Oregon Name Change Petition
In Oregon an adult files a name change petition in the probate or circuit court of 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 the judge enters the judgment the new name becomes the person's legal name. In Oregon you file the application in the probate court, or the circuit court where its jurisdiction has been extended, of the county where you reside (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410). Oregon keeps this process light: there is no requirement to publish notice of an adult name change in a newspaper. The notice rule in Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420 applies only when the person whose name is being changed is a minor child, and then notice goes to the parents, not to a newspaper. If you take part in the Oregon Address Confidentiality Program as a survivor of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or similar harm, you may ask the court to seal the record of your case, and the court will seal it unless it finds good cause not to (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420(3) and Section 192.826). Because there is no publication step and no built-in objection period, an uncontested Oregon change often moves quickly, and the general judgment the judge signs is what you use to update your records afterward. DocDraft builds your Oregon name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
In Oregon a name change petition is the application an adult files in the probate court to legally change their own name, and the general judgment the judge enters makes that new name your legal name.
- 2
You file the application in the probate court, or the circuit court where its jurisdiction has been extended under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 3.275, of the county where you reside (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
- 3
Oregon does not require you to publish notice of an adult name change in a newspaper; the notice rule in Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420 applies only to a minor child, where notice goes to the parents.
- 4
There is no fixed length of time you must have lived in Oregon before filing; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you apply (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
- 5
If you participate in the Oregon Address Confidentiality Program, you may ask the court to seal the record of your name change, and the court shall seal it unless it finds good cause under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 192.848 (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420(3)).
- 6
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 33 does not require a fingerprint or criminal background check for an adult name change, and the court hears and determines the application (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
- 7
Once the general judgment is entered, get certified copies from the clerk and work through the Social Security Administration, the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division, and your passport in turn. The filing fee is set by the court, and Oregon lets you apply to defer or waive the fee if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Oregon, 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 guideCustomize your Name Change Petition Template with DocDraft
Oregon Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Oregon is heard by the probate court, or by the circuit court where its jurisdiction has been extended under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 3.275, of the county where the petitioner resides. Application for change of name may be heard and determined by that court of the county in which the person resides (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
You file in the county where you reside. Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410 sets no fixed durational residency period for an adult name change; the requirement is that you are a resident of the county where you bring the application.
Oregon does not require an adult to publish notice of a name change in a newspaper. The notice provision in Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420 applies only to the change of name of a minor child, and then written notice goes to the parents and any legal guardian, not to a newspaper.
State your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting. The court hears and determines the application and, when satisfied, enters a judgment changing the name from the present name to the proposed name (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
State the reason for the requested name change. Oregon grants adult name changes for lawful reasons such as marriage or divorce, gender identity, religious or personal reasons, or to use a name you already go by; the application is heard and determined by the court (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
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. A court may deny a change sought for a fraudulent or unlawful purpose.
A certified adult participant in the Oregon Address Confidentiality Program under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 192.826 may ask the court to seal the record of the case, and the court shall seal it unless it issues an order finding good cause under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 192.848 (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420(3)).
After the judge signs the judgment, order certified copies from the clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Oregon driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A name change petition is the court document an adult files in Oregon to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name, the new name you want, that you reside in the county, and your reason for the change, and you confirm the change is not sought for a fraudulent purpose. The probate or circuit court hears and determines the application, and when the judge enters the judgment the new name becomes your legal name (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410).
In Oregon you file an application for change of name in the probate court, or the circuit court where its jurisdiction has been extended, of the county where you live, and pay the filing fee or request a fee waiver (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410). Oregon does not make you publish notice in a newspaper for an adult change. The court reviews the application and enters a judgment, and you then use certified copies of that judgment to update your records.
No. Oregon does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change. The notice provision in Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420 applies only when the person whose name is being changed is a minor child, and in that case written notice goes to the parents and any legal guardian, not to a newspaper. Because there is no publication step, an Oregon adult name change is usually faster and less costly than in states that require a published notice.
An adult name change in Oregon is heard by the probate court, or by the circuit court where its jurisdiction has been extended to include name changes under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 3.275, of the county where you reside (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410). In most Oregon counties you file in the circuit court. Filing in the county where you live is the key venue requirement, so file where you reside.
Oregon requires you to file in the county where you reside, but Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410 does not set a fixed number of months you must have lived in the state or the county before filing. The requirement is simply that you are a resident of the county where you bring the application. If you have recently moved, file in the county that is now your home.
Yes, in a defined way. If you are a certified adult participant in the Oregon Address Confidentiality Program under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 192.826, you may ask the court to seal the record of your name change case, and the court shall seal it unless it issues an order finding good cause under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 192.848 (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.420(3)). This helps survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault change their names without exposing their information.
Oregon lets the court hear and determine the application (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 33.410). Many Oregon counties decide an uncontested adult name change on the paperwork or with a brief appearance, without a contested hearing, because there is no newspaper publication and no objection period built into the statute. Your county circuit court sets its own practice, so check whether a short hearing is scheduled or whether the judge will sign the judgment on the papers.
Once the Oregon judge signs the judgment, ask the clerk for several certified copies of the general judgment of name change. Start with the Social Security Administration, then the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division for a new license or ID, then your passport through the U.S. Department of State, and then payroll, insurance, and financial accounts. The certified Oregon judgment is what each office accepts as proof of your new legal name, so keep a spare certified copy in a safe place.