New Jersey Name Change Petition
In New Jersey an adult files a verified complaint for a name change in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where they live, and no newspaper publication is required. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and once a judge signs the final judgment the new name becomes the person's legal name. In New Jersey you file a verified complaint in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where you live (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1 and New Jersey Court Rule 4:72). New Jersey does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The Supreme Court amended Rule 4:72, effective 2020, to remove the old publication step, so instead of publishing notice you mail a copy of the Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in Trenton by regular and certified mail at least 20 days before the hearing. Your complaint must state that the change is not sought to avoid or obstruct criminal prosecution, to avoid creditors, or to perpetrate a fraud, and it must disclose your date of birth, Social Security number, any prior convictions, and any pending charges, with a Certification of Confidential Information for Name Change. At the hearing the judge reviews your request and, if approved, signs the Final Judgment. After that you file the judgment with the Division of Revenue and the Registrar of Vital Statistics and use certified copies to update Social Security, your driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your New Jersey name change complaint 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; in New Jersey it is a verified complaint, and when the judge signs the Final Judgment that new name becomes your legal name.
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You file the verified complaint in the Civil Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey in the county where you live (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1 and New Jersey Court Rule 4:72).
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New Jersey does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The Supreme Court amended Rule 4:72, effective 2020, to remove the old publication step.
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Instead of publishing notice, you mail a copy of the Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in Trenton by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 20 days before the hearing.
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The complaint must state that the change is not sought to avoid or obstruct criminal prosecution, to avoid creditors, or to perpetrate a criminal or civil fraud (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1), and must disclose your date of birth, Social Security number, prior convictions, and pending charges.
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A hearing is scheduled by an Order Fixing Date of Hearing; you appear on that date and, if the judge approves, the judge signs the Final Judgment legally changing your name.
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After the Final Judgment is signed, file it with the Division of Revenue (50 dollar fee) and, in your state of birth, the Registrar of Vital Statistics (2 dollars in New Jersey), then order certified copies to update Social Security, your driver license, and other records. The filing fee is 250 dollars and a fee waiver is available if you cannot pay.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in New Jersey, 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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New Jersey Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in New Jersey is filed as a verified complaint in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where the petitioner resides. Any person may institute an action in Superior Court for authority to assume another name (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1), and the New Jersey Judiciary directs you to file in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in your county.
You must be an adult (18 or older) living in New Jersey and file in the county where you reside (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1 and New Jersey Court Rule 4:72). New Jersey sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you genuinely reside in the county where you file.
New Jersey does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The New Jersey Supreme Court amended Court Rule 4:72, effective 2020, to remove the former publication requirement, and name change records are kept out of public access. You file a Certification of Confidential Information for Name Change with your complaint.
In place of publication, after the court signs the Order Fixing Date of Hearing you mail a copy to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in Trenton, New Jersey, by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 20 days before the hearing. If you have pending charges, additional copies go to the Division of Criminal Justice and the involved law enforcement agency.
Your complaint and affidavit must state that the change is not being sought to avoid or obstruct criminal prosecution, to avoid creditors, or to perpetrate a criminal or civil fraud (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1). Providing false information in the complaint is a crime, so the statements must be complete and true.
New Jersey does not require fingerprints, but your verified complaint must disclose your date of birth, Social Security number, any prior criminal convictions, and any pending charges (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1). If you have a conviction or pending charges, the clerk forwards a copy of the judgment to the State Bureau of Identification (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-2). Sensitive details go on the Certification of Confidential Information for Name Change.
The court issues an Order Fixing Date of Hearing; you appear on that date, the judge reviews your request, and, if approved, the judge signs the Final Judgment legally changing your name (New Jersey Court Rule 4:72). The court grants the change only when it is satisfied the request is proper, so the decision rests with the judge.
After the Final Judgment is signed, file it with the Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue (50 dollar fee) and, in your state of birth, the Registrar of Vital Statistics (2 dollars in New Jersey, plus 25 dollars for a corrected record). Then order certified copies to update Social Security, your driver license or ID, and other records. The filing fee is 250 dollars and a fee waiver is available if you cannot pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
In New Jersey a name change petition is a verified complaint an adult files 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 certify the change is not to avoid criminal prosecution, avoid creditors, or commit fraud. After a hearing, a Superior Court judge signs a Final Judgment that makes the new name your legal name (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1 and New Jersey Court Rule 4:72).
In New Jersey you file a verified complaint for a name change in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where you live, pay the 250 dollar filing fee or request a fee waiver, and mail notice of the hearing to the Division of Criminal Justice at least 20 days before the hearing. No newspaper publication is required. At the hearing the judge reviews your request and, if approved, signs the Final Judgment. You then file the judgment with the Division of Revenue and use certified copies to update your records.
No. New Jersey does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The New Jersey Supreme Court amended Court Rule 4:72, effective 2020, to remove the old publication requirement. Instead of publishing notice, you mail a copy of the Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in Trenton by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 20 days before the hearing. New Jersey also keeps name change records out of public access, and you file a Certification of Confidential Information for Name Change with the complaint.
An adult name change in New Jersey is handled by the Superior Court. By statute, any person may institute an action in Superior Court for authority to assume another name (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1), and the New Jersey Judiciary directs you to file in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where you live. Filing in the wrong county can delay your case, so file where you reside.
New Jersey directs an adult to file in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in the county where they live, so you must be a bona fide New Jersey resident and file in your home county (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1). The statute and the Judiciary do not set a fixed number of months you must have lived in New Jersey or the county before filing; the key requirement is that you genuinely reside in the county where you file.
Yes. In New Jersey the court issues an Order Fixing Date of Hearing, and you appear in court on that date. The judge reviews your verified complaint and supporting documents and, if the request is approved, signs the Final Judgment legally changing your name (New Jersey Court Rule 4:72). Before the hearing you must mail notice to the Division of Criminal Justice at least 20 days in advance.
New Jersey does not require an adult petitioner to submit fingerprints for a name change. Instead, your verified complaint and affidavit must disclose your date of birth, Social Security number, any prior criminal convictions, and any pending charges, and you notify the Division of Criminal Justice before the hearing (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-1). If you have a conviction or pending charges, the clerk forwards a copy of the judgment to the State Bureau of Identification (N.J.S.A. 2A:52-2).
Once the Superior Court judge signs the Final Judgment in New Jersey, file it with the Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue (50 dollar fee) and, in the state where you were born, with the Registrar of Vital Statistics (2 dollars in New Jersey, plus 25 dollars for a corrected record). Then order certified copies and use them to update Social Security, your driver license or ID, your passport, and your bank and employer records. Keep at least one certified copy for your files.