Colorado Name Change Petition
In Colorado an adult files a name change petition in the district or county court of the county where they live, submits a fingerprint-based criminal history check, and publishes public notice three times in 21 days unless the court waives it. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally take a new name, and Colorado adds a step most states skip: an adult over fourteen must submit a fingerprint-based criminal history check from the CBI and FBI before the court will order the change. In Colorado you file the petition in the district court or the county court of the county where you live, and you confirm which court with the clerk (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101). A Colorado adult name change has a step many states do not require: if you are over fourteen, you must submit the results of a fingerprint-based criminal history record check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, taken within ninety days before you file (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). Unless the court finds good cause to excuse it, you then publish public notice of the change at least three times within twenty-one days after the court enters the order for publication (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102). Colorado does not require public notice if the change is to conform your name to your gender identity, or if you are a victim of domestic violence, child abuse, or domestic abuse (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102(2) and (4)). On proof of publication, or an order that publication is not required, the court orders the change if it is satisfied the change is proper and not detrimental to any other person. After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Colorado driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Colorado name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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A name change petition lets an adult take a new legal name by court order; Colorado is unusual in requiring a petitioner over fourteen to submit a fingerprint-based CBI and FBI criminal history check before the court grants it.
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You file the petition in the district court or the county court of the county where you live, and confirm which court with the clerk (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101).
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If you are over fourteen, you must submit a certified, fingerprint-based criminal history record check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, taken within ninety days before filing (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)).
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Unless the court finds good cause to excuse it, you publish public notice of the change at least three times within twenty-one days after the court enters the order for publication (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102(1)).
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Public notice is not required if the change is to conform your name to your gender identity (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102(4)), or if you are a victim of domestic violence, child abuse, or domestic abuse (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102(2)).
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Colorado does not require a hearing; on proof of publication, or an order that publication is not required, the court orders the change if satisfied it is proper and not detrimental to any other person (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(2)).
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After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk to update Social Security, your Colorado driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Colorado, 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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Colorado Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Colorado is filed in the district court or the county court in the county where the petitioner resides; both courts have jurisdiction, so confirm with the clerk which court that county uses (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)).
You file in the county where you reside, and the petition must include your full name, the new name desired, and a concise statement of the reason for the change (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). Colorado sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you file.
If you are over fourteen, the petition must include the results of a certified, fingerprint-based criminal history record check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted within ninety days before filing (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). You supply the fingerprints and pay for the check. This step is required in Colorado even though many states do not require it.
Unless you show good cause otherwise, the court orders you to publish public notice of the change at least three times within twenty-one days after the order for publication, in a newspaper in your county (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1.5) and Section 13-15-102(1)). Publication is not required for a change conforming to gender identity (Section 13-15-102(4)) or for a victim of domestic violence, child abuse, or domestic abuse (Section 13-15-102(2)).
The verified petition must state your present full legal name, the new name you want, and a concise statement of the reason for the change (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its order.
State that the change is made in good faith, would be proper, and is not detrimental to the interests of any other person, and is not sought to defraud a creditor, evade a legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any unlawful purpose. A Colorado court shall not grant a name change to a petitioner previously convicted of a felony except through the narrow driver-license process in the statute (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(2) and (3)).
Colorado's statute does not require a hearing. On receipt of proof of publication, or an order that publication is not required, the court orders the change if it is satisfied the change would be proper and not detrimental to the interests of any other person (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(2)). Many adult name changes are granted on the papers once publication and the criminal history check are complete.
After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Colorado driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. For safety, publication is waived for a victim of domestic violence, child abuse, or domestic abuse (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102(2)), and a change conforming to gender identity is exempt from publication (Section 13-15-102(4)). The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
A name change petition is the court document an adult files in Colorado to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name and the new name you want, confirm you live in the county where you are filing, give the reason, and swear the change is proper and not to defraud anyone or evade the law. In Colorado you also submit a fingerprint-based criminal history check. After any required newspaper publication, a district or county court orders the change, which makes the new name your legal name (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101 et seq.).
In Colorado you file a Petition for Change of Name in the district court or county court of the county where you live, submit a fingerprint-based criminal history check from the CBI and FBI taken within ninety days, and pay the filing fee or request a waiver (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101). Unless the court finds good cause to excuse it, you publish public notice at least three times within twenty-one days after the order for publication (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-102). You then use certified copies of the order to update your records.
Usually yes for a general adult name change. Unless you show good cause otherwise, a Colorado court orders you to publish public notice of the change at least three times within twenty-one days after the order for publication, in a newspaper in your county (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1.5) and Section 13-15-102(1)). Publication is not required if the change is to conform your name to your gender identity (Section 13-15-102(4)), or if you are a victim of domestic violence, child abuse, or domestic abuse (Section 13-15-102(2)).
In Colorado an adult name change can be filed in either the county court or the district court, in the county where you reside (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). Both courts have jurisdiction over adult name changes, so the Colorado Judicial Branch advises checking with the clerk when you file to confirm which court that county uses. Filing in the wrong county can delay your case, so file where you live.
Yes. If you are over fourteen, a Colorado name change petition must include the results of a certified, fingerprint-based criminal history record check from both the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted within ninety days before you file (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). You supply your fingerprints and pay for the check. This requirement sets Colorado apart from many states that do not require a background check for an adult name change.
Colorado requires you to file in the district or county court of the county where you reside (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(1)). The statute does not set a fixed number of months you must have lived in Colorado or the county before filing; the key requirement is that you reside in the county where you file. If you have recently moved, file in your new county of residence and be ready to show your current address.
Usually no. Colorado's name change statute does not require a hearing. On receipt of proof of publication, or an order that publication is not required, the court orders the change if it is satisfied the change would be proper and not detrimental to the interests of any other person (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-15-101(2)). Because the process is documentary, many Colorado adult name changes are granted on the papers once publication and the criminal history check are complete.
Once the Colorado court signs the order changing your name, order several certified copies from the court clerk. Use them to update your Social Security record first, then your Colorado driver license or ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. Each agency has its own process, but the certified order is the document that proves your new legal name. Keep at least one certified copy for your records.