Change your legal name without setting foot in court
Your hearing is a non-appearance hearing — you do not go to court. We prepare the petition, you e-sign it from your phone, we file it with your county court, and you publish your notice with a journal from the list we give you. $500 plus $450 in court and e-filing fees, and you can do the whole thing from another state or another country.
How does an adult name change work in California?
You file a petition with the Superior Court, publish a notice in a newspaper for four weeks, and the judge signs a decree. That decree is what the DMV, Social Security, your bank, and your passport office accept. Your hearing is a non-appearance hearing: an unopposed petition is decided on the paperwork, so you do not go to court.
The paperwork is where people get stuck: the petition, the order to show cause, the proposed decree, the proof of publication, and county-specific local forms. One wrong box and the clerk rejects the filing, and you start the calendar over. We prepare and file all of it, and give you the list of approved journals for your publication.
| What you pay | Who charges it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation and filing of your full petition | TruPoint Legal | $500 |
| Court filing and e-filing fees | Collected by TruPoint at intake | $450 |
| Newspaper publication, 4 weeks | Paid by you directly to the journal | Set by journal |
| Paid to TruPoint at intake | Service fee plus court and e-filing fees | $950 |
Each journal sets its own publication price. You contact a journal from the approved list we provide and pay it directly. Fee waivers are available from the court for low-income filers, and we can prepare that request too.
Publication, arranged directly with the journal
California requires notice of your name change to run in an approved newspaper once a week for four weeks before the hearing date. The court will not sign your decree without the proof of publication on file.
We give you the list of approved journals for your county. You contact the journal, it quotes its own price, and it runs your notice once a week for four weeks. The journal issues the proof of publication the court needs before your hearing date.
Exceptions exist. Courts can waive publication in limited circumstances, including certain safety-related and gender-identity petitions. We tell you which applies to your situation before filing.
The reasons we see every week
Misspelled or mismatched name
You have carried a misspelled or incorrect name for years, and now your birth certificate, ID, and naturalization papers do not match, so the DMV will not issue your REAL ID. A court-ordered name change ties them together.
Marriage that did not fit the form
You want a hyphenated or blended surname the marriage license process will not give you.
A name that finally matches you
Gender-identity name changes, with the option to ask the court to keep the record confidential.
Naturalization and immigrant names
Your naturalization certificate, green card, or foreign birth record carries a spelling or name order that no longer matches your other documents.
Safety and privacy
Separating yourself from an abuser or a stalker. Ask the court to seal the record.
After a divorce
Your decree restored a former name, but the judgment never said so, or you changed your mind years later.
Your name change, step by step
Ten-minute intake
Current legal name, the name you want, county, and date of birth. No payment to start.
One payment link
Our $500 fee plus $450 in court and e-filing fees, confirmed in writing with a secure payment link.
Documents prepared
Petition, order to show cause, proposed decree, and any local forms, ready in 2 to 3 business days.
You e-sign, we file
E-sign from your phone, anywhere in the world. We e-file with your county court, or file by mail in the few paper-only courts.
Publication runs 4 weeks
You contact a journal from our list. It runs your notice once a week for four weeks.
Decree signed, no court visit
Non-appearance hearing: the judge signs your decree without you going to court. We send you the signed decree, and you order certified copies directly from the court.
Total time: most California counties take 8 to 12 weeks from filing to decree, driven by the court’s calendar and the 4-week publication run, not by paperwork speed.
What a non-appearance hearing means
Your case gets a hearing date, but it is a non-appearance hearing: you do not go to court. When no one objects, the judge reviews the file and signs the decree. You stay home, or stay abroad.
If someone does object, or if the court sets an in-person date, we tell you immediately and explain your options, including referral to an attorney when the matter becomes contested.
This is also why the process works for clients living outside the United States: nothing in it requires you to be physically present in California.
The decree is step one. Then you update everything.
Your signed decree is the key document, and each agency wants its own copy. The usual order is Social Security first, then DMV, then passport, bank, employer, and school records.
You order certified copies of the decree directly from the court, by mail or online where the court offers it. If a background check or license renewal requires new fingerprints under your new name, our affiliate Fingerscan Digital handles Live Scan.
Changing your name also affects title to your home. If you own property, the recorded deed still shows your old name. A correction deed or a new deed keeps the county record consistent.
16 questions about adult name changes in California
How much does an adult name change cost in California?
TruPoint charges $500 to prepare and file the complete petition, plus $450 in court filing and e-filing fees collected at intake. Newspaper publication is paid by you directly to the approved journal you choose from our list, and each journal sets its own price.
Do I have to go to court to change my name?
No. Your hearing is a non-appearance hearing: an unopposed adult name change is decided on the paperwork, and the judge signs the decree without you going to court. If anyone files an objection, we tell you right away.
Can I change my California name while living in another country?
Yes. Nothing in the process requires you to be in California. You e-sign online wherever you are, we file with your county court, your hearing is non-appearance, and the signed decree is emailed to you.
How long does a name change take?
Most counties take 8 to 12 weeks from filing to signed decree. The four-week publication run and the court’s calendar set the pace, not the paperwork.
Why do I have to publish my name change in a newspaper?
California requires public notice so anyone with an objection can be heard. The notice runs once a week for four weeks in a court-approved newspaper, and the proof of publication must be on file before the judge signs.
Can the publication requirement be waived?
Courts can waive or seal publication in limited circumstances, including certain safety-related petitions and gender-identity name changes. We identify whether your situation qualifies before filing.
Can I change my name for gender identity reasons?
Yes, and California provides a streamlined path for it, including the ability to ask that the record stay confidential. We prepare the petition at your direction and explain the options the court offers.
Do I need a lawyer for a name change?
California does not require one for an uncontested name change. A Registered Legal Document Assistant prepares and files the documents at your direction for a published fee. If your case becomes contested, we refer you to an attorney.
Can I change my first and last name at the same time?
Yes. One petition can change your first, middle, and last name together. There is no additional charge for changing multiple parts of your name.
Can the court deny a name change?
Courts deny petitions filed to defraud creditors, to escape a criminal record, to infringe a trademark, or for a name that is obscene or misleading. Ordinary personal, family, and identity reasons are routinely granted.
What if I have a criminal record or I am on probation?
Disclosure is required, and petitions are still granted in many of these cases, but the court examines them closely. If you are required to register as a sex offender or are on parole, consult an attorney before filing.
Do I get my marriage name back through a name change case?
If you are divorcing, restoring a former name is usually part of the divorce judgment at no extra cost. A separate name-change petition is for situations where that window has closed or you want a different name entirely.
What do I do with the decree once I have it?
Update Social Security first, then the DMV, then passport, bank, employer, and school records. Order certified copies of the decree directly from the court so each agency can keep one.
Does my name change affect the deed to my house?
The recorded deed still shows your old name until a new document corrects it. Most owners record a correction deed or a new deed so title matches the decree before selling or refinancing.
Can I get a court fee waiver?
Yes, California courts waive filing fees for qualifying low-income filers. We can prepare the fee waiver request with your petition. Publication is usually still required unless the court orders otherwise.
How do I start today?
Complete the ten-minute intake form or call (408) 766-3532. We confirm your total in writing, you pay by card through a secure link, and your documents are ready in 2 to 3 business days.
Your new name, without the courtroom
$500 service fee. Petition prepared, e-signed, and filed for you. Non-appearance hearing. File from anywhere in the world.
TruPoint Legal LLC, 434 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123. TruPoint Legal is a Registered and Bonded Legal Document Assistant (LDA #268, Santa Clara County). We are not attorneys, cannot give legal advice or represent you in court, and prepare documents solely at the client’s direction. Court and e-filing fees ($450) are collected separately at intake, and publication is paid directly to the journal; neither is included in our fee.