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Legal name change in North Carolina

Change your legal name
Limited
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

Adults can change their name before the clerk of superior court in their county, but North Carolina requires fingerprint-based state and FBI background checks, two good-character affidavits, and allows only one adult name change in a lifetime. The courthouse posting notice was repealed for petitions filed on or after December 1, 2025.

Main cost
$120
Apply
In person
Typical wait
2 to 8 weeks

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

A name change in North Carolina is a "special proceeding" handled by the clerk of superior court in the county where you live (G.S. 101-2). You do not need to explain your gender identity; the application asks for a reason, and the clerk grants the change if there is "good and sufficient reason" (G.S. 101-5).

The process has more paperwork than most states:

  • Background checks first. You need a state (SBI) and national (FBI) criminal history check based on your fingerprints, completed within 90 days before you file.
  • Two affidavits of good character from two adult residents of your county who know you.
  • One change only. An adult may change their name under Chapter 101 only once (G.S. 101-6). Choose your name carefully.

Good news: since December 1, 2025 you no longer have to post a public notice at the courthouse for 10 days before filing (S.L. 2025-54).

Steps

  1. Get two sets of fingerprints[6][4]

    Go to your county sheriff's office (many require an appointment; in Mecklenburg you apply online first). Fingerprinting usually costs about $10 per set.

    Cost
    $10 fingerprinting at the sheriff's office (per set; two sets needed)

  2. Request your FBI and SBI background checks[6][4]

    Send one fingerprint card to the FBI (Identity History Summary; $18; online is fastest, choose "Other" as the reason) and one to the NC State Bureau of Investigation (Right to Review request; $14). Both results must be dated within 90 days of the day you file. The FBI can take a month longer than the SBI, so many people request the FBI check first and the SBI check once the FBI result arrives.

    Cost
    $18 fBI Identity History Summary; $14 nC SBI criminal record check (Right to Review)
    Time
    2 to 8 weeks

  3. Prepare your application and affidavits[6][3]

    Use Guide & File or form AOC-SP-604. Ask two adult residents of your county who know you (the Bar Foundation sheet says they should not be relatives) to sign affidavits of good character. Get the verification and the tax/child support affidavit notarized. Also gather a certified copy of your birth certificate plus a photocopy, photo ID, and proof of your address (a bill or bank statement from the last 30 days).

  4. File with the clerk of superior court (Special Proceedings)[6][5]

    Bring everything to the Special Proceedings division of the clerk's office in your county and pay the $120 filing fee (cash, money order, or certified check). Bring a self-addressed stamped envelope. No courthouse posting is required for applications filed on or after December 1, 2025.

    Cost
    $120 filing fee (Chapter 101 name change)

  5. Get the clerk's order and certified copies[4][6]

    The clerk reviews the file and issues an order and a certificate of name change. Buy about 5 certified copies. The clerk sends the order to NC Vital Records (which notes the change on an NC birth certificate or forwards it to your birth state) and to the Department of Public Safety. If the clerk denies the application, you have 30 days to ask the resident superior court judge to reconsider.

    Cost
    Varies certified copies of the order

  6. Update your other documents, in order[6][9]

    1. Social Security first. NCDMV checks your name against SSA, so wait 24 to 36 hours after the SSA update.
    2. NCDMV license or ID within 60 days (see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate (born in NC: Vital Records modification application, $39).
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration.

Costs and fee waivers

WhatCostNotes
Filing fee (Chapter 101 name change)[6][7]$120
Fingerprinting at the sheriff's office (per set; two sets needed)[6]$10Varies by countyTypical amount; online appointment systems may add a small convenience fee.
FBI Identity History Summary[6]$18
NC SBI criminal record check (Right to Review)[6][8]$14
Certified copies of the order[6]VariesVaries by countyCost varies by county; ask the clerk.

Free help

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

  • NC Bar Association LGBTQ+ Legal Clinics[10]

    Pro bono clinics where volunteer attorneys and law students help trans North Carolinians draft name change filings. Contact the NC Bar Foundation for upcoming dates.

    • Free

  • Legal Aid of North Carolina[11]

    Statewide free civil legal aid for people with low incomes. Apply through the Get Help page; ask whether name change help is available in your area.

    • Free

  • Tranzmission (Asheville)[12]

    Trans-led Asheville nonprofit with a name change program, support groups, a food pantry, and a clothing closet.

    • Free

  • Genderbands grants[13]

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

    • Free

More detail

Forms2 forms: AOC-SP-604, Guide-and-File

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

AOC-SP-604Application for Adult Name ChangeRequired

How to fill it out

  • Give your current legal name, county and date of birth, and both parents' full names exactly as they appear on your birth certificate.
  • Reason for the change: a short, truthful statement is enough, for example "to reflect my gender identity" or "the name I have used for years". You do not need medical proof.
  • Answer whether you have changed your name before. Remember that an adult gets only one Chapter 101 change.
  • The verification and the tax/child support affidavit must be signed in front of a notary.
  • The free NC Courts Guide & File interview can build the application, verification, character affidavits, and tax/child support affidavit for you.

Open AOC-SP-604[6][4]

Forms only some people need (1)

Guide-and-FileNC Courts Guide & File (online interview that prepares the name change packet)Optional

Recommended. Produces the petition, verification, two character affidavits, and the tax/child support affidavit. Save your username and password.

Open Guide-and-File[6]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File with the clerk of superior court in the North Carolina county where you are a bona fide resident and domiciled. You swear to this in the application.[4][1]
Age
18 or older for the adult process. For minors, see the Minors section.
Criminal record
A criminal record does not automatically bar a name change, but the clerk reviews your background check. People required to register as sex offenders are prohibited from changing their name (G.S. 101-6). You must also state under oath whether you owe back taxes or child support.
Other
An adult may change their name under Chapter 101 only once. Resuming a prior name after divorce or widowhood uses a separate, simpler process.
Newspaper publication
No.

The 10-day notice posted at the courthouse before filing was repealed by S.L. 2025-54 for applications filed on or after December 1, 2025. North Carolina never required newspaper publication for name changes.

[5][2]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The statute does not require a hearing. The clerk decides on the papers and may ask for more information. A denial can be taken to the resident superior court judge within 30 days.

[4]
Background check
Yes.

Adults and minors 16 and older must submit state and national criminal history checks based on fingerprints, run by the SBI, the FBI, or an FBI-approved channeler, dated within 90 days of the application (G.S. 101-5(a)(2)).

[4]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Name change files are public records, with one exception. The file is kept confidential if you participate in the NC Address Confidentiality Program or show evidence that you are a victim of domestic violence, sexual offense, or stalking (law enforcement or court records, or documentation from a domestic violence program). In that case Vital Records is also told not to notify your county or state of birth. There is no general sealing option for trans petitioners.

Tell the clerk when you file and bring the supporting documents.

[5][2][4]
How long it takes

Plan on 1 to 3 months. The FBI background check is usually the slowest part, and everything must be filed within 90 days of the checks.

MinorsBoth parents must consent. Exceptions: a minor 16 or older may apply with the custodial parent's consent if the other parent abandoned…

Both parents must consent. Exceptions: a minor 16 or older may apply with the custodial parent's consent if the other parent abandoned them, and one parent may apply alone if the other abandoned the child or was convicted of certain crimes (child abuse, sexual offenses, incest, violent crimes). Abandonment requires 10 days' written notice by registered or certified mail to the other parent, who can contest it in court. Children under 16 do not need character affidavits or a background check. A minor may have their name changed up to two times.

[2][1]
After you finishGo to Social Security first (bring a certified copy of the order and ID; the name can change, the sex field currently cannot).

Go to Social Security first (bring a certified copy of the order and ID; the name can change, the sex field currently cannot). Wait 24 to 36 hours, then visit an NCDMV driver license office within 60 days with a certified copy and a notarized DL-101. If you were born in North Carolina, send NC Vital Records the Birth Certificate Modification Application with a certified copy of the order and $39. Then your passport, bank, employer, insurance, and voter registration.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • Because an adult gets only one Chapter 101 name change, settle on the exact spelling of your full name before filing.
  • Time your background checks. Request the FBI check first, then the SBI check, so neither is older than 90 days when you file.
  • If you cannot afford the fees, ask the clerk whether you can file a petition to proceed as an indigent, and ask Legal Aid of North Carolina or a name change clinic for help. Genderbands and Trans Lifeline have offered small grants for name change costs.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

13 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. N.C.G.S. Chapter 101, Names of PersonsNorth Carolina General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “No person shall be allowed to change his name under this Chapter but once.”
  2. G.S. 101-2, Procedure for changing name; petition; noticeNorth Carolina General Assembly, Law. accessed
  3. G.S. 101-4, Proof of good character to accompany applicationNorth Carolina General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “proof must be made by at least two citizens of the county who know his standing”
  4. G.S. 101-5, Name change application requirements; grounds for clerk to order or deny name changeNorth Carolina General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “The results of a state and national criminal history record check conducted within 90 days of the date of application”
  5. Session Law 2025-54 (HB 620), Section 4, Repeal requirements of public notice of name change at courthouseNorth Carolina General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to all applications for a name change pursuant to Chapter 101 of the General Statutes filed on or after that date.”
  6. Adult Name Change Petition Information and ResourcesNorth Carolina Bar Foundation, Organization. accessed
    “The filing fee for the Petition is $120.00 (cash, money order, or certified check).”
  7. North Carolina Name Change LawsRecording Law, Community. accessed
  8. SBI forms (Right to Review criminal record check)North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Official page. accessed
  9. Name changesNCDMV, Official page. accessed
    “An individual whose name changes from the name stated on a driver license or ID must notify the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles within 60 days after the change occurs”
  10. NCBA Pro Bono Initiatives (LGBTQ+ Legal Clinics)North Carolina Bar Foundation, Organization. accessed
  11. Get HelpLegal Aid of North Carolina, Organization. accessed
  12. TranzmissionOrganization. accessed
  13. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed