Connecticut Name Change Petition

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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).

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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)).

6. 6

   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)).

7. 7

   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.

Connecticut Requirements for Name Change Petition

• Court of Probate (Concurrent With Superior Court)

  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.

• File in Your District of Residence

  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.

• No Newspaper Publication Required

  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.

• Present Name and Proposed New Name

  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).

• Good Faith and No Fraud

  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).

• Offender Notification and Sworn Statement

  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)).

• Commissioner Standing and Court Discretion to Deny

  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)).

• Fee, Certified Copies, and Updating Records

  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.