Connecticut Name Change Petition
In Connecticut an adult files a name change application in the Court of Probate for the district where they live, and no newspaper publication is required by statute. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and once the court grants the change by decree the new name becomes the person's legal name. In Connecticut you file the application in the Court of Probate, which has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court to grant a change of name (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11); the Probate Court is the usual venue, and you file in the district where you reside. Connecticut does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change: Section 45a-99 sets no publication step. The statute does add a safeguard for public safety: a person required to register as a sexual offender or as an offender convicted of a crime with a deadly weapon must notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection before filing and swear the change is not sought to avoid the legal consequences of a conviction (Section 45a-99(b)). After the decree is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Connecticut driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Connecticut 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 is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name; when the court grants the change by decree, that new name becomes your legal name.
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You file the application in the Court of Probate, which has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court to grant a change of name (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11).
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Connecticut does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. Section 45a-99 sets no publication step, so there is no publish-before-hearing cost or delay.
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You file in the Probate Court for the district where you reside; the Probate Court is the usual and more convenient venue for a straightforward adult name change.
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A person required to register as a sexual offender, or as an offender convicted of a crime with a deadly weapon, must notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection before filing and include a sworn statement that the change is not sought to avoid the legal consequences of a conviction (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99(b)).
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The Commissioner has standing, through the Attorney General, to challenge such an application, and the Court of Probate may deny it if it finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the change is sought to avoid the legal consequences of a conviction (Section 45a-99(b)).
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After the decree is signed, order certified copies from the court to update Social Security, your Connecticut driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The Probate Court fee is set by a statutory schedule; confirm the current fee, and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Connecticut, 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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Connecticut Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Connecticut is filed in the Court of Probate, which has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court to grant a change of name (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11). The Probate Court is the usual and more convenient venue for a straightforward adult name change.
You file in the Court of Probate for the district where you reside, or, if you use the Superior Court, in the judicial district where you reside (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11). The requirement is grounded on filing where you live rather than a fixed number of months of residency; confirm your district with the Probate Court.
Connecticut does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The change-of-name statute, Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, sets no publication step for the Court of Probate process, so there is no publish-before-hearing cost or publication-based waiting period.
The application must state your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting, along with the reason for the change. The Court of Probate changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its decree (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99).
State that the change is made in good faith and not to defraud a creditor, evade a legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any unlawful purpose. This supports the Court of Probate in granting the change by decree (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99).
A person required to register as a sexual offender, or as an offender convicted of a crime with a deadly weapon, must, before filing, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection and include a sworn statement that the change is not sought to avoid the legal consequences of a criminal conviction (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99(b)).
The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection has standing, through the Attorney General, to challenge such an application, and the Court of Probate may deny it if it finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the change is sought to avoid the legal consequences of a criminal conviction (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99(b)).
The Probate Court fee is set by a statutory schedule; confirm the current change-of-name fee with the Probate Court, and a fee waiver is available. After the decree is signed, order certified copies to update Social Security, your Connecticut driver license or ID, your passport, and other records.
Frequently Asked Questions
A name change petition is the court document an adult files in Connecticut to legally change their own name. You file an application in the Court of Probate stating your present legal name and the new name you want, give the reason, and swear the change is not to defraud anyone or evade the law. The Court of Probate has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court to grant the change, and when the court signs the decree the new name becomes your legal name (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99).
In Connecticut you file an Application for Change of Name in the Court of Probate for the district where you reside, pay the fee or request a waiver, and confirm the required statements about your identity and good faith (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99). Connecticut does not require newspaper publication, so there is no publish-before-hearing step. When the court grants the change, it signs a decree, and you then use certified copies to update Social Security, your driver license, and other records.
No. Connecticut does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The change-of-name statute, Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, sets no newspaper-publication step for the Court of Probate process. Because there is no public-notice-by-newspaper requirement, a Connecticut adult name change does not carry a publication cost or a publication-based waiting period.
An adult name change in Connecticut is heard by the Court of Probate, which has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court to grant a change of name (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11). The Probate Court is the usual and more convenient venue for a straightforward adult name change, and you file in the district where you reside.
You file your Connecticut name change in the Court of Probate for the district where you reside, or, if you use the Superior Court, in the judicial district where you reside (Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, referencing Section 52-11). The statute is grounded on filing in the district where you live rather than a fixed number of months of residency; confirm your district and any local practice with the Probate Court.
The Court of Probate reviews your application and may hold a short hearing before granting the change by decree. For most adults the process is straightforward. If an objection is raised, or in the offender cases described in Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99(b) where the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may challenge the application, the court will consider the objection before deciding. Confirm the hearing practice with your Probate Court.
Yes. Under Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99(b), a person required to register as a sexual offender, or as an offender convicted of a crime with a deadly weapon, must notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection before filing and swear the change is not sought to avoid the legal consequences of a conviction. The Commissioner may challenge the application through the Attorney General, and the Court of Probate may deny it if it finds the change is sought to avoid those consequences.
Once the Court of Probate signs the decree changing your name, order several certified copies from the court. Use them to update your Social Security record first, then your Connecticut driver license or ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. Each agency has its own process, but the certified decree is the document that proves your new legal name. Keep at least one certified copy for your records.