Name Change for Minor

A civil name change for a person under 18 may require more steps than an adult name change.  Read below to better understand the process and your options for preparing your forms.

How Does it Work?

If you are a child’s legal guardian, contact us at library@kern.courts.ca.gov for instructions specific to your procedure.

If you want to change a minor’s legal name, and you are their legal parent(s), you will need to:

1) Complete your forms packet and make two sets of copies.  Take these to the Civil Department of the Superior Court along with a filing fee of $435.00.  If you think you may qualify, you may wish to submit a Request to Waive Court Fees and Order on Fee Waiver with your name change packet to ask the court to waive your filing fee.

2) Collect your copies from the Civil Department and publish your Order to Show Cause in the newspaper you selected when you filled out your paperwork.  This must be done once per week for four weeks prior to the hearing date the court clerk will assign for your hearing.

3) Have the Order to Show Cause served on the non-petitioning parent in the manner prescribed by the California Code of Civil Procedure, and have your server complete the form NC-121 Proof of Service of Order to Show Cause (NOTE: This is only in cases where one parent is filing the petition – if both parents are joining as petitioners, this step is not required).

4) File Proof of Publication from the newspaper and Proof of Service of Order to Show Cause (if necessary) with the court prior to your hearing date.  Some newspapers will file Proof of Publication for you, while others will require you to pick it up and submit it yourself.  Ask the newspaper you select if they file it for you or if you will need to pick it up and submit it yourself.

5) Attend the hearing on the date on your Order to Show Cause – If you miss the hearing, the court will not consider your petition.

Step by Step Guide to Change Your Child’s Name

1.  Select Your Newspaper

Part of the name change process involves publishing a notice in a local newspaper in your county.  Review the list of  Adjudicated Newspapers of Kern County (last revised March 2025)  to pick a newspaper in the city where you live. This list of newspapers now includes price information for publishing your Order to Show Cause, and tells you whether the newspapers will file your Proof of Publication for you, or if they will give it to you for you to file.

Do not rely solely on the information here.  You should confirm the information is up to date and accurate by directly contacting the newspaper before making your final selection. 

2. Complete Name Change Forms

You have two options for filling out your forms – you can fill them in yourself, or you can use a program that completes them for you by asking a series of questions and using your answers to fill out the paperwork. 

CLICK HERE to use the form building program.  If you want to see how this program works, CLICK HERE for a demo.

CLICK HERE to download the forms to fill in directly, if you prefer. 

3.  Serve the Non-Petitioning Parent (If Only One Parent is Petitioning)

Ignore this step if both parents are petitioning.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for an illustrated guide on this subject.

4.  Attend Your Hearing

You will be assigned a hearing date after you file your paperwork with the court.

You have options for how to attend your hearing.  If you want to attend your hearing in person, you will need to review your Order to Show Cause to see the date, time, and department where your hearing will take place.

If you want to attend your hearing remotely, you will need to complete and file a Notice of Remote Appearance and an Order Regarding Remote Appearance.

If you would like to use a court date calculator, you can CLICK HERE to make sure you give yourself enough time to request a remote appearance.

If you are approved to attend remotely, you will visit THIS PAGE to access your hearing.