Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Iowa

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
Sometimes
Sealed recordA court file that is kept confidential and not available to the public.
Not offered

Iowa adults can change their name by e-filing a petition in the district court of the county where they live. There is no newspaper publication and usually no hearing; the judge can sign the decree 30 days after filing. The filing fee is $215 (you can ask to defer it). If you are married, you must formally notify your spouse.

Main cost
$215, can be waived
Apply
Online
Typical wait
30 days or more

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

Iowa's name change law (Iowa Code chapter 674) is short and does not ask why you want a new name beyond a brief reason. You file one form, the Petition for Change of Name of Adult, with the district court in the county where you live, attach a certified copy of your birth certificate, and pay the filing fee. A decree can be granted any time after 30 days. There is no newspaper publication and no fingerprinting.

Changing your name is still fully available to trans Iowans. What changed in 2025 is the sex marker: under SF 418, effective July 1, 2025, Iowa no longer changes the sex on Iowa birth certificates and the DOT no longer changes the sex on licenses to anything other than what your identity document shows. The petition itself asks for your "sex"; see the tips below.

Steps

  1. Prepare your petition[3][5][10]

    Use the free Iowa Interactive Court Forms interview (linked from the court's name change page) or download the Petition for Change of Name of Adult and fill it in. Get a certified copy of your birth certificate to attach (Iowa births: $20 from Iowa HHS; other states: order from your birth state). Fill out the Protected Information Disclosure form too.

  2. Ask to defer the fee if you cannot pay[4]

    Optional

    File an Application to Defer Costs with your petition. A judge decides; if granted, you can start the case without paying up front. The court may still decide later who pays the costs.

  3. E-file with the district court in your county[3][6][4]

    Iowa requires electronic filing through the Iowa Courts eFile system unless the court excuses you. Create an eFile account, start a new civil case in the county where you live, upload the petition, the protected information form, and your birth certificate, and pay the filing fee. If you do not have a computer, clerk's offices have public terminals and staff can show you how to use them (they cannot give legal advice).

    Cost
    $215 district court filing fee (petition for change of name)

  4. If you are married, serve your spouse[1][3]

    Optional

    Iowa Code § 674.6 requires legal notice to your spouse "in the manner of an original notice." That usually means the sheriff or a private process server delivers a copy of the petition and an original notice, and you file proof of service. The sheriff charges a fee. If your spouse cannot be found, ask the clerk or a legal aid office about service by publication, which is the only situation where a newspaper notice may come up.

    Cost
    Varies sheriff or process server fee to serve your spouse (only if married)

  5. Wait at least 30 days for the decree[1]

    A judge may sign the decree any time after 30 days from filing. For an uncontested adult petition there is usually no hearing; the signed decree is posted to your eFile account.

    Time
    30 days or more

  6. Get certified copies of the decree[1][4]

    The clerk must give you a certified copy of the decree. Ask for extra certified copies for Social Security, the DOT, your passport, and banks. The clerk charges a certification fee per document.

    Cost
    $50 certification and seal of a court document (each)

  7. Update your other documents, in this order[12][11][13]

    1. Social Security first (free). The Iowa DOT checks your name against Social Security's records, so it must be updated before you go to the DOT.
    2. Iowa DOT license or ID (in person, $10; see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate: if you were born in Iowa, the clerk forwards an abstract of your decree to Iowa HHS, which adds the new name ($15 fee). If you were born elsewhere, send the decree to your birth state.
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[4]

There is no fixed income cutoff. A judge may let you file without prepaying fees "in the interest of justice" if you cannot afford them. You will describe your household size, income, assets, and expenses.

File the Application to Defer Costs (the court's interactive interview builds it) together with your petition.

Defer-Costs

WhatCostNotes
District court filing fee (petition for change of name)[4][3][2]$215Can be waivedThe court's fee page lists $215 after 2026 legislative changes. In counties over 98,000 people (including Polk), an extra $5 journal publication fee may be charged. The fee can be deferred, not simply waived; a judge decides.
Sheriff or process server fee to serve your spouse (only if married)[3]VariesVaries by countySet by each county sheriff. The court's name change page warns there "may be an additional cost."
Certification and seal of a court document (each)[4][1]$50Per the court's civil fee page. Copies are also $0.50 per page. The statute requires the clerk to furnish you one certified copy of the decree; confirm with the clerk whether that first copy is charged.

Free help

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

  • Lavender Legal Center[14]

    Iowa nonprofit law office by and for LGBTQ+ people providing direct representation, advocacy, and referrals, with priority for people with low income and LGBTQ+ youth. Helps with name changes. Email info@lavenderlegal.org.

    • Cost varies

  • Iowa Legal Aid[15]

    Statewide free civil legal help for people with low income. Call to ask whether they can help with a name change or with serving a spouse.

    • Free
    • Community reported
    515-243-1193

  • One Iowa[16][15]

    Des Moines-based statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. Publishes a guide to SF 418 and can refer you to LGBTQ-friendly attorneys (email info@oneiowa.org). It does not provide legal representation.

    • Free
    515-288-4019

  • Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund[18][19]

    Community fund for trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse Iowans. Applications open during the first week of each month; A4TE lists name change fees among the costs it has helped with. Email itmaf@proton.me.

    • Free

  • Love in the Face[17]

    No-cost, step-by-step coaching through the legal name and gender marker change paperwork, listed on One Iowa's health resources page. Not a law firm.

    • Free
    • Community reported

More detail

Forms4 forms: Petition-Adult, Form-14, Petition-Minor, Defer-Costs

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (2)

Petition-AdultPetition for Change of Name of Adult (no dissolution of marriage)Required

How to fill it out

  • Easiest route: use the court's free interactive interview (Iowa Interactive Court Forms), which builds the petition for you.
  • Item 3 asks you to write "female/male". Since SF 418 (2025), Iowa law defines sex as sex observed at birth, and the decree will copy what you write here. Many people write what matches their birth certificate so the decree matches the document they attach; if you are unsure, ask a legal aid organization before filing.
  • Item 5 asks for every address in the past five years.
  • Item 6: if you check "married", you must formally serve your spouse (see the steps).
  • Item 8, reason: a short sentence is enough, such as "to reflect the name I use in daily life" or "to match my gender identity." You do not need a doctor's letter.
  • Item 10: attach a certified copy of your birth certificate, or explain why you cannot and attach another ID.
  • The form contains protected information (such as your date of birth). File a Protected Information Disclosure form and leave those items redacted on the public copy, as the form instructs.

Open Petition-Adult[7][3][5]

Form-14Protected Information Disclosure (Iowa Court Rule 17.10, Form 14)Required

The name change petition asks for protected information (for example, your full date of birth), so the court requires this separate form.

Open Form-14[9][7]

Forms only some people need (2)

Petition-MinorPetition for Change of Name of Minor ChildSometimes required: Only when a parent is changing a child's name.

Only when a parent is changing a child's name. The child's written consent is required at 14 and older; both parents' consent under 14.

Open Petition-Minor[8][3]

Defer-CostsApplication to Defer Costs (Iowa Interactive Court Forms interview)Optional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee. A judge decides whether to let you file without paying first.

Open Defer-Costs[4]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the district court of the Iowa county where you live. Chapter 674 sets no minimum time you must have lived there.[1][3][7]
Age
18 or older for your own petition. A parent files for a minor child; see the Minors section.
Criminal record
The statute limits the process to adults who do not have "any civil disabilities." People who are incarcerated, or whose rights are restricted because of a felony conviction, may be refused. Talk to a lawyer if this applies to you.
Other
You may change your name under chapter 674 only once unless you show just cause, and the petition asks you to confirm you have not used it before.
Newspaper publication
No.

Chapter 674 does not require publishing your name change in a newspaper. Publication may come up only if you are married and your spouse cannot be found for service.

[1][3]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

No hearing is required for an adult; the decree may be granted any time after 30 days. A hearing is required for a child under 14 when a parent does not consent, and a judge may set one in other cases.

[1]
Background check
No.

No fingerprinting or background check. The petition asks for a physical description (height, weight, hair and eye color, race, sex) and five years of addresses.

[1][7]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Iowa has no special sealing procedure for name changes. The court case is public (protected details like your date of birth are redacted via the Protected Information Disclosure form). The clerk sends a copy of the petition to the state registrar of vital statistics. On the birth record side, Iowa birth certificates amended after a chapter 674 name change are held only at the state office, not by county recorders, and show both the former and new names.

If you have a safety concern, talk to a lawyer about asking the court to seal the file; there is no standard form for this. Iowa's Safe at Home program (Secretary of State) can keep your address confidential.

[1][11][9]
How long it takes

About 30 to 60 days from filing to a signed decree (longer if you must serve a spouse), then a few weeks to update Social Security and the DOT. Iowa HHS takes about 4 to 6 weeks to add the new name to an Iowa birth certificate.

MinorsA parent files the Petition for Change of Name of Minor Child in the county where the child lives (or includes the child in the parent's…

A parent files the Petition for Change of Name of Minor Child in the county where the child lives (or includes the child in the parent's own petition). If the child is 14 or older, the child's written consent is required. If the child is under 14, both parents listed on the birth certificate must consent in writing; if one does not, the court sets a hearing on 20 days' notice and may waive that parent's consent only if the parent abandoned the child, failed without good cause to pay ordered support, or does not object after proper notice. Judges weigh the child's best interests.

[1][8][3]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring the certified decree and photo ID; the name changes, but the sex field currently cannot be changed).

Start with Social Security (bring the certified decree and photo ID; the name changes, but the sex field currently cannot be changed). Then the Iowa DOT: book an appointment, bring the certified decree, and pay $10 for a replacement license or ID. If you were born in Iowa, the clerk forwards an abstract of the decree (form 470-5446) to Iowa HHS, which adds your new name to your birth certificate for $15 plus $20 per certified copy; the sex on an Iowa birth certificate can no longer be changed. Then your passport (name changes are still processed), bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • The court's free Iowa Interactive Court Forms interview fills in the petition for you and is the fastest way to avoid mistakes.
  • Your decree will list the sex you write on the petition, and Iowa agencies now use sex observed at birth. A decree that lists a different sex from your birth certificate will not change your Iowa birth certificate or Iowa license. Ask Lavender Legal Center or another legal aid group if you are unsure what to write.
  • Ask the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund about help with name change costs; applications open the first week of each month.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

19 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 674, Changing NamesIowa Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A decree of change of name may be granted any time after thirty days of the filing of the petition.”
  2. Iowa Code 2026, § 602.8105, Fees for civil casesIowa Legislature, Law. accessed
    “In counties having a population of ninety-eight thousand or over, an additional five dollars shall be charged and collected to be known as the journal publication fee.”
  3. Name ChangeIowa Judicial Branch, Court. accessed
    “You will need to electronically file the Petition for Change of Name and pay the $215 filing fee. You must file electronically unless you get permission from the court to be excused from electronic filing.”
  4. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branch, Court. accessed
    “Name Change ... $215 § 602.8105(1)(a). Certification and seal of court document $50. *Court fees updated to reflect Iowa Legislature 2026 changes”
  5. Iowa Interactive Court FormsIowa Judicial Branch, Court. accessed
  6. Iowa Courts eFileIowa Judicial Branch, Court. accessed
  7. Petition for Change of Name of Adult (no dissolution of marriage), November 2024Iowa Judicial Branch, Form. accessed
    “Caution: this form requires protected information and the filing of a separate Protected Information Form.”
  8. Petition for Change of Name of Minor Child, December 2020Iowa Judicial Branch, Form. accessed
  9. Rule 17.10, Form 14, Protected Information DisclosureIowa Judicial Branch, Form. accessed
  10. Vital RecordsIowa Department of Health and Human Services, Official page. accessed
    “Administrative processing fees at the state level are $15 as of July 1, 2019. This includes amendments ... legal change of names.”
  11. Form 470-5446, Abstract to Change Registrant's Legal Name on Birth Certificate (07/26)Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Form. accessed
    “Both the former name and the new name will appear on the record with a statement regarding the court order and the date.”
  12. Change or Update Driver's License or IDIowa Department of Transportation, Official page. accessed
    “Changing your name on an Iowa driver's license or ID must be done in person at any DMV location by scheduling an appointment. There is a $10 charge.”
  13. Iowa Administrative Code 761, Chapter 601, Application for License (IAC 6/24/26)Iowa Legislature, Regulation. accessed
    “The applicant must establish that the applicant's Social Security Administration's account number is issued in the applicant's current legal name.”
  14. Lavender Legal CenterOrganization. accessed
    “Lavender provides direct representation, advocacy, and referrals, with a priority for serving those with low income and our LGBTQ+ youth.”
  15. Iowa Civil Rights Removal Act Implementation GuideOne Iowa, Organization. accessed
  16. LGBTQ Inclusive Healthcare OrganizationsOne Iowa, Organization. accessed
    “Love in the Face provides a no-cost step-by-step coaching process that empowers you to complete your legal name and/or gender marker change.”
  17. Apply for AidIowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund, Organization. accessed
    “The Iowa Trans Mutual Aid fund applications are open during the first week of the month.”
  18. Iowa Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed