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Overview of Name Changes

Overview of Name Changes

Any person who wants to change their name can do so by filing a petition with the court. The petition should be filed in the county where the person lives. There are different requirements depending on whether the name change is for an adult or for a child.  
 

Requirements for a Name Change

The legal requirements for name changes can be found in NRS 41.270-.298. The basic requirements are:

For Adults:

  • You must list your current name, the new name you wish to take, and the reasons for the change.
  • You must disclose any felony convictions to the court.  If you have been convicted of a felony, you will need to get fingerprinted and submit your fingerprints to the Court with the name change forms.  If the name change is granted, the court will submit a copy of the name change order to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History for inclusion in your criminal record.
  • You must publish a notice of the proposed name change one time in a newspaper in Clark County.  (If you are changing your name for gender identity reasons, you do not have to do this.)  If you believe that publishing your proposed name change would put your safety at risk, you can ask the court to waive the publication requirement.

For Children:

  • A parent must apply for a name change on behalf of a child.
  • If a child is age 14 or older, the child must consent to the name change. 
  • The parents must explain the child's current name, new name requested, and the reasons for the change.
  • Usually, both parents must consent to a child's name change.  Only one parent's consent is required if the other parent is deceased, had their parental rights terminated, or has no legal rights regarding the child.
  • Any parent who will not consent to the name change must be served with copies of the papers asking for the child's name change.  That parent can object to the name change. If the other parent cannot be found, the petitioning parent can request permission from the court to put a notice in a newspaper instead.
     

After a Name Change

Getting a court order for a name change does not automatically change your name with government agencies, banks, the DMV, etc..  After you get your court order, you will need to contact each office to change your name.  Most will want to see a certified copy of the name change order before changing your name on their records.  You can get a certified copy of your order by visiting the Clerk of Court's Records Department.

You can request a new birth certificate to be issued with the new name as part of your final name change order.  If so, you will need to contact the vital records department where you were born to find out their requirements.  If you were born in Nevada, please see the Nevada Office of Vital Statistics to find out how to get your birth certificate changed.