Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Utah

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

Adults in Utah can change their name by filing a petition in the district court of the county where they have lived for at least one year. A judge holds a hearing. The filing fee is about $375 (waivable). You can ask for a name change and a sex designation change in the same petition. People in state prison or on probation or parole cannot file.

Main cost
$375, 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

Utah name changes are governed by Utah Code 42-1-1 to 42-1-3. You file one form, the Petition for Name or Sex Change (1730FA), in the district court of the county where you live. The same form is used to ask for a legal sex designation change under Utah Code 26B-8-111 (see the birth certificate guide), so you can do both in one case and one fee.

The judge decides what notice, if any, must be given (42-1-2), and the court self-help page says a hearing will be scheduled after you file. You do not need a medical letter to change your name; you only need evidence if you are also asking for a sex change.

The easiest way to fill out and file the forms is the court's free MyPaperwork tool, which builds the forms from your answers and files them online.

Steps

  1. Check that you can file[1][5]

    You must have lived in your county for at least one year, and you cannot be in Department of Corrections custody or on probation or parole. If you just moved, you have to wait until you reach one year in the new county.

  2. Prepare your petition and proposed order[5]

    Use MyPaperwork (free, on the Utah Courts website) to answer questions and generate the forms, or fill in the PDF forms yourself: 1158XX cover sheet, 1730FA petition, and 1731FA proposed order.

    If you also want a legal sex change, check that box and gather your evidence now (see the birth certificate guide).

  3. Ask for a fee waiver if you qualify[10]

    Optional

    File the Motion to Waive Fees (1301GE) and the Order on Motion to Waive Fees (1302GE) with your petition. The court page explains what happens if the judge denies the request.

  4. File in the district court for your county[5][4]

    Click File in MyPaperwork, or take the PDF forms to the district court in the county where you live. In Utah County, PDF filings go to the Provo Courthouse in person or by email to ProvoFiling@utcourts.gov. Pay the filing fee or attach your fee waiver request.

    Cost
    $375 district court filing fee (petition)

  5. Go to the hearing[5][2]

    The court schedules a hearing after you file. The judge may ask you a few questions and signs the order if the requirements are met. The judge also decides whether any notice to others is needed (42-1-2); in most cases there is none. If you are on the offender registry, send form 1703FA to the Offender Registration Program at least 30 days before the hearing.

    Form
    1703FA

  6. Get certified copies of the signed order[5][9]

    Ask the clerk for several certified copies of the signed Order (1731FA). Social Security, the Driver License Division, Vital Records, and the passport agency each want one. Certified copies cost $4 per document plus 50 cents per page.

    Cost
    $4 certified copy of the order

  7. Update your other records[5]

    1. Social Security first (free).
    2. Driver License Division in person (see the driver's license guide).
    3. Utah birth certificate through Vital Records, if you were born in Utah (see the birth certificate guide).
    4. Passport, banks, employer, voter registration, and everyone else.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[10]

You may qualify if any one is true:

  • You receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or FEP/TANF.
  • A nonprofit legal services provider or a Utah State Bar pro bono lawyer is helping you.
  • Your monthly household income is at or below the court's table (for example $1,882.50 for one person, $2,555 for two, plus $672.50 for each additional person above six).
  • You cannot pay the fees and still afford food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities.

File 1301GE and 1302GE with your petition. A judge decides the motion.

1301GE1302GE

WhatCostNotes
District court filing fee (petition)[4][9]$375Can be waivedGeneral fee for a civil petition not covered by another fee category (Utah Code 78A-2-301(1)(a)). Confirm the amount with the clerk.
Certified copy of the order[9]$4$4 per document plus $0.50 per page.

Free help

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

  • Rainbow Law Clinic, S.J. Quinney College of Law Pro Bono Initiative[13]

    Free legal clinic run by University of Utah law students with volunteer attorneys. Answers questions about LGBTQIA+ legal issues, including name and gender marker changes.

    • Free
    801-581-8895

  • Utah State Courts Self-Help Center[11]

    Free help from court staff attorneys with forms, instructions, and process questions for people without a lawyer. They cannot give legal advice or represent you.

    • Free
    Languages: English, Español

  • Utah Legal Services[14]

    Statewide civil legal aid for low-income Utahns (generally up to 200% of the federal poverty level). Takes only priority case types, so call to ask whether they can help with your name change or refer you.

    • Free
    801-328-8891960 South Main St, Salt Lake City, UT

  • Utah Pride Center[15]

    Salt Lake City LGBTQ+ center with peer support groups and a community resource list that includes legal help referrals.

    • Free
    801-539-880068 South Main Street, 9th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

  • Genderbands[16]

    Orem-based fund that has given grants for transition costs. Its website says it is transitioning its programs and assets to local organizations, so check what is still open before applying.

    • Free

More detail

Forms6 forms: 1730FA, 1731FA, 1158XX, 1703FA, and more

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (3)

1730FAPetition for Name or Sex ChangeRequired

How to fill it out

  • At the top, check name change, sex designation change, or both. You can ask for both in one petition.
  • Item 3: list any other court cases you are involved in (protective orders, civil suits, juvenile or criminal cases).
  • Items 4 and 5: confirm you are not in Department of Corrections custody or on probation or parole.
  • Item 8: say whether you are on the Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry.
  • Item 11: the reason for the change can be short and plain, for example "to match my gender identity" or "this is the name I use." You do not need a medical letter for a name change.
  • Item 12: the county you live in and the date you moved there (at least one year before filing).
  • Items 13 to 18 are only for a sex designation change; see the birth certificate guide for what evidence to attach.
  • You sign under criminal penalty that everything is true; no notary is required for adult petitions.

Open 1730FA[8][5]

1731FAOrder on Petition for Name or Sex ChangeRequired

Proposed order you prepare and file with the petition. The judge signs it if the petition is granted. Vital Records needs a certified copy.

Open 1731FA[5][7]

1158XXUtah District Court Cover Sheet for Probate ActionsRequired

Filed with the petition when you use the PDF forms instead of MyPaperwork.

Open 1158XX[5][7]

Forms only some people need (3)

1703FANotice of Hearing on Petition for Name ChangeSometimes required: Only if you are on the Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry.

Only if you are on the Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry. Send it to the Offender Registration Program at least 30 days before the hearing.

Open 1703FA[5][7]

1301GEMotion to Waive FeesOptional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee. See the fee waiver section.

How to fill it out

  • If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or FEP/TANF, or you are represented by a nonprofit legal provider or a Utah State Bar pro bono lawyer, fill out pages 1 and 2 only.
  • Otherwise, you also fill in your income, expenses, and assets.
  • File it with the Order on Motion to Waive Fees (fill in only the heading).

Open 1301GE[10][7]

1302GEOrder on Motion to Waive FeesOptional

Goes with 1301GE. Fill in the heading only; the judge completes the rest.

Open 1302GE[10][7]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
You must have been a resident of the county where you file for at least one year before filing (Utah Code 42-1-1(1)(c)).[1][5]
Age
18 or older for the adult process. A parent or guardian files for a minor; see the Minors section.
Criminal record
You cannot file while you are committed to the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections or supervised on probation or parole by Adult Probation and Parole (42-1-1(2), referring to the definition of "offender" in 64-13-1). If you are on the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry you must say so on the petition, the court may ask for more information, and you must send the notice of hearing to the registry at least 30 days before the hearing.
Other
You cannot change your name to avoid creditors, fines, or criminal sentences, to commit fraud, or to a name that is bizarre, unduly long, ridiculous, or offensive.
Newspaper publication
Sometimes.

Utah law does not require newspaper publication. Section 42-1-2 lets the judge order "what, if any, notice" is given. The court's self-help instructions for adults do not include any publication step.

If a judge orders notice and you have safety concerns, tell the judge at or before the hearing and ask that no notice be required; it is the judge's decision.

[2][5]
Court hearing
Yes.

The court self-help page says the court will schedule a hearing after you file, and 42-1-2 requires proof "in open court." Attend and bring your ID; if the judge grants the petition, ask how to get certified copies.

[5][2]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints or background check. You must disclose other court cases, probation or parole status, and registry status on the petition, and people in Department of Corrections custody or on probation or parole cannot file at all.

[1][8]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

If your petition includes a sex designation change, the court automatically marks the case private; only the case history and public hearings are public. A name-only case is a public record unless the judge orders otherwise.

For a name-only case, you can file a motion asking the judge to classify the record as private or sealed, explaining your safety or privacy reasons. Vital Records charges an extra $40 sealed-record fee if your order is sealed.

[5][12]
How long it takes

The court does not publish a processing time. Expect several weeks between filing and the hearing, depending on the county's calendar.

MinorsA parent or guardian files in the district court of the county where the child has lived for at least a year, using the cover sheet 1158XX,…

A parent or guardian files in the district court of the county where the child has lived for at least a year, using the cover sheet 1158XX, the Petition for Minor's Name or Sex Change (1720FA), a notice of hearing, and the proposed Order (1723FA). The other parent either signs a Consent (1721FA) or must be formally served with a summons, the petition, and the notice of hearing. In Juab, Millard, Utah, and Wasatch counties, signatures must be notarized. A hearing is held.

A sex designation change for a minor has extra limits under 26B-8-111: the child must be at least 15 years and 6 months old, every parent or guardian with legal custody must consent, the court appoints a guardian ad litem (paid by the parents unless indigent), the hearing is closed, and an order does not take effect until the child turns 16.

[6][3]
After you finishWith certified copies of your signed order: 1.

With certified copies of your signed order:

  1. Social Security (free; the sex field cannot currently be changed at SSA, but the name can).
  2. Utah Driver License Division, in person, for a new license or ID ($23 replacement).
  3. Utah Vital Records, if you were born in Utah: form 902 plus a birth certificate application, $50 including one copy.
  4. Passport, banks, employer, school, voter registration, insurance, and utilities.
Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • Ask for the name change and the sex designation change in the **same petition** if you want both. You pay one filing fee, and the whole case becomes private.
  • The Utah Courts Self-Help Center gives free help with forms and court process questions, even though its attorneys cannot represent you.
  • Order extra certified copies at the courthouse on the day your order is signed; it saves a trip and they are inexpensive.
Laws and other guides4 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

16 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Utah Code 42-1-1, By petition to district court, contentsUtah State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A natural person who is an offender, as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1, may not file a petition in district court to change the natural person's name.”
  2. Utah Code 42-1-2, Notice of hearing, order of changeUtah State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “The court shall order what, if any, notice shall be given of the hearing”
  3. Utah Code 26B-8-111, Birth certificate name or sex designation changeUtah State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A petition for a sex designation under this section may be combined with a petition under Title 42, Names.”
  4. Utah Code 78A-2-301, Civil fees of the courts of recordUtah State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “The fee for filing any civil complaint or petition invoking the jurisdiction of a court of record not governed by another subsection is $375.”
  5. Petition for Name or Sex Designation Change - AdultUtah State Courts, Court. accessed
    “After you file your papers, the court will schedule a hearing.”
  6. Name or Sex Designation Change - MinorUtah State Courts, Court. accessed
    “the minor must be at least 15 years and 6 months old”
  7. Utah Courts forms (form ids 1158XX, 1730FA, 1731FA, 1703FA, 1301GE, 1302GE)Utah State Courts, Form. accessed
  8. Form 1730FA, Petition for Name or Sex ChangeUtah State Courts, Form. accessed
    “I am not currently committed to the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections or being supervised on probation or parole by Adult Probation and Parole.”
  9. Filing, Transcript, and Record FeesUtah State Courts, Court. accessed
    “Certified copy Per document Subsection (1)(z) $4.00 Per page Subsection (1)(z) $0.50”
  10. Fees and Fee WaiverUtah State Courts, Court. accessed
    “Do you receive any of these government benefits? Food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SSI, FEP or TANF”
  11. Self-Help CenterUtah State Courts, Court. accessed
    “The Utah State Courts' Self-Help Center (SHC) provides free legal help to people who do not have a lawyer.”
  12. Vital Records Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2026)Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Official page. accessed
    “Sealed record Fee $40.00”
  13. Pro Bono Initiative, ClientsS.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, Organization. accessed
    “Rainbow Law Answers questions related to LGBTQIA+ legal issues, including employment, name and gender marker changes, estate planning, and family law.”
  14. Who Qualifies to Get Help from Utah Legal Services?Utah Legal Services, Organization. accessed
    “In most cases, income must be at or below 200% of the current federal poverty level for the household's size.”
  15. Utah Pride Center, Community ResourcesUtah Pride Center, Organization. accessed
  16. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed