North Carolina Name Change Petition

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   A name change petition is the court filing an adult uses to legally change their own name; in North Carolina it is filed as an application, and when the clerk signs the order that new name becomes your legal name.

2. 2

   You file the application before the clerk of superior court of the county where you live, for good cause shown (North Carolina General Statutes Section 101-2(a)).

3. 3

   North Carolina does not require newspaper publication, and the former requirement to post notice of the change at the courthouse door was repealed effective December 1, 2025 (Session Laws 2025-54, repealing Section 101-2(b)).

4. 4

   You must submit the results of a state and national criminal history record check conducted within 90 days of filing by the State Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, or an approved Channeler (Section 101-5(a)(2)).

5. 5

   You must file proof of good character made by at least two citizens of your county who know your standing (Section 101-4).

6. 6

   The clerk of superior court decides the application on the papers rather than at a hearing before a judge; if the clerk finds good and sufficient reasons it is the clerk's duty to issue the order, and a denial may be appealed to the resident superior court judge within 30 days (Section 101-5(d) and Section 101-5(f)).

7. 7

   After the order is signed, the clerk forwards it to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and the Department of Public Safety, and you use certified copies to update Social Security, your North Carolina driver license or ID, and other records. The filing fee is set by statute and collected by the clerk, and a fee waiver may be available; the application is kept confidential for qualifying safety cases (Section 101-2(c)).

North Carolina Requirements for Name Change Petition

• Clerk of Superior Court in Your County of Residence

  A North Carolina adult name change is filed as an application before the clerk of superior court of the county in which the applicant resides, for good cause shown (North Carolina General Statutes Section 101-2(a)). The clerk of superior court, not a judge, reviews the application and issues the order.

• Residency and Venue

  You file in the county where you live, and your application includes a sworn statement that you are a bona fide resident of and domiciled in that county (Section 101-5(a)(3)). North Carolina sets no fixed durational residency period; the requirement is that you reside in and are domiciled in the county where you file.

• No Newspaper Publication or Courthouse Notice

  North Carolina does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The former requirement to post notice of the change at the courthouse door was repealed effective December 1, 2025 (Session Laws 2025-54, repealing Section 101-2(b)). The application is kept confidential for a participant in the address confidentiality program or a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking (Section 101-2(c)).

• Contents of the Application

  The application must state your true name, county of birth, date of birth, the full name of your parents as shown on your birth certificate, the name you desire to adopt, your reasons for the change, and whether your name has ever before been changed by law and, if so, the facts (Section 101-3).

• Proof of Good Character

  You must file with your application proof of good character made by at least two citizens of your county who know your standing (Section 101-4). This proof accompanies the application submitted to the clerk of superior court.

• State and National Criminal Background Check

  You must submit the results of a state and national criminal history record check conducted within 90 days of the date of application by the State Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or an FBI-approved Channeler (Section 101-5(a)(2)). The clerk instructs you on having fingerprints taken and submitted. A registered sex offender is barred from a name change under this Chapter (Section 101-6(c)).

• Clerk Decides on the Papers

  There is no newspaper notice and no hearing before a judge for the adult applicant. If the clerk of superior court finds good and sufficient reasons for the change and your application meets the requirements, it is the clerk's duty to issue the order (Section 101-5(d)). If the clerk denies the application, you may petition the resident superior court judge to reconsider within 30 days, and that decision is final (Section 101-5(f)).

• After the Order: Records Updated and Certified Copies

  After the order is signed, the clerk gives you a certificate of the change and forwards the order to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and the Department of Public Safety (Section 101-5(e)). Order certified copies from the clerk to update Social Security, your North Carolina driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by statute and collected by the clerk, and a fee waiver may be available.