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Legal name change in Connecticut

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  • Page changed: Changing Your Legal Name (2026-09-28) · #25
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

Connecticut adults can change their name in the Probate Court for the town where they live. There is no newspaper publication, and since July 1, 2023 there is no filing fee. You attend a short hearing before the judge.

Main cost
Free, can be waived
Apply
Online, by mail, 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

Most people in Connecticut change their name through their local Probate Court, using form PC-901 (petition) and PC-910 (affidavit). You do not have to explain that the change is related to your gender, and no medical letter is needed; the judge only checks that the change is not meant to defraud anyone or avoid a criminal record. You never publish a notice in a newspaper.

The Probate Court sends your name to the state police registry check, schedules a hearing, and signs a decree at or after the hearing. The Superior Court also has power to change names (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-11), but it is slower and costs a $360 civil filing fee, so the Probate Court is the usual route.

The name change order does not change your gender marker. For that, see the driver's license and birth certificate guides; neither requires a court order.

Steps

  1. Find your Probate Court[1][2]

    Use the court locator at ctprobate.gov to find the probate district for the town where you live. Many districts cover several towns. Note the court name and district number; you will write them at the top of every form.

  2. Fill out the forms and gather your documents[3][1][2]

    You need:

    • PC-901 petition and PC-901CI confidential Social Security sheet.
    • PC-910 affidavit, sworn before a notary, clerk, or attorney (or at the court when you file).
    • A certified copy of your long-form birth certificate (the court may accept other proof of your birth name if you cannot get one).
    • Two forms of ID, at least one with a photo. You can bring these to the hearing instead of filing them.

  3. File online, by mail, or in person[1][10][11]

    Submit everything to your Probate Court. The Probate Courts accept name change filings online (eFiling for self-represented people), by mail, or in person. There is no filing fee. If other court costs would be a hardship, add PC-184 to ask for a waiver.

    Form
    PC-184
    Cost
    Free probate Court filing fee for a name change

  4. Wait for the notice of hearing[1][2][3]

    The court checks the sex offender and deadly weapon offender registries (and may run a criminal background check), then mails you a notice with your hearing date. If you are married, your spouse also gets notice unless you asked the court to excuse it for your safety.

    Time
    usually a few weeks; varies by court

  5. Attend the hearing[1][2]

    Bring your two forms of ID if you did not file them. The judge or clerk swears you in and may ask a few questions to confirm the change is not for an unlawful purpose. Hearings for adults are usually short, and the judge normally decides at the hearing.

  6. Get certified copies of the decree[12]

    The court gives you one uncertified copy of the decree free. Buy several certified copies (the statute sets $5 per copy for up to two pages); Social Security, the DMV, the passport agency, and banks each want to see one.

    Cost
    $5 certified copy of the decree (each, up to two pages)

  7. Update your other documents, in this order[15][16]

    1. Social Security first. The Connecticut DMV will not update your license until SSA has processed the change (allow up to 48 hours).
    2. DMV license or ID, by appointment, with form E-78 and your certified decree ($30).
    3. Birth certificate: if you were born in Connecticut, send the decree to the town where you were born (name only) or to DPH with a gender change request.
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[7][13]

The filing itself is free. For other costs (certified copies, mailing), you are presumed unable to pay if:

  • you receive public assistance, or
  • your household income after taxes, payroll deductions, and child care is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.

File PC-184 with proof of income or benefits (pay stubs, benefit letter) along with your petition.

PC-184

WhatCostNotes
Probate Court filing fee for a name change[10][11]FreeP.A. 23-204 removed name changes from the list of $250 probate filings effective July 1, 2023. Some older guides still show $225 or $250; ask the clerk if you are charged.
Certified copy of the decree (each, up to two pages)[12]$5Can be waived$2 more for each page after the second. One uncertified copy of the decree is free.
Superior Court civil entry fee (alternative route under § 52-11)[14][9]$360Can be waivedOnly if you file in Superior Court instead of Probate Court. Most people do not need this route.

Free help

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

More detail

Forms7 forms: PC-901, PC-901CI, PC-910, PC-184, and more

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (3)

PC-901Petition for Change of Name (Adult)Required

How to fill it out

  • Probate Court name and district number: find yours with the court locator at ctprobate.gov.
  • Current name / Name to be changed to: write the new name exactly as you want it on every document.
  • Spouse: if you are married, list your spouse. The court normally mails them notice of the hearing. If notice to your spouse might put you in danger, check the box asking the court to excuse notice to your spouse (Probate Court Rule 47.1(c)).
  • Reasons: a short, truthful reason is enough, for example "to reflect my gender identity" or "this is the name I use in daily life." You do not need to attach any medical letter.
  • Sign under penalty of false statement. No notary is needed for the petition itself.

Open PC-901[3][2]

PC-901CIConfidential Information, Petition for Change of Name (Adult)Required

Lists your Social Security number. It is filed separately and kept out of the public court record.

Open PC-901CI[4]

PC-910Affidavit Re Change of Name (Adult)Required

How to fill it out

  • Lists where you live and for how long, whether you own real estate, and that you have no debts in arrears (and will notify creditors).
  • Check the boxes about pending criminal charges and past convictions truthfully.
  • Must be sworn before a judge, court clerk, notary public, or commissioner of the Superior Court (any Connecticut attorney). The probate clerk can usually do this when you file in person.

Open PC-910[5]

Forms only some people need (4)

PC-184Request/Order Waiver of Fees (Petitioner)Optional

There is no filing fee for a name change, but you can use this form to ask the court to waive other costs (such as certified copies) if you receive public assistance or your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.

Open PC-184[7][13]

PC-900Petition for Change of Name (Minor)Sometimes required: For a child under 18. Filed with PC-900CI and PC-910A.

Open PC-900[6]

PC-910AAffidavit Re Change of Name (Minor)Sometimes required: Goes with PC-900 for a minor's name change.

Open PC-910A[1]

PC-900CIConfidential Information, Petition for Change of Name (Minor)Sometimes required: The child's Social Security number, filed separately from the public record.

Open PC-900CI[6]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the Probate Court for the probate district where you live. Use the court locator at ctprobate.gov to find it.[8][3][5][2]
Age
18 or older for PC-901. For a child under 18, a parent or guardian files PC-900 as "next friend"; see Minors.
Criminal record
A criminal record does not bar a name change. You must list pending charges and convictions on the PC-910 affidavit. If you must register as a sex offender or deadly weapon offender, you must notify the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection before filing and include a sworn statement; the department can object.
Newspaper publication
No.

Connecticut law does not require newspaper publication for a name change. The court gives notice of the hearing only to you and your spouse (and, for minors, to parents and the child if 12 or older).

[2][17]
Court hearing
Yes.

Probate Court Rule 47.1 requires a hearing and says the petitioner appears and shows two IDs "unless otherwise directed by the court." In practice adults attend a short hearing and the judge usually rules that day.

[2][1]
Background check
Sometimes.

The court always searches the sex offender and deadly weapon offender registries for adult petitioners. It must run a criminal background check if it has reason to believe you have a pending charge or record, and may run one for anyone. No fingerprints are required.

[2][3]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Connecticut has no special law sealing name change records for trans people; the petition and decree are court records. Your Social Security number goes on a separate confidential sheet (PC-901CI) that is not public. If notice to your spouse could endanger you, the court can excuse it.

[4][2]
How long it takes

Plan on a few weeks to a couple of months from filing to the hearing, depending on your court. You usually leave the hearing with the decree or receive it by mail soon after.

MinorsA parent, guardian, or other adult allowed by the court files PC-900, PC-900CI, and PC-910A as "next friend" in the probate district where…

A parent, guardian, or other adult allowed by the court files PC-900, PC-900CI, and PC-910A as "next friend" in the probate district where the child lives, with the child's long-form birth certificate. The court sends notice of the hearing to both parents, any guardian, and the child if 12 or older. If one parent is not joining, the petition must say why. The petitioner must appear, and the judge decides based on the child's best interest.

[6][2][8]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring the certified decree and photo ID; the name changes, the sex field currently cannot).

Start with Social Security (bring the certified decree and photo ID; the name changes, the sex field currently cannot). After SSA updates (up to 48 hours), book a DMV appointment with form E-78 and the decree ($30; you can change your gender marker with form B-385 at the same visit). If you were born in Connecticut, update your birth certificate through the town of birth or DPH. Then your passport (name changes are still processed; sex marker changes are not, as of September 2026), bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • You can file one petition for spouses, parents, and children living at the same address at the same time; the court issues a separate decree for each person.
  • Probate staff cannot give legal advice, but they can answer questions about forms and swear your PC-910 affidavit when you file in person.
  • If you are asked for a filing fee, mention that P.A. 23-204 removed name changes from the fee schedule in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-106a as of July 1, 2023.
Laws and other guides4 laws, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

22 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Changing Your Legal NameConnecticut Probate Courts, Official page. accessed
    “You can submit these items together online, in person, or by mail. Wait for a Notice of Hearing to be mailed to you.”
  2. Probate Court Rules of Procedure (2026), Rule 47 Change of NameOffice of the Probate Court Administrator, Court. accessed
    “Unless otherwise directed by the court, the petitioner shall appear in court and present two forms of identification, including at least one form of photographic identification.”
  3. PC-901, Petition for Change of Name (Adult), rev. 5/22Connecticut Probate Courts, Form. accessed
    “The court will conduct a search of the sex offender and deadly weapon offender registry and may conduct a full criminal background check.”
  4. PC-901CI, Confidential Information, Petition for Change of Name (Adult)Connecticut Probate Courts, Form. accessed
  5. PC-910, Affidavit Re Change of Name (Adult)Connecticut Probate Courts, Form. accessed
  6. PC-900, Petition for Change of Name (Minor)Connecticut Probate Courts, Form. accessed
    “If a parent does not join in the petition, the petition must specify the reasons the parent has not joined in the petition.”
  7. PC-184, Request/Order Waiver of Fees (Petitioner)Connecticut Probate Courts, Form. accessed
    “There is a rebuttable presumption that the petitioner is indigent if (a) he or she receives public assistance OR (b) the annual income of the petitioner's household is 125% or less of the federal poverty level.”
  8. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-99Connecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “The courts of probate shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court, as provided in section 52-11, to grant a change of name.”
  9. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-11Connecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
  10. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-106a, Probate filing feesConnecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “P.A. 23-204 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting Subdiv. (19) re fee for name changes, effective July 1, 2023.”
  11. Public Act 23-204, § 308Connecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “[(19) Change a person's name;]”
  12. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-109, Probate copy feesConnecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “for certifying copies of any document ... five dollars per each copy certified for the first two pages of a document, and two dollars for each copy certified for each page after the second page”
  13. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-111, Waiver of probate feesConnecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
  14. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259, Court feesConnecticut General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “for each civil cause in the Superior Court, three hundred sixty dollars”
  15. Update a driver's license, learner's permit, or non-driver IDConnecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “It may take up to 48 hours for SSA to process the change; this must be processed prior to updating your driver's license or non-driver ID.”
  16. Correcting or Amending a RecordConnecticut Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
  17. ID Documents, ConnecticutGLAD Law, Organization. accessed
    “Do I need to publish my name change in a newspaper? No. Connecticut does not have this requirement.”
  18. GLAD Law AnswersGLAD Law, Organization. accessed
  19. Anchor HealthAnchor Health, Organization. accessed
  20. Contact UsStatewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Organization. accessed
  21. Find Us, New Haven Legal Assistance AssociationNew Haven Legal Assistance Association, Organization. accessed
  22. Gender-Affirming CarePlanned Parenthood of Southern New England, Organization. accessed
    “Our navigator educates and empowers patients with information so they can walk through their healthcare journey with greater knowledge and agency.”