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Legal name change in Oregon

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 Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.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: Name and Sex Change (Adult) Packet, revised July 2026 (2026-10-12) · #284
  • Page changed: Name and Sex Change (Minor) Packet, revised July 2026 (2026-10-12) · #283
  • Page changed: Fee Deferral and Waiver forms (2026-10-05) · #163
  • Page changed: Changing your name (2026-10-05) · #161
  • Page changed: Multnomah County Circuit Court (2026-10-05) · #156
  • Page changed: ORS 21.145, Simple proceeding filing fee ($124) (2026-09-28) · #71
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

Oregon adults can change their name, their legal sex (male, female, or nonbinary), or both with one short petition in circuit court. The filing fee is $124 (waivable), there is no newspaper notice, and a hearing is rare. You do not need a doctor's letter; you sign a statement yourself.

Main cost
$124, 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

Oregon uses one statewide packet, Change of Name or Sex, for adults. You check the boxes for what you want: a new name, a new legal sex, or both. The judge must grant a name change unless it is "not consistent with the public interest" (ORS 33.410). For a legal sex change you attest, on the petition itself, that you have had "surgical, hormonal, or other treatment appropriate to me for the purpose of affirming my gender identity" (ORS 33.460). "Other treatment" is broad and no proof is filed: no doctor's letter, no surgery.

Where to file: a name change alone is filed in the circuit court of the county where you live. A sex change, or a name and sex change together, can be filed in any circuit court in Oregon.

You may not even need the court for your Oregon birth certificate: if you were born in Oregon, you can change the name and sex on it with a notarized form (see the birth certificate guide). A court judgment is still useful because Social Security, the passport agency, banks, and other states accept it.

Steps

  1. Download the statewide packet[4]

    Print the adult Change of Name or Sex packet from the Oregon Judicial Department (or pick one up at the courthouse). It is three pages. Decide whether you want a name change, a sex change, or both; one petition covers everything.

  2. Fill in the petition and the judgment[4]

    Write the county at the top of every page. Complete the Petition and sign it (you declare under penalty of perjury that it is true). Fill in the General Judgment with the same choices and sign the Certificate of Readiness at the bottom. You do not need a notary.

  3. Ask for a fee waiver or deferral if you need one[6]

    Optional

    If you are low-income, file the fee deferral or waiver application and order with your petition. The court may waive the fee, defer it onto a payment plan, postpone deciding, or deny the request.

  4. File with the circuit court[4][2]

    File the petition and proposed judgment with the circuit court clerk (in your county of residence for a name-only change; any county for a sex change) and pay the $124 filing fee or hand in your fee waiver application. Keep a copy of everything. Find each court's address at courts.oregon.gov.

    Cost
    $124 circuit court filing fee (change of name, legal change of sex, or both)

  5. Wait for the judgment (a hearing is unusual)[4]

    You do not go to court unless the court tells you to or sends you a hearing notice. When the judge signs, the court enters the judgment and mails you a Notice of Entry of Judgment. The judgment is effective once it is entered.

  6. Get certified copies of the signed judgment[4]

    The court does not send your judgment to any agency. Call the clerk to order certified copies; get at least three (Social Security, DMV, passport, bank). Copy fees are set by the court.

  7. Update your other records, in this order[8]

    1. Social Security first. Oregon DMV checks your name against SSA, so SSA must be updated before the DMV. The name can change; the sex field currently cannot.
    2. Oregon DMV license or ID (in person; see the driver's license guide).
    3. Birth certificate (see the birth certificate guide; born in Oregon, use OHA; born elsewhere, contact your birth state).
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[6][3]

The court can defer or waive fees only if you are low-income according to federal poverty guidelines. The application is confidential.

File the Application and Declaration and the Order together with your petition. If the court defers instead of waiving, you pay later, possibly on a payment plan with added collection costs.

OJD Fee Deferral or Waiver Packet

WhatCostNotes
Circuit court filing fee (change of name, legal change of sex, or both)[2]$124Can be waivedSet by statute (ORS 21.145) and the same in every county. One fee covers a combined name and sex petition.
Certified copies of the judgment[4]VariesVaries by courtAsk the clerk for the current per-copy price.

Free help

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

More detail

Forms3 forms: OJD Name and Sex Change (Adult) Packet, OJD Name and Sex Change (Minor) Packet, OJD Fee Deferral or Waiver Packet

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

OJD Name and Sex Change (Adult) PacketChange of Name or Sex packet for adults (instructions, Petition, General Judgment)Required

How to fill it out

  • Top of each page: write the county name. This is the most common mistake.
  • Petition: check "name", "sex", or both at the top. For a name change, write your full current name and your full new name (first, middle, last).
  • Sex: check "changing my legal sex" and choose male, female, or nonbinary, then check the box stating you have had treatment appropriate to you to affirm your gender identity. You attach nothing.
  • Public interest: check any box that applies (child support owed, restraining order against you, probation or parole, sex offender registration) and explain briefly with state and case number.
  • Former names: list names you have used legally or by custom.
  • Sealing box: only for participants in Oregon's Address Confidentiality Program.
  • Judgment: fill in the caption, your names, and the same choices as the petition; sign the Certificate of Readiness at the bottom. Leave the judge's signature blank.

Open OJD Name and Sex Change (Adult) Packet[4]

Forms only some people need (2)

OJD Name and Sex Change (Minor) PacketChange of Name or Sex packet for a minor child (Petition, Notice, Declaration of Notice, General Judgment)Sometimes required: Only when a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative files for a child under 18.

Open OJD Name and Sex Change (Minor) Packet[5]

OJD Fee Deferral or Waiver PacketApplication and Declaration for Deferral or Waiver of Fees, with OrderOptional

Only if you cannot afford the $124 filing fee.

How to fill it out

  • Fill in the Application and Declaration (confidential; only the court sees it) with your income, household, and expenses.
  • Fill in the case information on the Order, but do not mark anything below "The court finds Applicant". The judge does that.
  • Use the same county and case caption as your petition.

Open OJD Fee Deferral or Waiver Packet[6][7]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
Name change only, file in the county where you live. Sex change (with or without a name change), any Oregon circuit court.[4][1]
Age
18 or older, or emancipated by court order. A parent or guardian files for a minor using the minor packet.
Criminal record
The petition asks whether you owe child support, have a protective or restraining order against you, are on probation, parole, or post-prison supervision, or must register as a sex offender. Answering yes does not automatically bar the change; the judge weighs it under the public-interest standard.
Newspaper publication
No.

Oregon does not require newspaper publication or posted notice for an adult's name or sex change. Only name changes for minors require written notice to parents and guardians.

[1][4]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The judgment is submitted ex parte. You go to court only if the court tells you to or sends a hearing notice, which is uncommon for adults.

[4]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints or background check. The petition asks you to disclose child support arrears, restraining orders against you, supervision status, and sex offender registration.

[4]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

For a legal sex change (alone or with a name change), the court must seal the record if you ask (ORS 33.420(4)), and the state's packet instructions say all records of sex-change petitions are confidential. For a name-only change, the court seals the record for participants in Oregon's Address Confidentiality Program unless it finds good cause not to.

If your petition includes a sex change, ask the clerk when you file to confirm the case is confidential; if in doubt, add a written request to seal under ORS 33.420(4). For a name-only change, sealing is available through the Address Confidentiality Program box on the petition.

[1][4]
How long it takes

Often a few weeks from filing to a signed judgment, depending on the county, then time to order certified copies and update Social Security and the DMV.

MinorsA parent, legal guardian, or legal representative files the minor packet in the county where the child lives (any county if the petition…

A parent, legal guardian, or legal representative files the minor packet in the county where the child lives (any county if the petition includes a sex change) and explains why the change is in the child's best interest. For a name change, written notice must go to the other parent and any legal guardian after filing, then you file a Declaration of Notice. Notice to the other parent is not needed if the child has not lived with that parent and that parent has not contributed or tried to contribute to support. The judge may talk with the child privately. A minor's sex change requires the petitioner to attest that the child has had appropriate treatment affirming gender identity.

[5][1]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring a certified copy of the judgment and photo ID; the sex field currently cannot be changed).

Start with Social Security (bring a certified copy of the judgment and photo ID; the sex field currently cannot be changed). Then the Oregon DMV (in person; replacement license $30, replacement ID card $40). If you were born in Oregon, send your judgment to Oregon Vital Records or use the notarized OHA 2673 form ($35 amendment fee). 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
  • You can ask for a name change and a sex change in the same petition for one $124 fee, and then file in any Oregon county.
  • Court staff cannot give legal advice. The Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service is 503-684-3763 or 800-452-7636.
  • A court judgment on sex is not required for an Oregon birth certificate or DMV card, but other states and some federal and foreign agencies may still ask for one.
Laws and other guides4 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

  • ORS 33.410: Change of name in the circuit court of the county of residence; granted unless inconsistent with the public interest
  • ORS 33.420: Notice for minors' name changes; sealing for Address Confidentiality Program participants and for legal sex change on request
  • ORS 33.460: Legal change of sex in any circuit court, on the applicant's attestation of appropriate treatment
  • ORS 21.145: $124 filing fee for change of name and legal change of sex

Other trusted guides

Sources

13 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. ORS chapter 33, Change of name and legal change of sex (2025 edition)Oregon State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “In a case to determine an application for legal change of sex of a person under ORS 33.460, if an applicant requests the court to seal the record of the case, the court shall seal the record of the case.”
  2. ORS 21.145, Simple proceeding filing feeOregon State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A circuit court shall collect a filing fee of $124 ... (1) Applications for change of name under ORS 33.410. (2) Applications for a legal change of sex under ORS 33.460.”
  3. ORS 21.680 to 21.698, Waiver and deferral of feesOregon State Legislature, Law. accessed
  4. Name and Sex Change (Adult) Packet, revised July 2026Oregon Judicial Department, Form. accessed
    “Sex Change – You can file in any circuit court in Oregon. If you are also asking for a name change, you can file for both at the same time in any circuit court in Oregon. All records of legal sex change petitions, including changes to both sex and name, are confidential.”
  5. Name and Sex Change (Minor) Packet, revised July 2026Oregon Judicial Department, Form. accessed
  6. Instructions for Fee Deferral or Waiver Application and Declaration (January 2026)Oregon Judicial Department, Form. accessed
    “The court can only defer or waive fees if you are low-income (according to federal poverty guidelines).”
  7. Fee Deferral and Waiver formsOregon Judicial Department, Official page. accessed
  8. Changing your nameOregon DMV, Official page. accessed
    “DMV verifies a customer's social security number with Social Security Administration, so customers wanting to change their name on their credential must first change their name with SSA.”
  9. Multnomah County Circuit CourtOregon Judicial Department, Court. accessed
  10. Oregon Law HelpLegal Aid Services of Oregon and Oregon Law Center, Organization. accessed
  11. Portland Regional OfficeOregon Law Center, Organization. accessed
  12. LGBTQ+ resourcesBasic Rights Oregon, Organization. accessed
  13. Q CenterOrganization. accessed