Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Nevada

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

Nevada adults can change their name in district court. If you check the box saying the change is to match your gender identity, the court may not require newspaper publication. Most petitions are granted on paper without a hearing about 10 days after filing, as long as no one objects.

Main cost
$270, can be waived
Apply
Online, 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 verified petition with the district court clerk in the county where you live (NRS 41.270). The petition asks why you want the change. If you say it is to conform your name to your gender identity, the court shall not require you to publish a notice in a newspaper (NRS 41.280(3)). If no written objection is filed within 10 days after filing, the judge can sign the order without a hearing (NRS 41.290).

In Clark County (Las Vegas), the filing fee is $270. You can ask for a fee waiver if you cannot afford it. Free forms and a guided online interview are available from the Family Law Self-Help Center. Other counties use similar forms. Check your district court's self-help page.

A name change order does not change your gender marker. In Nevada you do not need a court order to change the sex on your driver's license or your Nevada birth certificate. See those guides.

Steps

  1. Fill out the forms[2]

    The easiest way is the court's free guided interview ("NAME CHANGE: Adult Name Change" on the Guide and File site, linked from the Self-Help Center page). Use Chrome or Firefox. You can also fill in the PDFs yourself: cover sheet, petition, request for summary disposition, and proposed order. Check the gender identity reason on the petition and skip the notice form.

  2. Ask for a fee waiver if you need one[4]

    Optional

    If you get public assistance, earn under 150% of the federal poverty level, or your basic expenses exceed your income, fill out the standard fee waiver application and file it with your petition. A granted waiver covers court filings for one year.

  3. File with the district court clerk[2][6]

    In Clark County, file online through eFileNV (adds $3.50, and each form must be uploaded as its own PDF), in person at the Family Courts and Services Center (601 N. Pecos Rd, Las Vegas), or by mail (takes 3 to 4 weeks). Do not e-file the proposed order. Pay $270 or file your fee waiver. If you have a felony conviction, include your fingerprints.

    Cost
    $270 filing fee for the name change petition (Clark County); $3.50 eFileNV upload fee (only if you file online)

  4. Wait 10 days, then submit the order to the judge[2][1]

    If you did not publish, the objection period is 10 days from filing (NRS 41.290). After that, email the proposed order as a PDF to your assigned department, with the subject line "[case number] - OCON - [last name]". You can also bring it in or mail it. Look up your department at clarkcountycourts.us/Portal. The signed order comes back by mail or eservice.

    Time
    10 days after filing, plus the judge's review time

  5. Get certified copies of the order[2][1][9]

    Order 3 or 4 certified copies (A4TE suggests 5 to 7) from the Clerk of Court's Records Department, online or in person at 601 N. Pecos Rd, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Agencies accept only certified copies. The clerk also sends a certified copy to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics.

    Cost
    Varies certified copy of the order

Costs and fee waivers

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

You qualify if you receive public assistance, your basic monthly expenses exceed your income, your household income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, or you have another compelling reason.

File the application with your petition. Submit the proposed order to your assigned department by email or mail. A waiver lasts one year.

Application to Waive Filing Fee (standard)Order to Waive Filing Fee (standard)

WhatCostNotes
Filing fee for the name change petition (Clark County)[2][6]$270Can be waivedVaries by countyThis is the Eighth Judicial District Court fee for a civil petition. Other counties set their own amounts, so check with your clerk.
eFileNV upload fee (only if you file online)[2]$3.50
Certified copy of the order[6]VariesThe Clark County fee chart lists $3 per certification plus 50 cents per page copied. Confirm the total with the Records Department.

Free help

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

More detail

Forms8 forms

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (4)

Family Court Cover Sheet (Clark County)Required

Required in Clark County. Use your current legal name. You are the Petitioner.

Open the form[3]

Petition for Adult Name Change (Clark County, filing code PCON)Required

How to fill it out

  • Item 3: your current legal name exactly as on your ID, then the new name you want. Check the spelling, because the order will copy it exactly.
  • Item 4: check "I want to change my name to conform to my gender identity." This box is what triggers the no-publication rule in NRS 41.280(3). You do not need to explain further or attach any medical letter.
  • Item 5: check whether you have a felony conviction. If you do, bring fingerprints from a Department of Public Safety site when you file.
  • Sign the petition and the verification on page 3.

Open the form[3][2][1]

Request for Summary Disposition and Declaration in Support (Adult Name Change)Required

Asks the judge to decide without a hearing.

Open the form[3]

Order for Adult Name ChangeRequired

Fill in everything except the judge's date and signature. Submit it to your assigned department at least 10 days after filing. Do not e-file it.

Open the form[3][2]

Forms only some people need (4)

Notice of Petition for Adult Name ChangeSometimes required: Only if your reason is not gender identity.

Only if your reason is **not** gender identity. Skip it if you checked the gender identity box.

Open the form[2]

Publication Waiver packet (safety)Optional

For people who need publication waived **and** the case sealed because publishing would put their safety at risk (NRS 41.280(2)). You do not need this just to skip publication for a gender-identity change.

Open the form[2][1]

Application to Waive Filing Fee (standard)Optional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee. File it with your petition.

Open the form[4]

Order to Waive Filing Fee (standard)Optional

Goes with the fee waiver application. Submit it to the judge after filing.

Open the form[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 judicial district where you live. The Clark County petition asks since when you have lived in the county.[1][2]
Age
Adults and emancipated minors use the adult petition. Parents file for unemancipated minors (NRS 41.295).
Criminal record
You must state whether you have been convicted of a felony. If you have a criminal record, you must file a full set of fingerprints with the petition, and the judge will consider your record. A record does not automatically bar a name change.
Newspaper publication
Sometimes.

Normally a notice must run once in a newspaper in your county (NRS 41.280(1)). If your petition says the change is to conform your name to your gender identity, the court shall not require publication (NRS 41.280(3)).

For a gender-identity change, just check that reason on the petition. No separate motion is needed. For any other reason, you can ask for a safety waiver by showing that publication would put you at risk (NRS 41.280(2)). Clark County uses its Publication Waiver packet for this and says such waivers are granted only rarely.

[1][2]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

No hearing unless someone files a written objection within the 10-day period. In that case the court sets a hearing (NRS 41.290(1)). The Request for Summary Disposition asks the judge to rule on the papers.

[1][2]
Background check
Sometimes.

If you have a criminal record, the statute requires a full set of fingerprints with the petition, and the clerk sends the order to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History. Clark County's forms apply this to felony convictions. Fingerprints can be taken at a Department of Public Safety site or at LVMPD headquarters.

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

Sealing comes only with a safety waiver under NRS 41.280(2). The court then seals the records, which can be opened only by court order or at your request. The gender-identity exemption skips publication but does not seal the case on its own.

Use the Publication Waiver packet and explain the safety risk. LACSN can help you prepare it.

[1][2]
How long it takes

Usually 3 to 6 weeks in Clark County. The 10-day objection window runs from filing, the judge then reviews the order, and mail adds about 3 to 4 weeks at each step.

MinorsA parent files for an unemancipated minor in the district where the child lives (NRS 41.295).

A parent files for an unemancipated minor in the district where the child lives (NRS 41.295). A child over 14 must consent. The petition states the other parent's verified consent, if given. Otherwise the other parent must be personally served and has 10 days to object. If personal service is impossible, the court may order publication once a week for 3 weeks plus certified mail (NRS 41.296). If the other parent objects, the court holds a hearing (NRS 41.297). Clark County has a child packet with parent and child consent forms. Note that the adult gender-identity publication exemption in NRS 41.280(3) does not appear in the minor sections.

[1][5]
After you finish1. Social Security first (the DMV checks SSA records).
  1. Social Security first (the DMV checks SSA records).
  2. Nevada DMV: bring a certified copy of the order. You can change your sex marker at the same visit by self-declaration.
  3. Birth certificate: if you were born in Nevada, send a certified copy with the Court Ordered Change application to the Office of Vital Records ($45). If you were born elsewhere, follow your birth state's rules.
  4. Passport, then banks, employer, and everything else.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • The Clark County forms say they "will not change the gender." You do not need a court order for your Nevada driver's license or Nevada birth certificate marker. Those are handled directly by the agencies.
  • If the clerk or a judge asks you to publish even though you checked the gender identity reason, point to NRS 41.280(3) and contact LACSN.
Laws and other guides4 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

  • NRS 41.270: Verified petition; felony disclosure; fingerprints if criminal record
  • NRS 41.280: Publication; safety waiver with sealing; no publication for gender-identity changes
  • NRS 41.290: Order; 10-day objection period; hearing on objection
  • NRS 41.291-41.299: Name changes for unemancipated minors

Other trusted guides

Sources

9 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. NRS Chapter 41, Proceedings to change names of natural personsNevada Legislature, Law. accessed
    “If the petition filed by the applicant states that the reason for desiring the change is to conform the applicant's name to his or her gender identity, the court shall not require the applicant to comply with the provisions of subsection 1.”
  2. Name Changes for AdultsFamily Law Self-Help Center (Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, for Clark County), Court. accessed
    “If you are changing your name for gender identity purposes, you do not have to fill out this form and you do not have to publish anything in the newspaper. ... The court charges $270 to file the papers.”
  3. Name Change FormsFamily Law Self-Help Center, Form. accessed
    “Petition for Adult Name Change ... I want to change my name to conform to my gender identity.”
  4. Filing Fees and Fee WaiversFamily Law Self-Help Center, Court. accessed
    “Your household income is less than 150% of the federal poverty level ... You will not be charged to file court documents for one year.”
  5. Name Changes for ChildrenFamily Law Self-Help Center, Court. accessed
  6. Official Fees for the Eighth Judicial District Court (effective October 1, 2019)Eighth Judicial District Court Clerk, Court. accessed
    “Civil Petition ... $270.00. Certification of Any Copy of a Document Prepared by the Clerk $3.00. Copies Each Page 50 cents.”
  7. Name/Gender Marker ChangeLegal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Organization. accessed
    “We assist eligible individuals with name changes and gender marker changes.”
  8. Nevada Legal ServicesNevada Legal Services, Organization. accessed
  9. Nevada identity documentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “It is recommended that you ask for 5-7 copies of this order.”