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Nevada Name Change Forms | Petition

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Nevada Name Change Forms | Petition

Updated August 14, 2023

Nevada name change forms are used by residents to legally change their name for reasons other than marriage or divorce. These forms must be filed with the district court of the county in which the petitioner resides. In most cases, as a part of the name change process, the petitioner must publish notice of their name change in a local newspaper.

Name Change After Marriage

When getting married, a person can adopt their spouse’s surname or a conjoined last name. To do so, they can indicate their new surname on the marriage license application. Once the ceremony has been performed, the married couple can obtain certified copies of the marriage certificate from the County Recorder’s office. This document serves as official proof of the legal name change and can be used when updating identification documents.

Name Change After Divorce

During a divorce, female residents of Nevada can change their name as a part of their divorce’s legal proceedings. Indicate the desired name change on the marital settlement agreement and petition for divorce. If the judge approves the name change, it will be indicated in the divorce decree. The individual should obtain certified copies of the decree from the County Recorder’s office to use as legal proof of name change.

How to Change Your Name (9 steps)

  1. Determine How You Will File
  2. Prepare Your Documents
  3. Get Fingerprinted (If Required)
  4. Pay or Waive the Filing Fee
  5. File Your Petition with the Clerk
  6. Publish Notice of Petition for Change of Name
  7. Complete the Order for Change of Name
  8. Attend Your Hearing (If Required)
  9. Get Certified Copies

1. Determine How You Will File

Nevada allows individuals to file name change documents in one of three ways:

  • eFile
  • By mail
  • In-person

Each has benefits and drawbacks. You will need to determine which method best suits your needs. These instructions focus on filing in-person, at a courthouse.

To eFile, follow the instructions in the eFiling Guide provided by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.

To file by mail, contact the Family Law Self Help Center for details.

2. Prepare Your Documents

Download and complete the following forms:

The Petition for Change of Name must be notarized. Do not sign or date this document until the notary instructs you to do so. Banks, post offices, and mailbox stores usually provide this service for a small fee.

Make a copy of each form for your personal records. If you file them in person, you can ask the clerk to stamp your copies as “filed.”

3. Get Fingerprinted (If Required)

If you have a felony conviction, you must disclose this on your Petition for Change of Name and you will be required to submit fingerprints with your name change documents. You can have your fingerprints taken at a Law Enforcement Fingerprint Site or a Private Fingerprint Site. It is recommended that you contact the site of your choice to confirm whether or not an appointment is necessary and what the fees will be.

If your name change is granted, the court will forward a copy of the order and your fingerprints to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History to be included in your criminal history.[1]

4. Pay or Waive the Filing Fee

When you file your name change documents at the district court in the county where you live, you will be required to pay a filing fee. Fees may vary by county.If you cannot afford the filing fee, you can request a fee waiver by completing a Standard Application to Waive Filing Fee (Application to Proceed in Forma Pauperis) and a Standard Order to Waive Filing Fee (Order to Proceed in Forma Pauperis) and give them to the clerk when you file your name change documents (Step 5).

Fee waivers may be granted if:

  • You receive public assistance
  • Your basic monthly expenses are more than your income
  • Your household income is less than 150% of the federal poverty level, or
  • You have another compelling reason

5. File Your Petition with the Clerk

File the following forms with the Clerk of Court:

  • Family Court Cover Sheet
  • Petition for Change of Name
  • Request for Summary Disposition

Be sure to bring your personal copies of the completed documents and ask the clerk to stamp them as “filed.” Keep these for your personal records.

6. Publish a Notice of Petition for Change of Name

At this time, complete the Notice of Petition for Change of Name. Contact a local newspaper with general circulation in the same county where you filed your documents. Notice of your name change must be published at least once.[2]
The cost to complete this step will vary by newspaper.

After publication has been completed, the newspaper will prepare an Affidavit of Publication which must also be filed with the Clerk of Court as proof that publication was completed. If the newspaper does not send the Affidavit of Publication directly to the court, you are required to obtain a copy from them and file it with the clerk yourself. Be sure to confirm this with the newspaper’s staff.

If publishing a notice of your name change would put you in danger, skip this step. Instead, file both the Ex Parte Motion to Waive Publication and Seal File and the Order to Waive Publication and Seal File at the same time that you file your name change documents with the Clerk of Court (Step 6).[3]

If you are changing your name in connection with a change of gender, you may skip this step without submitting any additional forms.[4]

7. Submit the Order for Change of Name

You must wait at least ten days after your Notice of Petition for Change of Name is published before you may proceed. After ten days, you may complete and submit the Order for Change of Name to the department handling your case. If approved, this is the document that the judge will sign, and will serve as legal proof of your name change. If you aren’t sure which department to submit it to, the district court can provide assistance.

8. Attend Your Hearing (If Required)

If there are any objections to your name change or if the judge feels that more information is needed, a court date will be set for your hearing. On the date of your hearing, bring an extra copy of the Order for Change of Name. You will likely be called to testify and after considering the evidence, the judge will make a decision. If your name change is approved, the judge will sign the Order for Change of Name.

9. Get Certified Copies

With a hearing. If the hearing results in approval of your name change, the judge will sign the order, making your name change official. Either you or a court staff member will take the order to the clerk to be filed. At this time, you will be able to ask for certified copies of the order.

Without a hearing. Upon review, if there are no issues, the judge will sign your order, making your name change official. If you have made the appropriate arrangements, you will receive your copies in the mail. Otherwise, contact the Clerk of Court’s Records Department to obtain certified copies.

Unless you have an approved fee waiver, the court will typically charge a small fee for each copy. It is recommended that you get at least three to four certified copies.

Social Security

The Social Security Administration website provides information about which documents are required to update your Social Security card. Broadly speaking, they require that you provide proof of the following:

  • Citizenship
  • Age
  • Identity

They also provide detailed instructions about available methods to accomplish the update.

Driver’s License

To change the name on your driver’s license, visit your local DMV office with the following documents:[5]

  • Your current driver’s license
  • Your updated Social Security card
  • Proof of name change (certified copy of court order, divorce decree, or marriage certificate)

The fee for changing your name is $8.25 for a non-commercial license, $7.25 for an ID card, and $12.25 for a commercial license.[6]

Voter Registration

After your name has been legally changed, you will need to update your voter registration to vote using your new identity. This can be completed online or by using the Voter Registration Form, which must be mailed or delivered in person to your local county clerk/registrar.

Sources

  1. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41.290(3)
  2. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41.280(1)(b)
  3. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41.280(2)
  4. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41.280(3)
  5. Nevada DMV: Name Changes
  6. Nevada DMV: Name Changes