Alaska Name Change Petition
In Alaska an adult files a name change petition in the Superior Court, and the court posts notice of the hearing on its legal notice website for four weeks instead of requiring newspaper publication. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally take a new name, and Alaska grants it without newspaper publication, posting notice of your hearing on the Alaska Court System legal notice website for four consecutive weeks instead. In Alaska you file the petition in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska, at the nearest court where you live (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010 and Alaska Civil Rule 84). Alaska does not make you publish your name change in a newspaper for a general adult change. Instead, the court automatically posts notice of your hearing on the Alaska Court System legal notice website once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing, and posts the notice of judgment for one week after the change is granted (Alaska Civil Rule 84). Newspaper publication is required only if the court specifically orders it. If this public posting raises personal-safety concerns, you can ask the judge to waive it by filing a Request to Waive Posting (form CIV-708). The judge grants the change if the court finds sufficient reasons for it and finds it consistent with the public interest, and the petition states that the change is not to avoid debts or obligations, hinder law enforcement, or defraud anyone (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010). A hearing is held and is usually short and informal. After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Alaska driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. DocDraft builds your Alaska name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
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Key Things to Know
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A name change petition lets an adult take a new legal name by court order; in Alaska the Superior Court, not a newspaper, gives notice by posting your hearing online once a week for four consecutive weeks before signing that order.
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You file the petition in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska, at the nearest court where you live. Alaska sets no fixed durational residency period; the statute and Civil Rule 84 do not require you to have lived in the state for a set time before filing (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010 and Alaska Civil Rule 84).
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Alaska does not require newspaper publication for a general adult name change. The court automatically posts notice of your hearing on the Alaska Court System legal notice website once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing; newspaper publication is required only if the court orders it (Alaska Civil Rule 84).
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If the public posting raises personal-safety concerns, you can ask the judge to waive it by filing a Request to Waive Posting (form CIV-708).
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The judge grants the change if the court finds sufficient reasons for it and finds it consistent with the public interest. The petition states the change is not to avoid judgments, debts, or obligations, hinder or obstruct law enforcement, or defraud anyone (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010).
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A hearing is held and is usually short and informal. After the change is granted, the court posts the notice of judgment on its legal notice website for one week (Alaska Civil Rule 84).
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After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk to update Social Security, your Alaska driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by Alaska Administrative Rule 9(b); confirm the current amount with the clerk, and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Alaska, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Name Change Petition guide walks through them.
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Alaska Requirements for Name Change Petition
Superior Court for the State of Alaska
An adult name change in Alaska is filed in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska. By statute, a person may bring an action for change of name in the superior court, and the change may not be made unless the court finds sufficient reasons for the change and finds it consistent with the public interest (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010(a)). The Petition for Change of Name is form CIV-700.
Where to File and No Durational Residency
File at the nearest court where you live. Alaska sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; neither Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010 nor Alaska Civil Rule 84 requires you to have lived in the state or a judicial district for a set number of months before filing.
Online Posting of the Notice, Not Newspaper Publication
Alaska does not require newspaper publication for a general adult name change. The court automatically posts notice of the hearing on the Alaska Court System legal notice website once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing, and posts the notice of judgment for one week after the change is granted (Alaska Civil Rule 84). Newspaper publication once each week for four consecutive weeks is required only if the court specifically orders it.
Present Name and Proposed New Name
The petition states your present legal name and the exact new name you want to take and be legally known by, along with your address (Alaska Court System form CIV-700). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its order.
Reason and Public-Interest Standard
The petition states the reasons for the requested change. The court may not grant the change unless it finds sufficient reasons for it and finds it consistent with the public interest (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010(a)).
Good Faith and No Fraud
The petition states that the name change is not to avoid judgments, debts, or obligations, is not intended to hinder or obstruct law enforcement, and would not defraud anyone or interfere with another person's rights (Alaska Court System form CIV-700). For a petitioner in custody, on probation or parole, required to register as a sex offender, or charged with an offense, the court may not grant the change unless it finds no fraudulent purpose, no intent to hinder law enforcement, and no interference with the rights of others (Alaska Statutes Section 09.55.010(b) and (c)).
Hearing and Notice of Judgment
An adult name change in Alaska includes a court hearing, which is usually short and fairly informal. At the hearing the judge grants the change if the court finds sufficient reasons for it and finds it consistent with the public interest. After the change is granted, the court posts the notice of judgment on its legal notice website for one week (Alaska Civil Rule 84).
Certified Copies, Safety Waiver, and Filing Fee
After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Alaska driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. If the public posting raises personal-safety concerns, ask the judge to waive it by filing a Request to Waive Posting (form CIV-708). The filing fee is set by Alaska Administrative Rule 9(b); confirm the current amount with the clerk, and a fee waiver is available.