Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Maine

Change detected, under review. An official source this page relies on changed recently. Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.

  • Page changed: 18-C M.R.S. § 1-701, Process to change name (2026-10-12) · #254
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

Maine adults change their name by filing a petition (form CN-1) in the Probate Court of the county where they live. The filing fee is $75, there is no newspaper publication, and the court runs a routine criminal background check. You can ask the court to keep the name change confidential. If you were born in Maine, you may be able to skip court entirely for a first and middle name change by doing it together with your birth certificate gender marker.

Main cost
$75, can be waived
Apply
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

Name changes in Maine are handled by the Probate Court in each county. Each county runs its own court, so small details (extra forms, whether you must attend a hearing) vary. The state law, 18-C M.R.S. § 1-701, sets the basics everywhere: a $75 filing fee, no public notice for adults, and a criminal history record check for every adult petitioner.

Maine does not require you to give a gender-related reason. The petition asks why you want the change; any honest answer works, for example "This is the name I use and I want it to be my legal name."

Shortcut for people born in Maine: if you are changing your gender marker on your Maine birth certificate, you can change your first and middle names on that same application (form VS-7), without a court order. That changes the birth certificate only. Many agencies (Social Security, banks) will still ask for a court order or the amended birth certificate as proof, so read the birth certificate guide before deciding. A last name change always needs the Probate Court.

Steps

  1. Get the forms and a recent birth certificate[3][5]

    Download CN-1 and AF-103 from the Maine Probate Courts forms page, or pick them up at your county Registry of Probate (a small charge of $1 to $5 may apply). Courts may prefer their own printed copy, so call ahead. Pine Tree Legal Assistance reports that courts ask for a certified copy of your birth certificate issued within the last 6 months and a government photo ID. If you were born in Maine, a certified copy costs $15 from Vital Records.

    Forms
    CN-1, AF-103

  2. Fill out the petition and affidavit and have them notarized[2][5]

    Sign both in front of a notary. Notaries are available at many town offices, banks, and at the Registry of Probate, often free. Decide now whether to ask for confidentiality (item 9 on CN-1).

    Forms
    CN-1, AF-103

  3. File at the Probate Court in your county and pay $75[1][5]

    Hand the forms to the Registry of Probate clerk and pay the $75 filing fee. If you cannot afford it, ask the clerk for the fee waiver paperwork before you pay; the court may waive fees or set up a payment plan. If you are married, ask whether your court requires notice to your spouse (your spouse can sign waiver form N-107); you can ask the court to skip spouse notice if you fear for your safety.

    Cost
    $75 probate Court filing fee, name change petition

  4. The court runs a background check[1][2]

    The court orders a criminal history record check through the State Bureau of Identification, and may also check your driving record or credit. You do not usually need to do anything; the results are confidential and destroyed after the case is decided.

  5. Attend the hearing if your court requires it[5]

    The court schedules the petition on its docket and sends you the date. Some Probate Courts require you to appear; others decide on the papers. Call your Registry of Probate to ask.

  6. Get your Certificate of Name Change and extra copies[5][4]

    When the judge approves, the court mails you a Certificate of Name Change. Buy a few extra certified certificates: Social Security, the BMV, the passport agency, and banks each want to see one. In Cumberland County each certificate costs $10. If you were born in Maine, ask the court for the VS-14 form, which you send with $60 to Vital Records to update your birth certificate.

    Cost
    $10 certificate of Name Change (each)

  7. Update your other documents, in this order[5]

    1. Social Security first (free).
    2. Maine BMV license or ID, within 30 days (see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate if born in Maine (see the birth certificate guide).
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[5]

The Probate Court may waive fees if you cannot afford them. You will need to give the court information about your income, expenses, and any public benefits (MaineCare, SNAP, SSI, TANF).

Ask the Registry of Probate clerk for the fee waiver forms when you file. The court may also offer a payment plan.

WhatCostNotes
Probate Court filing fee, name change petition[1][5]$75Can be waivedSet by statute (18-C M.R.S. § 1-701(4)). There is no publication cost for adults. The court may charge you for the background check; no amount is published.
Certificate of Name Change (each)[4]$10Varies by countyCumberland County fee. Attested or certified copies of other documents are $1 per page plus $5 per document there.

Free help

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

  • GLAD Law, Transgender ID Project and GLAD Law Answers[8][9]

    Free help for trans people in New England updating their legal name and gender marker on state and federal documents, with pro bono attorneys from partner firms. GLAD Law Answers is a free, confidential legal information line (online intake or voicemail at 800-455-GLAD); replies within about 3 working days.

    • Free
    800-455-4523

  • Pine Tree Legal Assistance[5]

    Statewide free civil legal aid for low-income Mainers. Publishes a detailed, current guide to changing your name and gender marker in Maine, and may be able to help directly, especially if you have safety concerns about notice.

    • Free

  • MaineTransNet[10]

    Statewide trans-led organization running peer support groups and community programs, based at the Equality Community Center in Portland.

    • Free
    15 Casco St, Portland, ME 04101

  • Genderbands grants[11]

    Small grants for transition costs, including legal name change fees; 18 and older.

    • Free

More detail

Forms3 forms: CN-1, AF-103, AF-101

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

CN-1Petition for Change of Name (Adult)Required

How to fill it out

  • Items 1 to 5: your current legal name, address, email, date of birth, and every name you have been known by (including your birth name).
  • Item 6: the new name you want. Check spelling carefully; the certificate copies it exactly.
  • Item 7 (reasons): there is no required reason. A short, honest sentence is enough, such as "This is the name I use and I want it to be my legal name." You do not have to mention being trans.
  • Item 8: acknowledges the court will run a criminal history check (and may run a motor vehicle or credit check).
  • Item 9, confidentiality: check the first box if you want the name change order kept confidential and explain why (for example, you fear harassment or violence if your former name is linked to your new name). The court weighs whether you are a victim of abuse, whether you reasonably fear for your safety, and whether you are in the Address Confidentiality Program.
  • Item 9, State Bureau of Identification: check the second box only if there are extraordinary circumstances for not sending an abstract of the order to the State Bureau of Identification; this is only available together with a confidentiality order.
  • Sign using your current legal name in front of a notary, the Register of Probate, or an attorney (page 3).

Open CN-1[2][5]

Forms only some people need (2)

AF-103Affidavit by Adult Seeking to Have Name ChangedSometimes required: Most Probate Courts require it.

Most Probate Courts require it. You swear you are not changing your name to avoid debts or criminal charges. Must be notarized.

Open AF-103[3][5]

AF-101Jurisdictional Affidavit (Probate)Sometimes required: Required for minor name changes and some other family cases; ask your Probate Court…

Required for minor name changes and some other family cases; ask your Probate Court whether it wants one with an adult petition.

Open AF-101[3][6]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the Probate Court of the Maine county where you live.[1][2]
Age
18 or older for the adult petition (CN-1). For people under 18, see the Minors section.
Criminal record
Every adult petitioner goes through a criminal history record check. A record does not automatically bar a name change, but the court may not grant a change it believes is meant to defraud anyone, and there is a presumption against the change if you are currently on probation, parole, or supervised release as a sex offender, or must register as a sex offender.
Newspaper publication
No.

For adults, the court may not require public notice before approving a name change (18-C M.R.S. § 1-701(2)). Some older county fee schedules still list a publication fee; that is out of date.

[1][5]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The statute does not require a hearing for adults. In practice the court schedules one; some counties require you to attend and others do not. Ask your Registry of Probate.

[1][5]
Background check
Yes.

The court must run a criminal history record check on every adult petitioner and may also check your motor vehicle record or credit (18-C M.R.S. § 1-701(5)). The court may make you pay for the checks. After the order, an abstract (old name, new name, date of birth) is sent to the State Bureau of Identification unless the court, in a confidential case, finds extraordinary circumstances not to send it.

[1][2]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

Adult name change orders are public by default. You can ask the court to make yours confidential. The court grants it if your interest in confidentiality outweighs the public interest, considering whether you are a victim of abuse, whether you reasonably fear for your safety, whether you are in the Address Confidentiality Program, and your background check. There is a presumption against confidentiality for recent serious convictions, and it is not available if you are on probation, parole, or sex-offender supervision or registration.

Check the confidentiality box in item 9 of CN-1 and explain your reasons. Fear of harassment or violence as a trans person is a relevant reason to describe.

[1][2]
How long it takes

Varies by county, usually several weeks to a few months from filing to the certificate, depending on the background check and the hearing schedule.

MinorsA parent or guardian files in the Probate Court of the county where the child lives, using NC-001 (Petition for Change of Name, Child) plus…

A parent or guardian files in the Probate Court of the county where the child lives, using NC-001 (Petition for Change of Name, Child) plus a jurisdictional affidavit; if a family matter is already open in District Court, the request goes there instead. The petitioner must give notice to the other parent, any guardian or custodian, and the child if 14 or older. If everyone agrees (they can sign NC-003, Waiver and Consent), the court must grant the change. If not, the judge decides based on the child's best interest, including the child's preference, whether a child 14 or older consents, how much the child already uses the name, and any harassment or embarrassment the child faces with the current name. The court may make a minor's name change confidential and may limit notice when there is abuse or a safety fear.

[1][3][7]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring the Certificate of Name Change and photo ID; the name can change, the sex field currently cannot).

Start with Social Security (bring the Certificate of Name Change and photo ID; the name can change, the sex field currently cannot). Then the Maine BMV within 30 days ($5 replacement fee for a standard card, $30 for REAL ID). If you were born in Maine, update your birth certificate with the VS-14 from the court and $60. Then your passport (name changes are processed; sex marker changes are not, as of September 2026), bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • The Registry of Probate staff can explain the forms and local practice; they cannot give legal advice, but asking them saves trips.
  • If you were born in Maine and only need your first and middle names changed along with your gender marker, the VS-7 birth certificate route costs $60 and skips court, but it does not produce a court order. If you will need a court order for other states, banks, or immigration, file CN-1.
  • GLAD Law's Transgender ID Project gives free help to New Englanders updating their name and gender marker; fill out its intake form.
Laws and other guides1 law, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

  • 18-C M.R.S. § 1-701: Process to change name (Probate Court; $75 fee; no public notice for adults; background check; confidentiality)

Other trusted guides

Sources

11 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. 18-C M.R.S. § 1-701, Process to change nameMaine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Law. accessed
    “The court may not require public notice before approving the name change. ... The fee for filing a name change petition is $75. ... The court shall require an adult seeking a name change to undergo a criminal history record check.”
  2. Form CN-1, Petition for Change of Name (Adult), Rev. 11/03/24Maine Probate Courts, Form. accessed
    “The name change order be confidential. I assert that the public interest in being aware of my name change is outweighed by my interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the name change for the following reasons”
  3. Probate Court formsMaine Probate Courts, Official page. accessed
    “CN-1 Petition Name Change Adult; NC-001 Petition for Name Change of Minor; NC-003 Waiver & Consent; AF-101 Jurisdictional Affidavit; AF-103 Affidavit of Name Change for Adult”
  4. Register of Probate and Probate Court fee schedule (effective 10-18-2021)Cumberland County, Maine, Official page. accessed
    “Petition for Change of Name $75.00 ... Certificate of Appointment/Name Change/Adoption/Guardianship/Conservatorship $10.00 per certificate”
  5. How to change your name and gender marker in Maine (last updated September 2025)Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Organization. accessed
    “Publication of a name change in the local paper is no longer required in Maine. ... Some courts require you to come to the hearing. Others don't.”
  6. Name and gender marker change (topic page)Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Organization. accessed
  7. Minor name changes in MainePine Tree Legal Assistance, Organization. accessed
  8. Transgender ID ProjectGLAD Law, Organization. accessed
    “Free resources for transgender people living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) seeking to update their legal name and gender on federal and state documents.”
  9. GLAD Law AnswersGLAD Law, Organization. accessed
    “GLAD Law Answers is a free and confidential legal information line ... or leave a voicemail at 800-455-GLAD.”
  10. MaineTransNetOrganization. accessed
  11. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed