Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Puerto Rico

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.
Not offered

If you were born in Puerto Rico, you can change your name, and your gender marker (F or M) at the same time, by filing a sworn ex parte petition (form OAT 1896) in the Superior Court of the Tribunal de Primera Instancia. There is no newspaper publication. A hearing happens only if the prosecutor objects or the judge asks for one. The filing fee is $78 unless the court waives it.

Main cost
$78, can be waived

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

Puerto Rico handles name changes under Article 31 of the Ley del Registro Demográfico (Ley 24 of 1931, 24 LPRA § 1231). You file a sworn petition explaining why you want the change, with supporting documents, at a Superior Court of the Tribunal de Primera Instancia. The same day, you give a copy of everything to the prosecutor (Ministerio Público). If the prosecutor does not object within 10 days, the judge decides, usually on the papers alone, and the court says the change is "ordinarily granted".

Since June 2024, the court's form OAT 1896 also lets you ask for a change of the gender identifier on your birth certificate (female or male) in the same petition, under Article 694 of the 2020 Civil Code. You can also change the gender marker without going to court, directly at the Registro Demográfico; see the birth certificate guide.

There is a second route: a notary (abogado notario) can process a name change as a non-contested matter under Ley 282-1999. Notaries charge their own fees.

Important limit: the court describes this procedure as available to people born in Puerto Rico and recorded in the Registro Demográfico, because the order is carried out on your Puerto Rico birth record.

Steps

  1. Gather your supporting documents[2][3]

    Get the documents the court lists (all in your current legal name):

    • Original Puerto Rico birth certificate (order online or at a Registro Demográfico office).
    • Copy of a photo ID.
    • Certificación Negativa de Deuda from CRIM (municipal property tax), for all categories.
    • Certificado de Antecedentes Penales (criminal record certificate; available online from the Puerto Rico Police through servicios.pr.gov). If you lived outside Puerto Rico, also get one from that jurisdiction.
    • Certificación de Cumplimiento from ASUME (child support).
    • Certificación Negativa de Deuda from Hacienda (Treasury).
    • If you also want to change the gender marker: a passport or driver's license showing the change, or a certificate from your health or behavioral health professional.

    The judge may ask for more.

  2. Fill out form OAT 1896 and make two sets of copies[2]

    Complete the petition. Make one full set of the petition and documents for the court and a second full set for the Ministerio Público. If you cannot pay the fee, also fill out OAT 1480.

  3. File at the court clerk's office and swear the petition[2][4]

    File everything at the Secretaría of the Superior Court. You can swear the petition there for free. Pay the $78 filing fee, or ask the judge to waive it with OAT 1480.

    Cost
    $78 filing fee (arancel) for a voluntary-jurisdiction (ex parte) petition

  4. Deliver a copy to the Ministerio Público the same day[2][1]

    Take or send the second set to the prosecutor's office (Fiscalía) for your judicial region the same day, and certify this to the court on the form. The prosecutor has 10 days to object.

  5. Wait for the court's resolution[2]

    If there is no objection, the judge decides on the papers or may order a hearing. If there is a hearing, bring at least two people who know you and can confirm you are known by the name you are asking for. The resolution is sent to you and to the Registro Demográfico.

  6. Get certified copies of the resolution[2]

    Go back to the Secretaría and ask for certified copies. Each costs $6 (records search and first page) plus $0.60 per extra page and $1 for the certification. Get several; you will need one for each agency.

    Cost
    $7 certified copy of the resolution

Costs and fee waivers

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

People who cannot afford court fees (indigency). The judge decides, may ask for more information, and may hold a short hearing.

Swear the OAT 1480 declaration in front of the court clerk (free) when you file. If the judge approves, you proceed as if you had paid. If denied, you must pay the $78.

OAT 1480

WhatCostNotes
Filing fee (arancel) for a voluntary-jurisdiction (ex parte) petition[4]$78Can be waived
Certified copy of the resolution[2]$7$6 for the search and first page, plus $1 for the certification and $0.60 for each additional page.
Supporting certificates (birth certificate, CRIM, Hacienda, ASUME, criminal record)[2]VariesVaries by officeSome of these certificates are free online and some have small fees. We did not confirm each fee.

Free help

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

  • Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico[8]

    Free civil legal help for low-income people across Puerto Rico. Central intake line (787) 728-5070 or 1-800-981-5342. Call to ask whether they can take a name change case.

    • Free
    • Community reported
    787-728-5070Languages: Español, English

  • Clínica de Asistencia Legal, Escuela de Derecho UPR[9]

    University of Puerto Rico law school clinic in Río Piedras. Students supervised by professors give free advice and representation in court and administrative cases; there is also a notary clinic.

    • Free
    Ave. Universitaria Ste 701, San Juan, PR 00925Languages: Español

  • True Self Foundation[10]

    Puerto Rico LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Its "Embrace" program helps trans, queer, and nonbinary people living in Puerto Rico with the legal name change process, including free legal services. Apply on its website.

    • Free
    • Community reported
    Languages: Español, English

  • ACLU de Puerto Rico[11]

    Civil liberties organization that tracks anti-trans bills in Puerto Rico and takes impact cases. Contact them if an agency refuses a change it is required to make.

    • Free

More detail

Forms2 forms: OAT 1896, OAT 1480

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

OAT 1896Petition for Change of Name, Surname, and/or Gender IdentifierRequired

How to fill it out

  • Item 1: sex choices on the form are woman, man, intersex, "I identify as", or "prefer not to say". Choose what fits you.
  • Item 2: write your name exactly as it appears on your birth certificate, plus the name you are known by.
  • Item 3: the new name you want. Surnames can only be corrected or reordered, not replaced.
  • Item 4 (optional): check it if you also want your birth certificate to show female or male. Attach one of: a passport or driver's license that already shows the change, or a certificate from a health or behavioral health professional who treats you.
  • Item 5 (reasons): the form has ready-made checkboxes, including "assumed a gender identity different from the one associated with my legal name". You do not need to explain more.
  • The form includes the sworn statement (declaración jurada). You can swear it for free in front of the court clerk (Secretaría) when you file.
  • The form also has a section to certify that you delivered a copy to the Ministerio Público.

Open OAT 1896[3][2]

Forms only some people need (1)

OAT 1480Request and Declaration for Waiver of Court Fees Due to IndigencyOptional

Only if you cannot afford the $78 filing fee.

Open OAT 1480[5]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File at the Superior Court of the Tribunal de Primera Instancia (the form asks for the town where you live). The statute allows filing in any court part. The court describes the procedure as available to people born in Puerto Rico and recorded in the Registro Demográfico.[2][3]
Age
Form OAT 1896 is written for adults. In Puerto Rico the age of majority is 21. See the Minors section.
Criminal record
You must attach a Certificado de Antecedentes Penales (criminal record certificate), plus one from any other jurisdiction where you lived. The petition also states that no civil, administrative, or criminal case is pending against you. A record does not automatically bar a name change, but the judge may ask for more information.
Newspaper publication
No.

Neither the statute nor the court's instructions require a newspaper notice. Notice goes only to the Ministerio Público.

[1][2]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The statute lets the court decide without a hearing once the prosecutor's 10 days pass with no objection. The court usually holds a hearing if the prosecutor objects, and a judge may order one anyway.

[1][2]
Background check
Yes.

No fingerprinting, but you must attach a Certificado de Antecedentes Penales (and one from any other place you lived), plus debt and child-support certifications.

[2]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

We found no procedure for sealing a name change case. Since Ley 114-2025, records at the Registro Demográfico are confidential and copies go only to interested parties. When the gender marker is changed, Puerto Rico must issue a new birth certificate with no strike-outs or other signs of the change (Arroyo González v. Rosselló Nevares).

[6][7]
How long it takes

At least 10 days for the prosecutor's review, then the judge's decision. Most uncontested cases take a few weeks to a few months; it varies by court.

MinorsThe court's form is written for adults, and the age of majority in Puerto Rico is 21.

The court's form is written for adults, and the age of majority in Puerto Rico is 21. We could not confirm how a parent files for a child. Ask a legal aid office or the court's Centro Pro Se before filing for anyone under 21.

[3]
After you finish1. Registro Demográfico: the court sends the resolution there, but bring a certified copy and ask for a new birth certificate to check the…
  1. Registro Demográfico: the court sends the resolution there, but bring a certified copy and ask for a new birth certificate to check the change.
  2. Social Security: update your name (form SS-5) with the certified resolution. Federal records currently cannot change the sex marker.
  3. DTOP / CESCO: update your driver's license or ID with the resolution and corrected birth certificate. See the driver's license guide.
  4. U.S. passport: name changes are still possible with a certified court order.
  5. Then the Comisión Estatal de Elecciones, banks, employers, schools, and insurers.
Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • If you want both a new name and a new gender marker, ask for both on one OAT 1896 petition. It saves a second trip and a second fee.
  • The Centros Pro Se at the courts help people who file without a lawyer. Ask at the Secretaría where the nearest one is.
  • Order the CRIM, Hacienda, ASUME, and criminal record certificates online first; they are usually the slowest part.
Laws and other guides1 law, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

11 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Ley del Registro Demográfico de Puerto Rico (Ley 24-1931), consolidated text rev. April 16, 2024Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto, Law. accessed
    “El cambio, adición o modificación de nombre o apellido sólo podrá hacerse a instancia del interesado... Transcurridos diez (10) días desde la remisión y notificación al Ministerio Fiscal, sin que éste haya formulado objeción alguna, el tribunal entenderá y resolverá los méritos de la petición sin necesidad de celebrar vista”
  2. Cambio de nombre ante el TribunalPoder Judicial de Puerto Rico, Court. accessed
    “Aquellas personas nacidas en Puerto Rico y que hayan sido inscritas en el Registro Demográfico.”
  3. Formulario OAT 1896, Petición de cambio de nombre, apellido y/o identificador de género (rev. junio 2024)Poder Judicial de Puerto Rico, Form. accessed
  4. ArancelesPoder Judicial de Puerto Rico, Court. accessed
    “Promoción de un expediente de jurisdicción voluntaria: $78.00”
  5. Litigación en estado de indigenciaPoder Judicial de Puerto Rico, Court. accessed
  6. Ley Núm. 114 de 5 de septiembre de 2025 (confidentiality of Registro Demográfico certificates)LexJuris de Puerto Rico, Law. accessed
  7. Arroyo González v. Rosselló Nevares, Opinion and Order (D.P.R. Apr. 20, 2018)Lambda Legal, Court. accessed
  8. Servicios Legales de Puerto RicoOrganization. accessed
  9. Clínica de Asistencia LegalUniversidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, Organization. accessed
  10. True Self FoundationOrganization. accessed
  11. Derechos de las personas transgéneroACLU de Puerto Rico, Organization. accessed