of $50, payable to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey." Mail your judgment and the required fee to the Department of Treasury, Division of Revenue, Judgment Name Change Unit, P. O. Box 453, Trenton, NJ 08646.
  14. Send your second certified copy to the Registrar of Vital Statistics or Department of Health in the capital city of the state in which you were born. You can go online to find the address of that office and to determine whether there is a registration fee for recording your name change. If you were born in the state of New Jersey, the fee is $2.00, Your certified copy should be sent to Bureau of Vital Statistics, Attn: Record Modification Unit, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625.
    • There is an additional $27.00 fee if you wish to receive a corrected birth certificate from the state of New Jersey.

Changing Your Name Due to Marriage

  1. Change your name on your social security card. Take a copy of your marriage certificate, your old social security card, and a picture identification card, such as your driver’s license, to your local Social Security Administration office. Your marriage certificate allows you to change your name on your social security card. After submitting a short application, the Social Security Administration will mail you a new card in about 10 – 14 days.
    • The Social Security Administration does not charge for this service.
    • You do not need to take any additional actions to change your name due to marriage, such as filing a name change petition with the court.
  2. Change your name on your driver’s license or picture ID card. Once you have received your new social security card, take it to your local Motor Vehicle Commission to change your name on your driver’s license. Also bring a copy of your marriage certificate and your old driver’s license with you. The MVC will issue you a new driver’s license that reflects your new name. There is typically a small fee charged for this service.
  3. Use your new driver’s license or picture ID card to change your name as needed. Once you have your new driver’s license or picture ID card, you can use these documents, along with your new social security card and your marriage certificate to change your name with other government agencies and offices. These offices might include your health insurance company, your employer, and your doctor’s office.

Resuming the Use of Your Maiden Name Due to a Divorce

  1. Obtain a certified copy of your divorce decree. You can get a copy of your divorce decree from the court that issued the decree. The Clerk’s office in that county typically will furnish you with a certified copy. You may have to pay a small fee in order to have your decree certified.
  2. Make sure your decree restores you to your maiden name. If you request to return to using your maiden name in your divorce, the court will grant your request. There will be a provision in your divorce decree that orders your surname restored to your maiden name.
  3. Change your name on your social security card. Take a certified copy of your divorce decree, your old social security card, and a picture identification card, such as your driver’s license, to your local Social Security Administration office. Your divorce decree allows you to change your name on your social security card. After submitting a short application, the Social Security Administration will mail you a new card in about 10 – 14 days.
    • The Social Security Administration does not charge for this service.
    • You do not need to take any additional actions to change your name due to a divorce, such as filing a name change petition with the court.
  4. Change your name on your driver’s license or picture ID card. Once you have received your new social security card, take it to your local Motor Vehicle Commission to change your name on your driver’s license. Also bring a certified copy of your divorce decree and your old driver’s license with you. The MVC will issue you a new driver’s license that reflects your new name. There is typically a small fee charged for this service.
  5. Use your new driver’s license or picture ID card to change your name as needed. Once you have your new driver’s license or picture ID card, you can use these documents, along with your new social security card and your certified divorce decree to change your name with other government agencies and offices. These offices might include your health insurance company, your employer, and your doctor’s office.

Changing the Name of Your Minor Child

  1. Obtain and complete the necessary forms. The forms for changing the name of a minor child who is under the age of 18 are basically the same as they are for changing the name of an adult. The New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts has prepared forms for unrepresented persons to file with the court and request a name change for a minor child. You can access those forms on the state website.
  2. File the required forms with the Superior Court in the county in which you live. All of the same forms required for an adult’s name change must be filed for a minor’s name change. You also must pay the $250.00 filing fee, just as if you were seeking a name change for a minor.
  3. Publish notice of the proposed name change in the newspaper. You must publish notice of the pending name change complaint for a minor in the newspaper, just as you would do for an adult seeking a name change. The newspaper must publish the notice at least 20 days before the scheduled hearing. You will receive an affidavit of publication from the newspaper following publication, which you must file with the court.
  4. Send notice to the child’s other parent. If the petition is not being filed jointly by both parents and the parents do not reside together, the child’s other parent is entitled to notice of the name change petition. You must send a copy of the Verified Complaint and Order Fixing Date of Hearing, after you have received them back from the court, to the other parent at least 20 days before the hearing.
    • These documents must be sent to the child’s other parent by regular mail and by certified mail, return receipt requested.
  5. Send notice to law enforcement agencies, if necessary. Just as if an adult were seeking a name change, if a minor has pending criminal charges, or has ever been convicted of a crime, notice must be given of the name change petition to the law enforcement agency who filed the charges.
  6. Understand that the child’s other parent may object to the name change. If the other parent objects to the name change, the court will hear evidence related to the complaint and any objection filed by the other parent at the scheduled hearing.
  7. Attend the court hearing. The judge will take any evidence in support of your complaint, as well as any evidence presented by the other parent, particularly if he or she is opposing your complaint. The judge then will make a decision about whether changing the child’s name is in his or her best interest.
  8. Publish the Final Judgment. Assuming that the court grants the requested name change, you must publish the Final Judgment in the newspaper no later than 20 days after the court issues the judgment. This step gives notice that your minor child’s name has changed.
  9. Change the child’s name with other government offices as needed. You can take a certified copy of your final judgment to your local Social Security Administration office in order to request a new social security card for your child. The new card will contain the child’s new name.



Tips

  • If you can afford it, it is a good idea to get an attorney to represent you throughout this process. The workings of the legal system are complex and a lawyer can help guide you through this process more easily and protect your rights.

Warnings

  • Do not use this procedure to correct a mistake on a birth certificate or marriage license, such as an incorrect or misspelled name. Instead, contact the State Registrar of Vital Statistics to inquire about making the necessary changes.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10551_namechg_adult.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10517_ps_pkt.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/superior/copies_court_rec.htm#how
  4. ↑ http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Licenses/ident_ver_posterpint.pdf
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