Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Arizona

Change your legal name
Yes
Publication requirementA rule in some states that a name-change petition be printed in a newspaper before it is granted. Many states waive it for trans petitioners or for safety.
Not required
Court hearing
Required
Sealed recordA court file that is kept confidential and not available to the public.
Not offered

Arizona adults can change their name with a standard petition in the Superior Court of the county where they live. There is no newspaper publication, but you must attend a short hearing (usually by video in Maricopa County) and notify interested parties, such as a spouse, by certified mail at least 30 days beforehand.

Main cost
$252, can be waived
Apply
Online or in person

Draft from official sources, September 24, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify

On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Free help
  5. Forms
  6. Requirements
  7. Minors
  8. After you finish
  9. Tips
  10. Laws and other guides
  11. Sources

How it works

A.R.S. § 12-601 lets anyone file an "Application for Change of Name" in the Superior Court of their county of residence. The law does not ask for a medical letter or any reason tied to gender. You only swear to a few facts, such as whether you have felony convictions and that the change is in your best interest.

Arizona has no newspaper publication requirement. The court does hold a hearing, and you must attend it. In Maricopa County (Phoenix) hearings are virtual unless the judge orders otherwise. Before the hearing you must notify any "interested parties" (a spouse or ex-spouse, the other parent of your minor child, creditors, or a prosecutor if you have a criminal record).

A name change order does not change your sex marker. For the driver's license and birth certificate, see those guides.

Steps

  1. Get your county's name change packet[3][1]

    In Maricopa County, download packet CVNCA1 (adults with no minor children) from the Law Library Resource Center. There is a separate packet if you have minor children. In other counties, ask the Superior Court clerk or self-service center for the local version. The steps are similar statewide because they follow A.R.S. § 12-601.

    Form
    CVNCA1

  2. Fill out the application, cover sheet, and proposed order[2]

    Complete the Civil Cover Sheet (box 152), the Application (sign it only in front of the clerk or a notary), and a typed proposed Order. Make one original and two copies of the Application, plus one more copy for each interested party.

  3. File with the Clerk of Superior Court[2][5]

    In Maricopa County, file in person at a Clerk of Superior Court location (Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, or the Mesa, Surprise, or Northeast Phoenix facilities), weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, arriving at least two hours before closing. You can also e-file. Pay the filing fee or file a fee deferral or waiver application at the same time. Do not file the proposed order yet.

    Cost
    $252 superior Court filing fee (application for change of name)

  4. Schedule your hearing[2]

    At least four business days after filing, call Maricopa County Civil Court Administration at 602-506-1497 (weekdays 8 am to 5 pm). Staff give you the date, time, and video link, and email you a Notice of Hearing.

  5. Notify interested parties[2]

    If you have interested parties (a spouse or ex-spouse, the other parent of your minor child, creditors, or a prosecutor's office if you have a felony record), send each one a clerk-stamped copy of your Application and the Notice of Hearing by certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested, at least 30 days before the hearing. A spouse who agrees can sign a notarized Marital Waiver of Notice instead. File the Affidavit of Notice with the green card attached. If you have no interested parties, skip this step.

  6. Send your documents to the court a week before the hearing[2]

    At least one week before the hearing, email the proposed Order (with your case number filled in) as a PDF to civilhearings@jbazmc.maricopa.gov, or drop it off at a courthouse. Attach copies of your photo ID, all clerk-stamped filings, proof of notice, and, if they apply, your divorce decree, prior name change orders, and proof of immigration status. The court will not accept documents on the day of the hearing.

  7. Attend the hearing[2]

    You must attend. Maricopa hearings are virtual unless the judge orders otherwise. If the judge grants the change, you receive a judge-signed copy of the order.

  8. Get certified copies of the order[2][8]

    Buy several certified copies at any Clerk of Court file counter, or at the Customer Service Center at 601 W. Jackson St in downtown Phoenix. Social Security, MVD, and Vital Records each need one. Trans Spectrum of Arizona's Affirming Identification grant can pay for certified copies.

    Cost
    Varies certified copy of the order (each)

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[6][2]

  • Waiver (you pay nothing): the court should grant it if you receive SSI and attach proof.
  • Deferral (fees postponed or paid in installments): the court should grant it if you receive TANF or SNAP (food stamps) or are helped by a nonprofit legal aid provider. The court may also set a payment plan if your income is between 150% and 225% of the federal poverty level, or if you have extraordinary expenses.

File the Application for Deferral or Waiver of Court Fees and Costs (AOCDFGF1F) with supporting documents when you file your name change. Maricopa's Law Library Resource Center gives out deferral applications for free.

AOCDFGF1F

WhatCostNotes
Superior Court filing fee (application for change of name)[5][7]$252Can be waivedVaries by countyStatewide base fee, including surcharges, under the Supreme Court fee schedule effective December 28, 2024. Counties can add local fees, and community sources report totals of about $320 to $340 in some counties. Check your clerk's fee list before filing.
Certified copy of the order (each)[2]VariesVaries by countySet by each county clerk. The Maricopa fee list could not be read; ask at the counter.

Free help

Legal clinics, organizations, and funds that help with this.

More detail

Forms7 forms: CVNCA1, CVNC11F, CV10F, CVNC81F, and more

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (3)

CVNC11FApplication for Change of Name for an AdultRequired

How to fill it out

  • Write your current legal name exactly as it appears on your ID, then the new name you want.
  • The form asks for a reason. A short, truthful answer such as "to match my gender identity" or "this is the name I use" is enough. The statute asks only that the change be in your best interest and not for fraud.
  • Answer the felony and sex-offender questions honestly. They are required by A.R.S. § 12-601(C).
  • Do not sign yet. Sign in front of the deputy clerk or a notary.

Open CVNC11F[3][2][1]

CV10FCivil Cover SheetRequired

How to fill it out

Check box 152, "Change of Name", on page 2.

Open CV10F[2]

CVNC81FOrder Changing Name of an Adult (proposed order)Required

Must be typed. Do not date, sign, or file it. Send it to the court at least one week before your hearing.

Open CVNC81F[2]

Forms only some people need (4)

CVNCA1Change of Name for an Adult with No Minor Children (complete packet, Maricopa County)Sometimes required: Maricopa County residents without minor children.

Maricopa County residents without minor children. Other counties have their own packets; ask the clerk or the county's self-service center.

Open CVNCA1[3]

CVNC16FMarital Waiver of NoticeSometimes required: Only if you are married and your spouse agrees.

Only if you are married and your spouse agrees. It must be notarized.

Open CVNC16F[2]

CVCM24FAffidavit of Notice by Certified MailSometimes required: Only if you have interested parties to notify by certified mail.

Only if you have interested parties to notify by certified mail. Attach the signed green return-receipt card.

Open CVCM24F[2]

AOCDFGF1FApplication for Deferral or Waiver of Court Fees and CostsOptional

Only if you cannot pay the filing fee. See the fee waiver section.

Open AOCDFGF1F[6]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the Superior Court of the Arizona county where you live.[1][2]
Age
18 or older for the adult packet. A parent, guardian ad litem, or next friend files for a minor (see Minors).
Criminal record
You must state under penalty of perjury whether you have a felony conviction, certain pending charges, or a conviction requiring sex offender registration. A record does not automatically bar a name change, but you must notify the prosecuting agency, and a victim or prosecutor can contest the change up to one year after judgment.
Newspaper publication
No.

A.R.S. § 12-601 contains no newspaper publication requirement, and the Maricopa packet does not require publication. Notice goes directly to interested parties by certified mail instead.

[1][2]
Court hearing
Yes.

In Maricopa County, a hearing is scheduled for every adult application, and the applicant must attend. Hearings are virtual unless the court orders otherwise.

[2]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints or background check. You must disclose felonies and sex-offender registration under oath, send notice to any prosecuting agency that charged you, and, for a registration offense, serve the application on the prosecutor.

[1][2]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Name change records are public. A.R.S. § 12-601(F) allows sealing only for people protected by an order of protection or injunction against harassment, or for victims of stalking. There is no gender-identity sealing provision. If you qualify under those grounds, ask the court when you file.

[1]
How long it takes

Plan on about 6 to 10 weeks. Hearing dates depend on the court's calendar, and notice must go out at least 30 days before the hearing if you have interested parties.

MinorsA parent, guardian ad litem, or next friend files in the minor's county of residence, and the court decides based on the child's best…

A parent, guardian ad litem, or next friend files in the minor's county of residence, and the court decides based on the child's best interests (A.R.S. § 12-601(B)). In practice, the other legal parent must receive notice as an interested party. Maricopa County has separate packets for minors; find them on the Law Library Resource Center civil forms page.

[1][4]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring the certified order and photo ID).

Start with Social Security (bring the certified order and photo ID). MVD requires this first and asks you to wait two business days. Then go to MVD in person within 10 days (see the driver's license guide). If you were born in Arizona, send Vital Records a certified copy of the order to amend the name on your birth certificate. Then update your passport, bank, employer, insurance, and voter registration.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • If you want the court to also order a change to the sex on your Arizona birth certificate, ask about it before your hearing and bring a certified copy of your current government-issued birth certificate. The Maricopa packet says the court will not change a birth certificate without seeing one. Whether a judge grants a sex-marker order varies; see the birth certificate guide.
  • Trans Spectrum of Arizona's Affirming Identification grant pays for certified copies, a new license or ID, and an amended birth certificate once you have your order. It does not cover court filing fees.
Laws and other guides1 law, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

  • A.R.S. § 12-601: Application for change of name; venue; judgment; sealing of record

Other trusted guides

Sources

10 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. A.R.S. § 12-601, Application; venue; judgment; sealing of recordArizona State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A person who desires to change the person's name and to adopt another name may file an application in the superior court in the county of the person's residence”
  2. CVNCA10p: How to file for a change of name for an adult with no minor childrenSuperior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, Law Library Resource Center, Court. accessed
    “All hearings will occur virtually unless otherwise ordered by the Court.”
  3. Application for Change of Name of an Adult with No Minor Children (CVNCA1)Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, Form. accessed
  4. Civil Department Court FormsSuperior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, Court. accessed
  5. Superior Court Filing FeesArizona Judicial Branch, Official page. accessed
    “Petition for name change (Class A), $222 base fee, $252 total with surcharges (AO 2024-210, effective December 28, 2024).”
  6. Fee Waivers and DeferralsArizona Judicial Branch, Official page. accessed
    “If your income is between 150% and 225% of the current poverty level, or you have extraordinay expenses, the court may set a payment plan.”
  7. Arizona identity documentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
  8. Affirming Identification AssistanceTrans Spectrum of Arizona, Organization. accessed
    “This scholarship will not pay court or legal fees for acquiring your legal name change, only for the updated identification documents.”
  9. Community Legal ServicesOrganization. accessed
  10. Transgender Law CenterOrganization. accessed