Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Kansas

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

Adults in Kansas can change their name by petitioning the district court in the county where they live, after 60 days of Kansas residence. Expect a filing fee of roughly $173 to $195 (or file a poverty affidavit), notice by mail or newspaper publication as the judge directs, and a short hearing.

Cost
Can be waived

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

Kansas district courts can change any person's name under K.S.A. 60-1401. You file a petition in the county where you live stating that you have lived in Kansas for at least 60 days, the reason for the change, and the name you want (K.S.A. 60-1402). The judge decides how notice must be given: by publication in a newspaper or by mail to interested people. At a hearing, if the judge is satisfied the petition is true and there is reasonable cause, the judge signs an order.

A name change is still fully available to trans Kansans. What Kansas no longer allows is changing the sex marker on a Kansas driver's license or birth certificate (see those guides). A court order changing your name does not change your legal sex under Kansas law.

Steps

  1. Prepare your petition[3]

    Use the free Kansas Legal Services interactive form, or ask your county's district court clerk or self-help center for the local name change packet. Decide whether to ask for mail notice instead of newspaper publication.

  2. File with the district court clerk and pay the fee[2]

    File in the county where you live. Pay the docket fee, or file a poverty affidavit so no fee is charged. Many Kansas courts accept electronic filing; ask the clerk. The clerk or judge will set a hearing date.

    Cost
    $173-$195 district court docket fee

  3. Give notice the way the judge orders[1]

    If the judge orders publication, the notice runs in a local newspaper under K.S.A. 60-307 and you pay the newspaper and file its proof of publication. If the judge orders notice by mail, send it by certified or registered mail to the people the court names.

    Cost
    Varies newspaper publication (only if the judge orders it)

  4. Attend the hearing[1]

    The judge asks you to confirm the facts in your petition. If the judge is satisfied that they are true and that there is reasonable cause for the change, the judge signs the order changing your name.

  5. Get certified copies of the order[1]

    Ask the clerk for several certified copies. Social Security, the Division of Vehicles, the passport agency, and banks each want one.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[2][3]

If you cannot pay the docket fee because of poverty, file an affidavit saying so and no fee is required (K.S.A. 60-2001(b)).

File the poverty affidavit with your petition. The judge may ask about your income. Publication costs are separate; ask the judge to order notice by mail if you cannot pay a newspaper.

Request to Waive Filing Fees / poverty affidavit (Kansas Legal Services interactive form)

WhatCostNotes
District court docket fee[2]$173-$195Can be waivedThe statute sets a $173 docket fee; a court surcharge of up to $22 has been added, for about $195 total. Confirm the current amount with your county clerk.
Newspaper publication (only if the judge orders it)[1]VariesVaries by vendorSet by the newspaper; ask for a quote before you file.

Free help

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

  • Kansas Legal Services[3]

    Statewide legal aid for low- and moderate-income Kansans; free interactive name change and fee waiver forms. Call 316-267-3975 to apply.

    • Free
    316-267-3975

  • Trans Lifeline[4]

    Peer hotline (877-565-8860); microgrants for name change and ID fees when funding allows.

    • Free

More detail

Forms2 forms

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

Adult Name Change in Kansas (Kansas Legal Services interactive form)Required

How to fill it out

  • The interview produces the petition and related papers for you to print and file with the clerk.
  • Reason for the change: a short, true statement is enough, such as "to use the name I am known by and that matches my gender identity." You do not need medical records.
  • If newspaper publication would put you at risk, say so in the petition and ask the judge to order notice by mail only (or no notice). K.S.A. 60-1402 lets the court choose mail instead of publication.

Open the form[3][1]

Forms only some people need (1)

Request to Waive Filing Fees / poverty affidavit (Kansas Legal Services interactive form)Optional

Only if you cannot afford the docket fee.

Open the form[3][2]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
You must have lived in Kansas for at least 60 days. File in the district court of the county where you live.[1]
Age
The adult process is for people 18 and older. For minors, see the Minors section.
Newspaper publication
Sometimes.

The court directs notice either by newspaper publication (K.S.A. 60-307) or by certified or registered mail. There is no written exemption for trans petitioners, but the judge can choose mail instead of publication.

In your petition (or a separate motion), explain why publishing your old and new names would put your safety or privacy at risk and ask for notice by mail only. Legal aid can help you word this.

[1]
Court hearing
Yes.

The statute calls for a hearing before the order is signed. Hearings are usually short.

[1]
Background check
No.

The name change statutes do not require fingerprints or a background check.

[1]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

We found no Kansas statute that seals name change records. The case is generally a public court record. You can ask the judge to limit access if you face a safety risk.

[1]
How long it takes

Usually one to two months from filing to order, depending on the court's hearing calendar and any publication period.

MinorsA parent or guardian files for a child in the county where the child lives.

A parent or guardian files for a child in the county where the child lives. Courts generally require notice to both parents; confirm the local procedure with your clerk or Kansas Legal Services.

[3]
After you finish1. Social Security: update your name first (Form SS-5, with a certified copy of the order).
  1. Social Security: update your name first (Form SS-5, with a certified copy of the order).
  2. Driver's license or ID: bring the certified order to a Division of Vehicles office ($16 for a license, $12 for an ID). The sex marker will stay as assigned at birth.
  3. Birth certificate (if born in Kansas): ask KDHE Vital Statistics to amend the name.
  4. Passport, then banks, employer, and everything else.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Ask the clerk whether your county has a self-help center or a name change packet; local forms vary.
  • Order extra certified copies at the start; it is cheaper than coming back.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

4 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. K.S.A. 60-1402, Change of name of personKansas Legislature, Law. accessed
    “If upon hearing the judge is satisfied as to the truth of the allegations of the petition, and that there is reasonable cause for changing the name of the petitioner the judge shall so order.”
  2. K.S.A. 60-2001, Docket feeKansas Legislature, Law. accessed
    “In any case where a plaintiff by reason of poverty is unable to pay a docket fee, and an affidavit so stating is filed, no fee will be required.”
  3. Free Legal FormsKansas Legal Services, Organization. accessed
  4. Trans LifelineOrganization. accessed