Nevada Name Change Requirements

General Summary of Name Change Laws

The Courts are often willing to accept name changes for almost any legitimate reason. However, the granting of an application for change of name is discretionary with the Court. For an order/decree/judgment of name change to be granted, the Court must find compliance with the requirements of notice and the requirements for the allegations in the application. The Court must also find good and sufficient reason for the change, find the change consistent with the public interest and if the change of name is for a minor child, find that the change is in the best interests of the minor child.

You cannot change your/one's name for a fraudulent purpose, such as to avoid debts, you cannot change to a name that could affect the rights of another person, such as a celebrity, you cannot use a curse word, racial slur, obscene and/or an offensive word as part of your/one's name and you cannot change to a name that would cause deliberate confusion (for example, a name with punctuation and/or a number in it).

IMPORTANT NOTE: For name change actions which involve a minor, our materials are strictly for use if both parents consent to the name change. If one parent does not consent, our materials are not appropriate. The applicant may wish to contact a local lawyer, bar association, etc.

Again, please remember, our name change materials are designed to cover simple, uncontested name changes ONLY.

Overview of Process in Nevada for an Adult

In Nevada, the process for obtaining a name change for an adult begins with the filing of a Verified Petition with the District Court in the district in which the Petitioner resides (Clark County). The Petitioner must have lived within Clark County, Nevada for at least six weeks, before (s)he files the Petition and (s)he must plan to live in Clark County, Nevada, for the foreseeable future, after the Petition is filed.

The Verified Petition includes personal information as required by statute, such as the Petitioner's name, the new name the Petitioner wishes to adopt and the reasons for the request for change of name.

After filing the Verified Petition and paying the required filing fee for such, the Petitioner is required to give public notice of the relief requested in a local newspaper of general circulation in Clark County. The notice must be published one time per week for three consecutive weeks.

After publication is complete, the Petitioner must submit proof of publication to the Clerk of the Court. This is accomplished by filing an affidavit provided by the newspaper verifying the publication. The affidavit is attached to a copy of the published notice and filed with the Clerk.

After publication of notice, if within ten days, no written objection is filed with the Clerk, and if everything is in order and the Court agrees to the intent and nature of the Petition, the Court will sign an Order making the name change official. For an Order of name change to be granted, the Court must find sufficient reasons for the change and also find it consistent with the public interest.

If written objections are filed with the Clerk within the ten days following publication of notice, the Court will schedule a hearing. At the hearing, the Court may take evidence from all interested parties. Then the Court may grant or refuse the requested change of name. In the event that anyone files an objection to your request, your case will become a contested case and you are strongly urged to hire an attorney. If you do not retain an attorney you will have to represent yourself in a contested hearing.

Requirements to File for a Change of Name for an Adult in Nevada

Nevada (Clark County) law requires certain things before you can file for a name change and/or during the name change process in Nevada (Clark County). These requirements include:

You must file in the county where you live. If you are using our materials, then you should live in Clark County and you also should be filing your action/request for change of name in Clark County.
You must have lived in Clark County, Nevada, for at least six (6) weeks, before you file the Petition and you must plan to live in Clark County, Nevada, for the foreseeable future, after the Petition is filed.
You must be an adult. Following is the age of majority, as taken directly from the Nevada Revised Statutes, Title 11 Domestic Relations, Chapter 129 Minors' Disabilities; Judicial Emancipation of Minors, NRS 129.010, "All persons of the age of 18 years who are under no legal disability, and all persons who have been declared emancipated pursuant to NRS 129.080 to 129.140, inclusive, are capable of entering into any contract, and are, to all intents and purposes, held and considered to be of lawful age."
You are not changing your name to avoid creditors/debts, to defraud someone and/or to infringe upon the rights of another.
Again, please remember, our name change materials are designed to cover simple, uncontested name changes ONLY.

Overview of Process in Nevada for a Minor

In Nevada, the process for obtaining a name change for a minor child(ren) begins with the filing of a Verified Petition with the District Court in the district in which the Petitioner and his/her minor child(ren) resides (Clark County). The Petitioner and his/her minor child(ren) must have lived within Clark County, Nevada for at least six weeks, before the Petition is filed and they must plan to live in Clark County, Nevada, for the foreseeable future, after the Petition is filed.

The Verified Petition includes personal information as required by statute, such as the Petitioner's name, the minor child(ren)'s name, the new name requested for the minor child(ren), the reason(s) for the request for change of name, etc.

After filing the Verified Petition, along with the Family Court Cover Sheet and the Notice of Petition for Change of Name and paying the required filing fee for such, the Petitioner should call the Law Clerk for the department your application has been assigned to and ask if a guardian ad litem appointment and/or consent is required. Some departments require that a guardian ad litem be appointed to represent a child(ren) when that child(ren)'s name is going to be changed, while other departments do not. If a guardian ad litem appointment and/or consent is required, you should follow the detailed directions within our materials and complete these requirements accordingly.

The Petitioner is also required to give public notice of the relief requested in a local newspaper of general circulation in Clark County. The notice must be published one time per week for three consecutive weeks

After eleven days from the last publication, you can ask the judge to review the Petition (application). There are two ways to ask the Judge to review the Petition: Request for Summary Disposition and "Prove-Up" hearing. Both ways require you to wait eleven days from the last day the Notice was published. Each method is discussed in great detail within our materials. Regardless of the method you select, if everything is in order and the Court agrees to the intent and nature of the Petition, the Court will sign an Order making the name change official. For an Order of name change to be granted, the Court must find sufficient reasons for the change and also find it consistent with the public interest.

Requirements to File for a Change of Name for a Minor in Nevada

Certain requirements exist which must be met before you can file for a name change for a minor and/or during the name change process for a minor in Clark County, Nevada. These requirements include:

You must file in the county where you and the minor child(ren) live. If you are using our materials, then you and the minor child(ren) should live in Clark County and you also should be filing the action/request for change of name (for minor child(ren)) in Clark County.
You and the minor child(ren) must have lived in Clark County, Nevada, for at least six weeks, before you file the Petition and you (all) must plan to live in Clark County, Nevada, for the anticipated future, after the Petition is filed.
To file an application for a change of name for a minor child(ren) in Clark County, Nevada, the minor child(ren) must be seventeen years of age or younger. Following is the age of majority, as taken directly from Title 11, Chapter 129 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, "All persons of the age of 18 years who are under no legal disability, and all persons who have been declared emancipated pursuant to NRS 129.080 to 129.140, inclusive, are capable of entering into any contract, and are, to all intents and purposes, held and considered to be of lawful age." Once the age of majority is reached, an application for an adult name change should be filed.
You are not changing the minor child(ren)'s name(s) to avoid creditors/debts, to defraud someone and/or to infringe upon the rights of another.
Again, please remember, our name change materials are designed to cover simple, uncontested name changes ONLY.
Written consent to the name change must be provided by all adults who retain legal rights over the minor.

Nevada Name Change Forms

Self-Prepared

Adult Name Change	$29.95
Minor Name Change	$29.95

Paralegal-Prepared

Adult Name Change	$99.95
Minor Name Change	$119.95