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Hawaii Name Change Petition

In Hawaii an adult legal name change is administrative: you file a notarized petition with the Lieutenant Governor under Section 574-5, then publish the notice once in a newspaper. Attorney review available.

Introduction

A name change petition is the document an adult files to legally change their own name, and once it is granted that new name becomes the person's legal name. In Hawaii, unlike most states, an adult legal name change is primarily an administrative process rather than a court case: you file a notarized petition with the Lieutenant Governor, who signs an order and a notice of change of name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(a)(1) and Section 574-5(b)). Hawaii still requires public notice. The notice of change of name signed by the Lieutenant Governor must be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the State, and within sixty days of the signing you must deposit an affidavit of that publication with the office, or the petition is void (Section 574-5(d)). Publication and recordation in the bureau of conveyances are waived, and the petition kept confidential, when the petition is accompanied by an affidavit from a Hawaii prosecuting attorney showing the step is not necessary for the person's protection (Section 574-5(e)). The family court, not the Lieutenant Governor, handles a name change tied to an adoption, a divorce, or a minor (Section 574-5(a)(2)). There is no requirement for a hearing before a name change is granted (Attorney General Opinion 79-5). A $50 filing fee accompanies the petition and is not refundable (Section 574-5(c)); newspaper and recordation costs are additional. After the order is signed and recorded, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Hawaii driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Hawaii name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A name change petition is the document an adult files to legally change their own name; in Hawaii, when the Lieutenant Governor signs the order, that new name becomes your legal name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5).

  2. 2

    In Hawaii an adult legal name change is primarily administrative, not a court case: you file a notarized petition with the Lieutenant Governor, who issues the order of change of name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(a)(1) and Section 574-5(b)).

  3. 3

    Publication is required. The notice of change of name signed by the Lieutenant Governor must be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the State (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)).

  4. 4

    Within sixty days of the signing you must deposit an affidavit of publication, with a newspaper clipping attached, at the office of the Lieutenant Governor, or the petition is void (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)).

  5. 5

    For safety, publication and recordation in the bureau of conveyances are waived and the petition is kept confidential when a Hawaii prosecuting attorney affidavit shows the step is not necessary for the person's protection (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(e)).

  6. 6

    There is no requirement for a hearing before a name change is granted (Attorney General Opinion 79-5, published in the Section 574-5 annotations). The family court, not the Lieutenant Governor, handles name changes tied to adoption, divorce, or a minor (Section 574-5(a)(2)).

  7. 7

    A $50 filing fee accompanies the petition and is not refundable (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(c)); newspaper publication and bureau of conveyances recordation cost extra. After the order, use certified copies to update Social Security, your Hawaii driver license or ID, and other records.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Name Change Petition in Hawaii, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Name Change Petition guide walks through them.

Open the Name Change Petition guide

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PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF HAWAII (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5)

In the Matter of the Change of Name of [CURRENT LEGAL NAME]

Petitioner respectfully states:

  1. Petitioner. Petitioner's present legal name is [CURRENT LEGAL NAME]. Petitioner resides at [STREET ADDRESS], [CITY], Hawaii [ZIP], and is over 18 years of age. Petitioner executes this petition personally, as required for an adult name change (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(b)).

  2. Present and proposed name. Petitioner asks the Lieutenant Governor to order that petitioner's name be changed from [CURRENT LEGAL NAME] to [REQUESTED NEW NAME].

  3. Reason. The reason for the requested change is [REASON, for example to use a name petitioner has long gone by, following a divorce, or to align petitioner's legal name with petitioner's identity].

  4. Lawful purpose. This petition is made in good faith. The change is not sought to defraud any creditor, to evade any legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any fraudulent or other unlawful purpose. Petitioner is not a covered offender barred from a name change under Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5 and Section 846E-2 [or, if applicable, petitioner will obtain the court determination that statute requires].

  5. Publication. Petitioner understands that after the Lieutenant Governor signs the order and a notice of change of name, petitioner must publish that notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in the State, and must deposit at the office of the Lieutenant Governor, within sixty days of the signing, an affidavit executed by an officer of the newspaper showing the notice was published, with a clipping attached, and that failure to do so voids this petition (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)).

  6. Safety exemption (if applicable). [If a Hawaii prosecuting attorney has executed an affidavit showing that, for petitioner's protection, publication in a newspaper and recordation in the bureau of conveyances are not necessary, that affidavit is attached, and petitioner asks that the petition, affidavit, and order be kept confidential under Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(e).]

WHEREFORE, petitioner asks the Lieutenant Governor to enter an order changing petitioner's name from [CURRENT LEGAL NAME] to [REQUESTED NEW NAME].

Dated: [DATE]

[CURRENT LEGAL NAME], Petitioner

VERIFICATION AND NOTARIZATION

Petitioner declares under penalty of law that the statements in this petition are true and correct. This petition must be notarized (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(b)).

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ____ day of __________, [YEAR].

Notary Public, State of Hawaii

Note: This is a Hawaii adult name change petition drawn from Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5. In Hawaii the Lieutenant Governor, not a court, grants a general adult name change; the notice must be published once in a newspaper of general circulation and an affidavit of publication filed within sixty days; a $50 filing fee applies and is not refundable, with newspaper and recordation costs extra. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor administers the process, including online at namechange.ehawaii.gov; confirm current forms and total fees with that office. For the generic template and other states, see the Name Change Petition hub.

Hawaii Requirements for Name Change Petition

Petition to the Lieutenant Governor, Not a Court

In Hawaii a general adult name change is administrative. It shall be unlawful to change a name except, among other paths, upon an order of the lieutenant governor, and the order shall be founded upon a notarized petition executed by the person desirous of making the change of name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(a)(1) and Section 574-5(b)). The family court handles name changes tied to adoption, divorce, or a minor (Section 574-5(a)(2)).

Notarized Petition Executed by the Adult

The order of change of name by the lieutenant governor shall be founded upon a notarized petition, and the petition shall be executed by the person desirous of making the change of name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(b)). An adult signs the petition personally and has it notarized.

Newspaper Publication of the Notice of Change of Name

A notice of change of name signed by the lieutenant governor shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the State, and within sixty days of the signing the petitioner shall deposit at the office of the lieutenant governor an affidavit from an officer of the newspaper showing the notice was published, with a clipping attached. Failure to deposit the affidavit of publication voids the petition (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)).

Present Name and Proposed New Name

The petition states the petitioner's present legal name and the exact new name requested, and the notice of change of name references the change from the present name to the proposed name (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(b) and Section 574-5(d)). State the current legal name and the requested new name precisely.

Reason for the Change and Residency

Give the reason for the requested change. Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5 sets no fixed durational residency period for the lieutenant governor petition; it states no minimum length of time the petitioner must have lived in Hawaii. Confirm current residency and eligibility guidance with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which administers the process.

Lawful Purpose and Sex-Offender Limit

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. No person who is a covered offender subject to the registration requirements of Section 846E-2 may obtain a lieutenant governor name change unless a court determines it is in the best interest of justice and will not adversely affect public safety (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5).

No Hearing Required

There is no requirement for a hearing before granting a name change (Attorney General Opinion 79-5, published in the annotations to Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5). The lieutenant governor grants the change on the notarized petition; the public-notice step is the newspaper publication, not a court hearing.

Safety Waiver, Recordation, and Certified Copies

When the petition is accompanied by an affidavit executed by a Hawaii prosecuting attorney showing that, for the protection of the person, publication and recordation in the bureau of conveyances are not necessary, those steps are waived and the petition, affidavit, and order are kept confidential (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(e)). Otherwise the order is recorded in the bureau of conveyances; then order certified copies to update Social Security, your Hawaii driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The $50 filing fee is not refundable (Section 574-5(c)).

Frequently Asked Questions

A name change petition in Hawaii is the document an adult files to legally change their own name. Unlike most states, Hawaii handles an adult name change administratively: you file a notarized petition with the Lieutenant Governor stating your present legal name, the new name you want, and the reason. The Lieutenant Governor signs an order and a notice of change of name, which you then publish once in a newspaper of general circulation (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5).

In Hawaii you file a notarized name change petition with the Lieutenant Governor and pay the $50 filing fee (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(b) and Section 574-5(c)). After the Lieutenant Governor signs the order, you publish the notice of change of name once in a newspaper of general circulation and deposit an affidavit of publication within sixty days, or the petition is void (Section 574-5(d)). You then use certified copies of the order to update your records.

Usually yes. In Hawaii the notice of change of name signed by the Lieutenant Governor must be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the State, and you must deposit an affidavit of that publication within sixty days of the signing or the petition is void (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)). Publication is waived when the petition is accompanied by an affidavit from a Hawaii prosecuting attorney showing it is not necessary for your protection (Section 574-5(e)).

In Hawaii the Lieutenant Governor, an administrative office, decides a general adult name change and signs the order (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(a)(1)). The family court decides a name change only when it is tied to an adoption, a divorce, or a legitimate or legitimated minor (Section 574-5(a)(2)). So for a straightforward adult name change in Hawaii you petition the Lieutenant Governor, not a court.

Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5 does not set a fixed length of time you must have lived in Hawaii before petitioning the Lieutenant Governor for a name change; the statute states no durational residency period. Because the office may apply its own eligibility guidance, confirm current residency requirements with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which administers the Hawaii name change process.

Yes. In Hawaii, when the name change petition is accompanied by an affidavit executed by a Hawaii prosecuting attorney showing that, for the protection of the person, the steps are not necessary, publication in a newspaper and recordation in the bureau of conveyances are not required, and the petition, affidavit, and order are kept confidential (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(e)).

No hearing is required. For a Hawaii adult name change through the Lieutenant Governor there is no requirement for a hearing before the name change is granted (Attorney General Opinion 79-5, published in the annotations to Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5). The Lieutenant Governor grants the change on the notarized petition, and the public-notice step is the newspaper publication, not a court hearing.

After the Lieutenant Governor signs your Hawaii order of change of name, publish the notice once in a newspaper of general circulation and deposit the affidavit of publication within sixty days (Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 574-5(d)). The order is recorded in the bureau of conveyances unless waived for safety (Section 574-5(e)). Then order certified copies and use them to update Social Security first, then your Hawaii driver license or ID, your passport, and other accounts.