Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in New York

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 Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.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: NYC Civil Court, Name and/or Sex Designation Change (2026-10-12) · #278
  • Page changed: Name Change and/or Sex Designation Change Forms (2026-10-12) · #277
  • Page changed: NYC Civil Court, Name and/or Sex Designation Change (2026-09-28) · #68
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

New York adults can change their name, their legal sex designation (M, F, or X), or both in one court petition. There is no newspaper publication, no medical evidence is needed for the sex designation, and you can ask the court to seal the file. In New York City it costs $65 in Civil Court; elsewhere it costs $210 in Supreme or County Court, and fee waivers are available.

Main cost
$65, can be waived
Apply
Online 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

New York's Gender Recognition Act (2021) changed the name change law in three ways that matter to trans people: it ended the newspaper publication requirement, it lets the court seal your records when an open record would put you at risk (being transgender counts), and it created a sex designation change you can request in the same petition as your name change. The court must grant the sex designation request based on your own affidavit; no doctor's letter is required (Civil Rights Law § 67).

Do you even need a court order for your gender marker? Not for New York documents: the DMV and both birth certificate offices (New York State and New York City) accept self-attestation. A court order recognizing your sex designation is useful mainly if you were born in another state or country that requires one to amend your birth certificate.

Which court:

  • In New York City (all five boroughs): file in NYC Civil Court in any borough. The fee is $65. You may also use Supreme Court.
  • Outside New York City: file in the Supreme Court or County Court of the county where you live. The fee is $210.

The court system's free DIY Form Program walks you through the petition and prints the forms.

Steps

  1. Decide what you are asking for[7]

    • Name only, sex designation only, or both. One petition covers both.
    • If you only want to change the gender marker on New York documents (license, NYS or NYC birth certificate), you do not need a court order at all. See the driver's license and birth certificate guides.
    • Ask for a sex designation order if you were born outside New York in a place that requires a court order, or if you want a court order for other records.

  2. Fill out the petition with the DIY program[13][12][2]

    Use the court system's free DIY Form Program online, or the PDF forms. Gather an original or certified copy of your birth certificate (required if you were born in New York; people born elsewhere bring proof of birth). Sign the petition in front of a notary.

  3. Ask for a fee waiver if you cannot pay[18][17]

    Optional

    File the Poor Person papers with your petition. Outside NYC, some counties also require you to send a copy to the county attorney. If the waiver is denied, you pay the fee later.

  4. In New York City: file at Civil Court[15][19]

    Bring the notarized petition, proposed order, and your birth certificate to the Civil Court clerk in any borough and pay $65. SRLP recommends the Manhattan courthouse at 111 Centre Street, Room 118, because staff there handle many of these cases. Tell the clerk before you file if you want the records sealed.

    Cost
    $65 nYC Civil Court filing fee (name and/or sex designation change)

  5. Outside New York City: file at Supreme or County Court[14][10][7][18]

    Buy an index number from the County Clerk ($210 unless waived), then file the petition, proposed order, and a Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI) so a judge is assigned. There is no fee for the RJI on a sex designation petition. Many counties also accept e-filing through NYSCEF.

    Cost
    $210 supreme or County Court index number fee

  6. Wait for the judge's signed order[18][16]

    A judge reviews the papers. Most petitions are decided on the papers, but the judge can call you in if something needs explaining. Once signed, the order takes effect with no publication step.

    Time
    several weeks to a few months, depending on the court

  7. Get certified copies of the order[18][19]

    Buy several certified copies from the clerk (outside NYC, the order is filed with the County Clerk). Social Security, the DMV, the passport agency, and your birth-state vital records office each need one. If your file is sealed, ask how to get copies before you leave; SRLP notes that once sealed, you may need a motion to get more copies later.

    Cost
    Varies certified copy of the order (each)

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[17][18]

You qualify if you cannot afford the fee (for example, you receive public assistance or have very low income). The judge decides based on your sworn affidavit.

File the notarized Poor Person affidavit and proposed order with your petition, or ask the clerk for the "application to file for free."

Poor Person Application

WhatCostNotes
NYC Civil Court filing fee (name and/or sex designation change)[15][17][19]$65Can be waived
Supreme or County Court index number fee[14][17][10][7]$210Can be waivedThe court system quotes $210. The RJI that assigns a judge is free for a sex designation petition (Civil Rights Law § 67).
Certified copy of the order (each)[18]VariesVaries by courtSet by each clerk. A 2025 University at Buffalo guide quotes $5.20 per copy at the Erie County Clerk.

Free help

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

  • Sylvia Rivera Law Project[19]

    Free legal help for low-income trans, gender nonconforming, and intersex New Yorkers, with a step-by-step NYC name change guide. Call 212-337-8550 ext. 308 or email legal@srlp.org.

    • Free
    212-337-8550

  • NYLAG LGBTQ Law Unit[20]

    Free civil legal services for low-income New Yorkers, including help with name and gender marker changes.

    • Free
    212-613-5000100 Pearl Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10004

  • Neighborhood Legal Services (Buffalo)[18]

    Recommended by the University at Buffalo School of Law guide for people in Western New York who get stuck or are denied when changing their name or documents. Call 716-847-0650.

    • Free
    • Community reported

    Serves: Western New York

    716-847-0650

  • LawHelpNY[17]

    Statewide free legal information site with a name change guide and a directory of free legal aid programs by county.

    • Free

More detail

Forms2 forms: Adult Name/Sex Designation Change Petition, Poor Person Application

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

Adult Name/Sex Designation Change PetitionName Change and/or Sex Designation Change Petition for Individual Adult (with proposed Order)Required

How to fill it out

  • Easiest route: use the court's free DIY Form Program, which asks questions and prints the petition and proposed order for you. You cannot use the DIY program if you were born in a state or country that requires a court order to change the sex on a birth certificate; use the PDF petition instead.
  • What you are asking for: check name change, sex designation change, or both. For a sex designation, choose M, F, or X. You sign an affidavit attesting to your gender identity; no medical evidence can be required.
  • Reason: a short, honest reason is enough (for example, "to reflect my gender identity").
  • Sealing: there is a place to ask the court to seal the records for your safety (SRLP describes it as item 30 on the NYC Civil Court petition). Check it if you want your file closed to the public. Also tell the clerk before you file.
  • Disclosures: answer every question about convictions, bankruptcy, judgments, and support; attach papers where asked.
  • Sign in front of a notary. Many courts and banks notarize for free.

Open Adult Name/Sex Designation Change Petition[12][13][7][19]

Forms only some people need (1)

Poor Person ApplicationPoor Person Order and Affidavit in Support of Application to Proceed as a Poor Person (fee waiver)Optional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee. The affidavit must be notarized. Ask the clerk for the version your court uses.

Open Poor Person Application[18][17]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the county where you live. New York City residents may file in Civil Court or Supreme Court in any of the five boroughs, not only their own (Civil Rights Law § 60).[1][2][3]
Age
18 or older for the adult petition. For people under 18, a parent, guardian, or the child's attorney files; see the Minors section.
Criminal record
You must disclose criminal convictions, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and child or spousal support obligations on the petition. These do not automatically bar the change. If you are incarcerated or under supervision for certain violent felonies or sex offenses, notice must go to the district attorney and the sentencing court at least 60 days before the petition is heard. The court may not require notice to ICE, CBP, or USCIS.
Newspaper publication
No.

The Gender Recognition Act (effective December 2021) eliminated the newspaper publication requirement for name changes in New York.

[16][11][3]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

Usually decided on the papers. The judge may ask you to appear, and a hearing date applies when notice is required (petitions for minors, or people incarcerated or under supervision for certain offenses).

[18][3]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints or background check. You disclose your own history on the petition, and the clerk sends the order to the Division of Criminal Justice Services only if you have certain convictions.

[2][5]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.
  • Name change records: the court must seal them if an open record would jeopardize your safety, judged on the totality of the circumstances, which explicitly includes the risk of violence or discrimination because you are transgender. You do not have to show a past threat. While the request is pending, your names, addresses, and phone numbers are sealed immediately (Civil Rights Law § 64-a).
  • Sex designation records: the court seals them on your request or on its own, and they can be opened only for good cause or at your request (§ 67-b).

Check the sealing request on the petition and tell the clerk before you file.

[6][9][15]
How long it takes

Several weeks to a few months from filing to a signed order, varying by court. Then allow time for certified copies and agency updates.

MinorsA parent, general guardian, "next friend," or the child's attorney files for a person under 18, using the minor version of the name/sex…

A parent, general guardian, "next friend," or the child's attorney files for a person under 18, using the minor version of the name/sex designation petition (the DIY program covers minors too). Notice of the petition must be served on the parent who is not filing, and the court grants the change only if it substantially promotes the child's interests (Civil Rights Law §§ 60, 62, 63, 67-a). Sex designation petitions for minors follow the same rules.

[1][3][4][8]
After you finish1. Social Security first (free; bring a certified order and photo ID).
  1. Social Security first (free; bring a certified order and photo ID). The name changes; the sex field currently cannot be changed.
  2. DMV: license or non-driver ID (see the driver's license guide). You can pick M, F, or X there without a court order.
  3. Birth certificate: New York City births go to NYC Health; the rest of New York State goes to the NYS Department of Health (see the birth certificate guide).
  4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Section 64 of the Civil Rights Law says a name change order is enough to change your name on any record held by the State of New York.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • If you live in NYC, Civil Court ($65) is much cheaper than Supreme Court ($210) and you can file in any borough.
  • Sealing is on the petition itself. Decide before you file; unsealing later is easier than sealing a file that has been public.
  • Order extra certified copies at the same visit, especially if you ask for sealing.
Laws and other guides5 laws, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

20 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Civil Rights Law § 60, Petition for change of nameNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “In New York City, the petition may be made to the supreme court or civil court in any county in the city.”
  2. Civil Rights Law § 61, Contents of petitionNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
  3. Civil Rights Law § 62, NoticeNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “the court shall not require notice to United States immigration and customs enforcement, United States customs and border protection, United States citizenship and immigration services”
  4. Civil Rights Law § 63, OrderNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “the interests of the infant will be substantially promoted by the change”
  5. Civil Rights Law § 64, EffectNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “A name change order ... shall be sufficient to change the petitioner's name on any document or record issued or maintained by the state of New York”
  6. Civil Rights Law § 64-a, Exemption from publication requirements (sealing)New York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “including such applicant's status as transgender or as the subject of domestic violence”
  7. Civil Rights Law § 67, Petition for change of sex designationNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “No additional medical evidence shall be required to grant such request. ... No fee shall be charged for a request for judicial intervention associated with a petition to change sex designation.”
  8. Civil Rights Law § 67-a, Order for change of sex designationNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
  9. Civil Rights Law § 67-b, Sealing of change of sex designation papersNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “upon request of the applicant or sua sponte”
  10. CPLR § 8018, Index number fees of county clerksNew York State Senate, Law. accessed
    “to a fee of (i) one hundred ninety dollars (plus supplementary fees in subdivision (a)(3))”
  11. A5465-D (2021), Gender Recognition Act, Chapter 158 of 2021New York State Senate, Law. accessed
  12. Name Change and/or Sex Designation Change FormsNew York State Unified Court System, Form. accessed
    “If you were born in a state or country that requires a court order to correct the sex on your birth certificate, you cannot use the interactive DIY program”
  13. Adult Name Change Petition Program (DIY)New York State Unified Court System, Official page. accessed
  14. Name Change BasicsNew York State Unified Court System, Official page. accessed
    “The court fee is $210 in Supreme and County Courts, and $65.00 in New York City Civil Court.”
  15. NYC Civil Court, Name and/or Sex Designation ChangeNew York State Unified Court System, Court. accessed
    “It costs $65.00 to change a name and/or sex designation in Civil Court. ... Please tell the clerk, before you file your petition, if you want to keep your name change and/or sex designation change private”
  16. Changing your name or gender marker under the Gender Recognition ActNYCLU, Organization. accessed
    “The GRA eliminated any publication requirement associated with a name or gender marker change.”
  17. How do I change my name?LawHelpNY, Organization. accessed
    “If you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk for an application to file for free.”
  18. Legal Guide to Changing Names and Gender Markers in Erie County, NY (March 2025)University at Buffalo School of Law, Organization. accessed
    “For a name change and/or sex designation change, there is no cost to file an RJI form.”
  19. How to legally change your name in New York City (updated June 2023)Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Organization. accessed
    “$65 fee to file a name change.”
  20. LGBTQ LawNew York Legal Assistance Group, Organization. accessed