Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Guam

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

Adults can change their name, for any honest reason including gender identity, by filing the Superior Court's Adult Name Change Request packet. The court's order must be posted in public places for four weeks before a hearing. No newspaper notice is required. A fee waiver is available if you cannot pay.

Main cost
$300, can be waived
Typical wait
4 weeks

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

Name changes in Guam are heard by the Superior Court of Guam under 7 GCA §§ 36101–36105. The court publishes a free fill-in packet for adults (18 and older) and a separate packet for minors. The instructions list "You want to use a name that better reflects your identity" as a valid reason.

The process: you file a petition and a proposed Order to Show Cause (OSC). After the judge signs the OSC, someone other than you posts it for four weeks in three public places in Hagåtña and one public place in your village. You then file a Declaration of Posting, go to a short hearing, and the judge signs a final order. There is no newspaper publication.

Steps

  1. Gather your documents[1]

    Get a copy of your birth certificate, one government-issued photo ID, and proof of residency (a mayor's verification, utility bill, or lease). Download the adult packet, or pick one up at the Clerk's Office.

  2. File the petition at the Clerk's Office[1][4]

    File the cover sheet, the petition, and four originals of the Order to Show Cause at the Superior Court in Hagåtña (120 West O'Brien Dr., 671-475-3331) or the Northern Court Satellite in Dededo (132 West Marine Corps Dr., 671-635-2501). Bring one copy of each form. Pay the filing fee, or file the fee waiver application at the same time.

    Cost
    $300 filing fee for the petition

  3. Have the signed order posted for four weeks[1][3]

    The clerk mails or emails you the signed OSC. Someone other than you, such as a friend, relative, or hired process server, must post it in three public places in Hagåtña and one public place in your village, and leave it up for four weeks. Places can include the post office, the court, the mayor's office, and stores. The posting shows your current and new names. If that raises a safety concern, tell the Clerk or judge. Neither the statute nor the packet offers a way to skip posting.

    Time
    4 weeks

  4. File the Declaration of Posting and Final Order[1]

    After four weeks, return to the Clerk's Office and file the Declaration of Posting and the Final Order (sections 1 and 2 filled in). There is no fee for these. The clerk then sends you a hearing date.

  5. Attend the hearing[1][3]

    Bring your birth certificate, photo ID, and proof of residency. The judge will ask why you want the change. Answer honestly and briefly. Anyone who objects may also appear. If the judge approves, you receive a signed order with your new legal name.

  6. Get certified copies of the order[4]

    Ask the Clerk for several certified copies. Social Security, the driver's license office, the passport agency, and banks each want one. The fee schedule charges $4 to certify each filed paper, plus copy fees.

    Cost
    $4 certification of a filed paper (per document)

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[1]

If you cannot afford the fees. You list your income, property, and monthly expenses and attach proof of income, such as a pay stub, benefits letter, or bank statement. A waiver can cover the filing fee, service, certification, and copy costs.

File the Application to Waive Court Costs and Fees together with your petition.

Application to Waive Court Costs and Fees (Superior and Supreme Court)

WhatCostNotes
Filing fee for the petition[4][1]$300Can be waivedThe court's schedule lists $300 for a petition or other first paper in civil or special proceedings. The name change packet does not state a fee and says to ask the Clerk, so confirm the amount before you file.
Certification of a filed paper (per document)[4]$4

Free help

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

More detail

Forms3 forms

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

Adult Name Change Request packet (cover sheet, petition, Order to Show Cause, Declaration of Posting, Final Order)Required

How to fill it out

  • Cover sheet: fill in only the Petitioner box. The rest is pre-filled.
  • Part 5, reason: the instructions ask you to be honest and specific. A short statement is enough, for example: "I am transgender and have lived as [new name] since [year]. I want my legal name to match the name I use every day." If you have used other names before, list them.
  • Part 6: answer every yes/no question. Explain any "yes."
  • Order to Show Cause: file four originals. Fill in sections 1 and 2 only. Section 2 asks for your village.
  • Attach a copy of your birth certificate, a government photo ID, and proof of residency, or explain why you do not have them.

Open the form[1]

Forms only some people need (2)

Minor Name Change Request packetSometimes required: For anyone under 18. Filed by a parent or guardian.

Open the form[2]

Application to Waive Court Costs and Fees (Superior and Supreme Court)Optional

If you cannot afford the filing fee.

Open the form[1]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
The petition asks for your residence and for proof of residency, such as a mayor's verification, utility bill, or lease. If you lack a document, you can still file and explain why.[1]
Age
18 or older for the adult packet. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian files the minor packet.
Criminal record
The petition asks whether you have criminal convictions, are a registered sex offender, are on probation or parole, have pending cases, owe court-ordered child support, or have filed for bankruptcy. A "yes" does not automatically bar a name change, but you must explain it.
Newspaper publication
No.

Guam does not require newspaper publication. Instead, the Order to Show Cause must be posted for four weeks in three public places in Hagåtña and one public place in your village (7 GCA § 36103). Posting is still public: your old and new names appear on the notice.

[3][1]
Court hearing
Yes.

The statute requires a hearing, which is set four to eight weeks after the order to show cause. The judge may question you under oath.

[3]
Background check
No.

There is no fingerprinting. The petition asks you to disclose convictions, sex offender registration, probation or parole, pending cases, child support orders, and bankruptcy.

[1]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Neither Guam's name change statute nor the court's packet provides for sealing the case. If you are worried about your safety, talk to a lawyer before filing about asking the judge for protection.

[3][1]
How long it takes

Usually about two to three months, including four weeks of posting and waiting for a hearing date.

MinorsA parent (or a guardian, or a close relative or friend if there is neither) signs and files the Minor Name Change Request (7 GCA § 36102).

A parent (or a guardian, or a close relative or friend if there is neither) signs and files the Minor Name Change Request (7 GCA § 36102). The court wants the consent of both parents before approving. Tell the other parent about the request and the hearing date, and both parents should attend. The minor's parents may not post the order to show cause; any other adult may.

[3][2]
After you finish1. Birth certificate: Guam law requires a certified copy of the order to be filed with the Office of Vital Statistics within 30 days (7 GCA…
  1. Birth certificate: Guam law requires a certified copy of the order to be filed with the Office of Vital Statistics within 30 days (7 GCA § 36105). If you were born in Guam, ask the office to amend your birth certificate to the new name (see the Guam birth certificate guide).
  2. Social Security: update your name first (see the federal Social Security guide). Other agencies check against it.
  3. Driver's license or Guam ID: take the certified order to the Department of Revenue and Taxation (see the Guam driver's license guide).
  4. Passport: see the federal passport guide. Name changes are still available.
  5. Banks, employer, school, insurance, voter registration.
Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • Ask the Clerk's Office about court navigators. The packet says they can help you fill out the forms.
  • Take photos of each posted notice with the date visible. They help whoever signs the Declaration of Posting.
  • Married couples and their children can file one joint petition (7 GCA § 36102.1).
Laws and other guides1 law, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

  • 7 GCA §§ 36101–36105: Change of Names (Superior Court jurisdiction, petition, order to show cause and posting, hearing, filing with Vital Statistics)

Other trusted guides

Sources

8 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Adult Name Change Request packet (Rev. 2026)Superior Court of Guam, Form. accessed
    “Someone other than you must post the OSC in three public places in Hagåtña and one public place in the village where you live. Leave it posted for four weeks.”
  2. Minor Name Change Request packet (Rev. 2026)Superior Court of Guam, Form. accessed
    “The court will want the consent of both the minor's parents before approving a name change.”
  3. 7 GCA Chapter 36, Change of NamesGuam Compiler of Laws, Law. accessed
    “A copy of such order to show cause shall be posted by the clerk of the court in three public places in Agana for four successive weeks and in the district, town, or village where the petitioner lives.”
  4. Judiciary of Guam schedule of fees (as of 2025)Judicial Council of Guam, Court. accessed
    “Complaint, Petition or other First Paper in Civil or Special Proceedings $300.00. Certify a copy of any filed paper: $4.00”
  5. Self-Help LitigantsJudiciary of Guam, Court. accessed
  6. Lawyer Referral ServiceGuam Bar Association, Organization. accessed
  7. GenderbandsGenderbands, Organization. accessed
  8. Trans LifelineTrans Lifeline, Organization. accessed