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Legal name change in Maryland

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  • Page changed: Changing Gender Designation (2026-10-05) · #136
  • Page changed: Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit Court (effective September 2, 2026) (2026-09-28) · #51
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.
Possible

Maryland adults can change their name by filing a petition in circuit court. There is no newspaper publication, the filing fee is $165 (waivable if you cannot afford it), and most unopposed petitions are decided on the papers, about 30 days or more after filing. A separate petition gets you a court order recognizing your gender, and that type of case is confidential automatically.

Main cost
$165, can be waived
Apply
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

You file a short petition with the circuit court (not the District Court) in the county or Baltimore City where you live, work, or were born. Since January 1, 2023, Maryland does not require you to publish your name change in a newspaper. The court cannot sign the order until 30 days after you file, and it may decide without a hearing. It cannot deny your petition without a hearing if you ask for one.

There are two paths:

  • Name only: Petition for Change of Name of an Adult (CC-DR-060). The case is public unless you ask the court to seal it.
  • Gender recognition, with or without a name change: Petition for Judicial Declaration of Gender Identity of an Adult (CC-DR-120). These cases are confidential automatically. You do not need this order to change your gender on a Maryland driver's license or a Maryland birth certificate, but it can help with other states, other countries, and anywhere that asks for a court order.

Steps

  1. Choose your petition[1][2][11]

    • Name only: CC-DR-060. Add CC-DC-053 if you want the record sealed.
    • Court order recognizing your gender, with or without a new name: CC-DR-120. Confidential automatically.

    Free help filling out either form: the Maryland Court Help Center (410-260-1392, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.), the family law help center at your courthouse, or Trans Maryland's Name Change Program, which pre-fills the forms for you.

  2. Ask for a fee waiver if you cannot pay[9][11]

    Optional

    File the Request for Waiver of Costs (CC-DC-089) and the Notice Regarding Restricted Information (MDJ-008) with your petition. No fee is due when you file. A judge decides; if it is denied you have 10 days to pay. Trans Maryland also covers costs for trans adults who cannot afford them.

  3. File at the circuit court clerk[1][8]

    Bring or mail your petition, attachments, and the $165 fee (or fee waiver request) to the clerk of the circuit court in your county or Baltimore City. Do not go to the District Court. Keep a stamped copy. Sign with your current legal name.

    Cost
    $165 circuit court filing fee (name change or gender declaration petition)

  4. Wait at least 30 days for the order[6][1][11]

    There is no newspaper notice. For an adult, the court may not sign the order until 30 days after filing; anyone who knows of a fraudulent or illegal purpose can object in that time. The judge may rule without a hearing. If an objection is filed you may answer it within 15 days, and the court cannot deny your petition without a hearing if you ask for one. Timelines vary a lot by county.

    Time
    30 days minimum; often longer

  5. Get certified copies of the order[1][8]

    If the court does not mail you a certified copy, ask the clerk. Get at least 3. Certification costs $5 per copy plus 50 cents per page.

    Cost
    $5 certified copy of the order

  6. Update your other documents, in this order[1][10][11]

    1. Social Security first (free). The MVA will not change your name until SSA has it.
    2. MVA driver's license or ID, in person (see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate, if you were born in Maryland (see the birth certificate guide).
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records. If you were married in Maryland, form CC-FM-072 gets you a new marriage record.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[9]

The judge decides based on the Maryland Legal Services Corporation income guidelines and other factors, such as receiving public benefits. There is no automatic qualification written on the Judiciary's page.

File CC-DC-089 and MDJ-008 with your petition. If granted, the clerk opens your case without payment. If denied, pay within 10 days or the case is treated as withdrawn.

CC-DC-089MDJ-008

WhatCostNotes
Circuit court filing fee (name change or gender declaration petition)[8][1][2]$165Can be waivedStatewide civil filing fee. The same $165 applies to a judicial declaration of gender identity.
Certified copy of the order[8]$5$5 per certification plus 50 cents per page.

Free help

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

  • Trans Maryland, Name Change Program and Document Assistance Clinics[11][12]

    By-and-for trans program for Maryland adults 18+. Pre-fills court forms, schedules a phone intake, and helps through court, SSA, MVA, birth certificate, and passport. All costs covered for people who cannot afford them (costs above $1,000 may need an outside referral). Also runs free in-person document clinics around the state.

    • Free

    Serves: Statewide (Maryland residents)

  • FreeState Justice[13]

    Maryland's LGBTQ+ legal aid organization. Free legal services for low-income clients, including name changes and judicial declarations of gender identity for adults and minors. Legal intake 443-977-4254.

    • Free
    443-977-42542601 N Howard Street, Suite 120, Baltimore, MD 21218

  • Whitman-Walker Health, Legal Services[14]

    Free legal help with name and gender marker changes for people in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, including help collecting provider letters and seeking help with court fees. Name and gender change clinics with TransLAW. Call 202-939-7630.

    • Free
    202-939-7630

  • Maryland Court Help Center[1]

    Free legal help by phone and live chat from Judiciary staff attorneys, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. They explain the process and help with forms but do not represent you.

    • Free
    410-260-1392

More detail

Forms11 forms: CC-DR-060, CC-DR-120, CC-DC-053, CC-DC-089, and more

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

CC-DR-060Petition for Change of Name of an AdultSometimes required: Use this if you only want to change your name.

How to fill it out

  • Item 2: check why you are filing in this county (you live, work, or were born here).
  • Item 3 and 4: your birth name, and any later name changes (marriage, divorce, adoption).
  • Item 5 ("because"): a short, honest reason is enough, for example "to match my gender identity" or "this is the name I use." You do not need to attach any medical letter or explain your transition.
  • Item 6: check whether you have ever registered as a sexual offender.
  • Attach a copy of your birth certificate, driver's license, passport, or another document showing your current name. Sign with your current legal name.
  • The form warns that the clerk must report your name change to the State Board of Elections. If you are worried about your old and new names being linked, contact the Board to ask about shielding.

Open CC-DR-060[3][1]

CC-DR-120Petition for Judicial Declaration of Gender Identity of an Adult With/Without a Name ChangeSometimes required: Use this instead of CC-DR-060 if you want a court order recognizing your gender (it can…

Use this instead of CC-DR-060 if you want a court order recognizing your gender (it can include your name change in the same case).

How to fill it out

  • At the top, check with or without a name change, and write the gender designation you are asking for.
  • Item 3: write the gender you are asking the court to declare and a short reason. The rule lets you attach "any documentation in support," but it does not require a doctor's letter.
  • Item 4: fill in only if you are also changing your name (birth name, earlier names, new name, sexual offender registration question), and attach a document showing your current name.
  • These cases are confidential automatically; you do not need a separate sealing request.

Open CC-DR-120[4][2][6]

CC-DC-053Petition to Seal or Otherwise Limit Inspection of a Case RecordOptional

Only for a name-only case (CC-DR-060 or CC-DR-062) if you want the record kept from the public. Gender identity cases (CC-DR-120/121) are already confidential.

How to fill it out

Explain the specific reason, for example a risk of harassment or violence if your former name and new name are publicly linked. The court requires a "special and compelling reason."

Open CC-DC-053[1]

CC-DC-089Request for Waiver of CostsOptional

Only if you cannot afford the $165 filing fee. File it with your petition, together with form MDJ-008.

Open CC-DC-089[9]

MDJ-008Notice Regarding Restricted InformationSometimes required: Required with a fee waiver request.

Open MDJ-008[9]

CC-DR-062Petition for Change of Name of a MinorSometimes required: For a child's name change only.

For a child's name change only. For a child's gender declaration (with or without a name change), use CC-DR-121.

Open CC-DR-062[5][1]

CC-DR-121Petition for Judicial Declaration of Gender Identity of a Minor With/Without a Name ChangeSometimes required: Filed by a parent, guardian, or custodian for a minor.

Open CC-DR-121[2]

CC-DR-063Parent's/Guardian's/Custodian's Consent/Objection to Change of Name of a MinorSometimes required: For each parent, guardian, or custodian in a minor's name-change case.

Open CC-DR-063[1]

CC-DR-119Minor's Consent/Objection to Change of NameSometimes required: Required if the minor is 10 or older.

Open CC-DR-119[1]

CC-DR-123Parent's/Guardian's/Custodian's Consent/Objection to Judicial Declaration of Gender Identity of a MinorSometimes required: For each parent, guardian, or custodian in a minor's gender identity case.

Open CC-DR-123[2]

CC-DR-124Minor's Consent/Objection to Judicial Declaration of Gender IdentitySometimes required: Required if the minor is 10 or older.

Open CC-DR-124[2]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the circuit court for the county (or Baltimore City) where you live, carry on a regular business, work, or habitually engage in a vocation, or where you were born. People born in Maryland can file here even if they now live elsewhere.[1][3][6]
Age
18 or older for the adult petition. For a minor, a parent, guardian, or custodian files; see the Minors section.
Criminal record
The petition asks whether you have ever registered as a sexual offender and, if so, under what names and in which states. Registration does not automatically bar a name change, but a registrant must notify law enforcement within three days after the order. The name change cannot be for an illegal or fraudulent purpose.
Newspaper publication
No.

The Court of Appeals deleted the newspaper publication requirement from Rule 15-901 for actions filed on or after January 1, 2023. Before that, Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 3-2201 (2022) already required courts to waive publication on request. Some older guides still describe publication; they are out of date.

[6][7][1]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

For adults, the judge may rule without a hearing but not earlier than 30 days after filing. The court cannot deny a petition without a hearing if you requested one. For minors, a hearing is required if a parent, guardian, or custodian objects.

[6]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints or background check. You must disclose any sexual offender registration on the petition.

[3][6]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

Judicial declaration of gender identity cases (CC-DR-120/121, with or without a name change) are confidential automatically under Rule 16-914(p). Name-only cases are public (they appear in Maryland Judiciary Case Search) unless you file CC-DC-053 and show a special and compelling reason. Either way, the clerk reports the name change to the State Board of Elections.

If privacy matters to you, the simplest route is to file CC-DR-120 and include your name change in it. Otherwise file CC-DC-053 with your CC-DR-060 petition.

[2][1][6][4]
How long it takes

At least 30 days from filing to a signed order for adults; in practice often 1 to 3 months depending on the county. Then 1 to 3 weeks to update Social Security and the MVA.

MinorsA parent, guardian, or custodian files in the county where the child or any parent, guardian, or custodian lives.

A parent, guardian, or custodian files in the county where the child or any parent, guardian, or custodian lives. Name only: CC-DR-062. Gender declaration, with or without a name change: CC-DR-121 (confidential automatically; can also be filed where the child was born). Attach the written consent of each parent, guardian, or custodian (CC-DR-063 or CC-DR-123) and, if the child is 10 or older, the child's own consent (CC-DR-119 or CC-DR-124). If a parent has not consented, the clerk issues a notice that you must have served on them; they have 30 days to object, and silence counts as consent. If everyone consents or no one objects, the judge can rule without a hearing; otherwise the court holds a hearing and decides based on the child's best interest.

[1][2][5][6]
After you finishGo to Social Security first with your certified order and photo ID (the name changes; the sex field currently cannot be changed there).

Go to Social Security first with your certified order and photo ID (the name changes; the sex field currently cannot be changed there). Then the MVA in person: your name must match SSA, and you can change your gender marker to M, F, or X at the same visit just by checking a box ($30 for a corrected license or ID). If you were born in Maryland, send the order to the Division of Vital Records for a new birth certificate. Then your passport (name changes are processed; sex marker changes currently are not), bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • If you want privacy, file CC-DR-120 (gender declaration) with your name change included. It is automatically confidential, costs the same $165, and gives you a court order recognizing your gender that other states and countries accept.
  • Trans Maryland's Name Change Program pre-fills your forms, covers costs for trans adults who cannot afford them, and stays with you through the court, SSA, and MVA steps.
  • The Maryland Court Help Center (410-260-1392) has lawyers who answer questions for free by phone and chat, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

14 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Name ChangeMaryland Judiciary, Official page. accessed
    “If you are an adult changing your own name, go to the circuit court in the county (or Baltimore City) where you live, carry on a regular business, work, habitually engage in a vocation, or where you were born.”
  2. Judicial Declarations of Gender IdentityMaryland Judiciary, Official page. accessed
    “Judicial declarations of gender identity cases are confidential. You do not need to do anything to prevent the public from seeing records in your case.”
  3. Form CC-DR-060, Petition for Change of Name of an Adult (Rev. 08/2025)Maryland Judiciary, Form. accessed
    “The Clerk of Court is required by law to notify the State Board of Elections (SBE) of a court-ordered change of name.”
  4. Form CC-DR-120, Petition for Judicial Declaration of Gender Identity of an Adult With/Without a Name Change (Rev. 08/2025)Maryland Judiciary, Form. accessed
    “A court order is not necessary to update your gender marker on records with the Social Security Administration, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Division of Vital Records (for your Maryland birth certificate), or the U.S. Department of State (for your passport).”
  5. Form CC-DR-062, Petition for Change of Name of a Minor (Rev. 01/2023)Maryland Judiciary, Form. accessed
  6. Rules Order adopting the 211th Report (Rules 15-901 and 15-902), filed September 30, 2022Court of Appeals of Maryland, Court. accessed
    “Although there is no publication or other required notice of a requested name change of an adult, if a person learns of a requested name change, the 30-day delay in the entry of an order after the petition is filed affords a period of time within which an objection could be filed.”
  7. Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-2201Maryland General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “On motion by an individual who has filed an action for change of name under Maryland Rule 15-901, the court shall waive the publication requirement under the rule.”
  8. Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit Court (effective September 2, 2026)Maryland Judiciary, Official page. accessed
    “CERTIFICATION $5 each + 50¢/ page”
  9. Filing Fee WaiversMaryland Judiciary, Official page. accessed
    “The court will consider the MLSC Client Income Eligibility Guidelines in evaluating your request, although it is ultimately up to the court to decide whether or not to grant the waiver.”
  10. Changing Gender DesignationMaryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Official page. accessed
    “Name changes on a driver's license or ID card are completed via submission of appropriate documentation of the name change and must also be reflected in the Social Security Card.”
  11. Name and Gender Change ProgramTrans Maryland, Organization. accessed
    “All costs covered for those who cannot afford them (costs above $1000 per person may require external referral).”
  12. Trans Maryland Document Assistance ClinicsTrans Maryland, Organization. accessed