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Legal name change in Hawaii

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  • Page changed: Name Change Guide (2026-10-05) · #130
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.
Required
Court hearing
Not required
Sealed recordA court file that is kept confidential and not available to the public.
Not offered

Hawaii adults change their name through the Lieutenant Governor's office, not a court. You apply online, mail a notarized petition, and then must publish a notice in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser before the order is signed. Expect about $300 in total fees and 8 to 12 weeks.

Main cost
$56
Apply
Online or by mail

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

In Hawaii a name change is an administrative process. Under HRS § 574-5 the Lieutenant Governor signs a name change order after you file a notarized petition. There is no court, no judge, and no hearing. You do not have to give a reason, and nothing in the process asks about gender.

The steps are: apply and pay online at namechange.ehawaii.gov, print and notarize the petition, mail it with a recent certified birth certificate, wait for the Lieutenant Governor to sign a Notice, publish that Notice in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and finally record the signed Order with the Bureau of Conveyances. The name change is not complete until the Order is recorded.

The publication step means your old and new names appear in the newspaper. There is no waiver for gender identity reasons. If publishing would put you in danger, talk to a legal aid organization before you apply (see Minors and Tips below).

Steps

  1. Order a new certified copy of your birth certificate[3]

    If you were born in the United States you must mail a certified birth certificate issued no more than 90 days before you submit. For a Hawaii birth certificate, order at vitrec.ehawaii.gov ($10 plus a $2.50 fee). If you were born outside the US, send your original naturalization certificate, or if you are not a citizen, a copy of your passport plus your birth certificate, family register, or green card.

  2. Apply and pay online[3][2]

    Create an account and complete the application at namechange.ehawaii.gov, choosing "individual". Pay the $56 fee by credit card. Fees are non-refundable. If the office later rejects the petition for a typo or missing information, the fee carries over to your corrected petition; call the office to reopen it instead of starting a new one.

    Cost
    $56 lieutenant Governor filing fee ($50 filing + $1 archive + $5 service)

  3. Print and notarize the petition[3]

    Print the Petition, Fact Sheet, Notice of Change of Name, and Order single-sided. Sign the Petition in front of a notary commissioned in Hawaii. You must mail it within 30 days of notarization. Many banks and credit unions notarize free for members.

  4. Mail your packet to the Lieutenant Governor[3]

    Mail to: Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Hawaii State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street, 5th floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Include:

    • the notarized Petition, Fact Sheet, Notice of Change of Name, and Order
    • your certified birth certificate (no older than 90 days)
    • any marriage, civil union, or divorce records and prior name change decrees
    • one self-addressed #10 envelope with first-class postage, and one self-addressed 9 x 12 envelope with $3.00 postage

    You can ask to pick up your documents instead of having them mailed.

  5. Publish the signed Notice within 60 days[3][1]

    When your petition is approved, the Lieutenant Governor signs the Notice of Change of Name and mails it to you. Send it to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (legals@staradvertiser.com, 808-529-4747) and pay for publication (starting at about $204). You have 60 days from the date the Notice was signed; if you miss it, your petition is automatically void. The newspaper sends an affidavit of publication to you and to the LG's office.

    Cost
    $204.19+ newspaper publication (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
    Time
    6 to 12 weeks from mailing to signed Notice

  6. Record the signed Order with the Bureau of Conveyances within 60 days[3]

    After the newspaper's affidavit arrives, the Lieutenant Governor signs the Order and mails it to you. Your name change is not complete until you file the original Order with the Bureau of Conveyances within 60 days of the date it was signed. Fee $41. By mail, send the original Order with a check or money order payable to "Bureau of Conveyances" to P.O. Box 2867, Honolulu, HI 96803. In person, go to the Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu (cash, check, or money order).

    Cost
    $41 bureau of Conveyances recording fee

  7. Update your other documents, in this order[1]

    1. Social Security first (free). Bring the recorded Order and photo ID. The sex field cannot currently be changed at SSA; the name can.
    2. Driver's license or state ID at your county's driver licensing office (see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate through the Department of Health, if you were born in Hawaii (see the birth certificate guide).
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records, utilities.

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[1][8]

No official fee waiver exists on the LG's pages. For help paying, ask the Kua'ana Project about local assistance and apply to Genderbands, which gives small grants that can cover name change fees.

WhatCostNotes
Lieutenant Governor filing fee ($50 filing + $1 archive + $5 service)[1][2]$56Non-refundable. No fee waiver was found on the official pages.
Newspaper publication (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)[1]$204.19+Varies by vendorThe LG's office quotes "starting at $204.19". Ask the newspaper for the current rate.
Bureau of Conveyances recording fee[1][3]$41

Free help

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

More detail

Forms2 forms

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

Online Name Change Application (generates Petition, Fact Sheet, Notice of Change of Name, and Order)Required

How to fill it out

  • You need a free ehawaii.gov account. The session times out after 120 minutes and nothing is saved until you pay, so gather everything first.
  • Have ready: your current legal name, your mother's maiden name and father's name, the name, date, and number on your birth certificate, names on your Social Security card, driver's license, marriage or divorce records, names and birth dates of living children, and any felony convictions.
  • Type your new name exactly as you want it, including any ʻokina or kahakō. The Order copies it exactly.
  • After paying, download and print the four documents single-sided.

Open the form[3][2]

Forms only some people need (1)

Instructions for Change of Name Using the Online System (Rev 3-2026)Optional

Read before you start; it lists every document to mail and the mailing addresses.

Open the form[3]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
You must be a Hawaii resident. Active-duty military stationed in Hawaii apply using their physical Hawaii address.[1][3][4]
Age
Adults apply for themselves. For a child under 18, a parent applies as the petitioner (see Minors).
Criminal record
The online application asks for any felony convictions. According to A4TE, people with sex offense convictions cannot get a name change unless a court finds it is in the interest of justice and will not harm public safety.
Newspaper publication
Yes.

After approval you must publish the signed Notice of Change of Name in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser within 60 days, or the petition is void. The Order is signed only after the newspaper's affidavit of publication reaches the LG's office.

Only for safety: according to A4TE, publication can be waived when a prosecutor files an affidavit that publishing would endanger you (for example, survivors of domestic violence). There is no waiver for gender identity. Contact Legal Aid or the LG's office (LTgov.help@hawaii.gov) before applying if this applies to you.

[3][4]
Court hearing
No.

There is no court hearing. The Lieutenant Governor reviews the petition on paper.

[2]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints. You must disclose felony convictions on the application.

[3]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

No sealing option was found. The Notice is published in a newspaper and the Order is recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances, a public land-records office.

[3]
How long it takes

The LG's office says 8 to 12 weeks, plus up to 60 days each for publication and recording.

MinorsA parent applies online as the petitioner, choosing the "minor" application type.

A parent applies online as the petitioner, choosing the "minor" application type. All parents listed on the child's birth certificate must sign and notarize the petition or a consent form. If a parent has died, include the death certificate; include adoption or guardianship decrees if relevant. The child's certified birth certificate must be no older than 90 days; parents' birth certificates may be photocopies.

[3]
After you finishOnce the Order is recorded, get certified copies (ask the Bureau of Conveyances), then update Social Security first, then your Hawaii…

Once the Order is recorded, get certified copies (ask the Bureau of Conveyances), then update Social Security first, then your Hawaii driver's license or state ID, then your birth certificate, passport, bank, and other records.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • Do not start a second application if you need to fix something. Email LTgov.help@hawaii.gov to reopen the first one so you do not pay twice.
  • Put the two 60-day deadlines (publication and recording) in your calendar the day each document arrives. Missing either one means starting over.
  • The Kua'ana Project at HHHRC in Honolulu has trans peer navigators who help with the paperwork at no cost.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

  • A4TE, Hawaii Identity Documents. Partly outdated. Its driver's license and birth certificate sections describe older rules; use this guide's official sources instead.

Sources

8 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Name Change GuideOffice of the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, Official page. accessed
    “There is a $50.00 filing fee, $1.00 archive fee, and a $5.00 service fee per petition submitted ... publication fee (starting at $204.19) and registration fee ($41).”
  2. About the Name Change ApplicationState of Hawaii Online Name Change System, Official page. accessed
    “a name may be legally changed upon an order of the Lieutenant Governor upon a notarized petition, signed by the person requesting the change of name.”
  3. Instructions for Change of Name Using the Online System (Rev 3-2026)Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, Form. accessed
    “You have sixty (60) days from the date your Notice was signed to publish in the newspaper. Failure to publish within sixty (60) days will automatically void your Petition for Change of Name.”
  4. Hawaii Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “The publication requirement can be waived if a prosecutor files an affidavit attesting the need to waive publication for an applicant's safety.”
  5. Transgender Services, Kua'ana ProjectHawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, Organization. accessed
  6. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed