Name Change

If you wish to legally change your name, you may file a petition at the District Court. After the petition is filed you must appear before the Judge who will ask you to testify under oath that you are not changing your name for an illegal or fraudulent purpose. If you are a minor under 18 years of age, or if you are requesting a name change for a minor child under 18, a birth certificate is required, as well as the approval of both biological parents. If both parents are not appearing at the hearing, an affidavit or sworn statement under penalty of perjury granting permission for the name change provided by the parent not present; that parents joinder in a sworn/verified petition can be used in place of the affidavit or sworn statement.

Name change hearings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 9:30 am if an interpreter is not needed. Names Changes requiring an interpreter are held on every first and third Tuesday of the month at 2:30 pm.

Scheduling & Fees

In order to be scheduled you must for the following:

• Bring the original Petition for Name Change, completely filled out.
• Pay the following fees:
  • Filing plus DRC fee: $93 ( Includes 2 certified copies)
  • Certified copies: $5 Each additional copy (optional)

  Superior Court

  Name change petitions must be filed in Superior Court when the person desiring a change of his or her name or that of his or her child or ward is a victim of domestic violence and the person seeks to have the name change file sealed due to reasonable fear for his or her safety or that of his or her child or ward. Upon granting the name change, the Superior Court will seal the file if the Court finds that the safety of the person seeking the name change or his or her child or ward warrants sealing the file. In all such cases, whether or not the name change petition is granted, there shall be no public access to any court record of the name change filing, proceeding, or order, unless the name change is granted but the file is not sealed.

  Approval Process

  Once a name change has been approved, if you wish to change your birth certificate, and if you were born in Washington State, you will need to send certified copies of all the completed paperwork to:
  Department of Health
  Center for Health Statistics
  1112 SE Quince Street
  P.O. Box 47814
  Olympia, WA 98504-7814

  Offender Under the Jurisdiction

  An offender under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections who applies to change his or her name under must submit a copy of the application to the Department of Corrections not fewer than five days before the entry of an order granting the name change. No offender under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections will be granted an order changing his or her name if the court finds that doing so will interfere with legitimate law enforcement interests, except that no order shall be denied when the name change is requested for religious or legitimate cultural reasons or in recognition of marriage or dissolution of marriage. An offender under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections who receives an order changing his or her name shall submit a copy of the order to the Department of Corrections within five days of the entry of the order or be subject to criminal penalties.

  Sex Offender

  A sex offender subject to registration under RCW 9A.44.130 who applies to change his or her name must submit a copy of the application to the county sheriff of the county of the person's residence and to the Washington State Patrol not fewer than five days before the entry of an order granting the name change. No sex offender under the requirement to register under this section at the time of application shall be granted an order changing his or her name if the court finds that doing so will interfere with legitimate law enforcement interests, except that no order shall be denied when the name change is requested for religious or legitimate cultural reasons or in recognition of marriage or dissolution of marriage. A sex offender under the requirement to register under this section who receives an order changing his or her name shall submit a copy of the order to the county sheriff of the county of the person's residence and to the Washington State Patrol within five days of the entry of the order.