To initiate the name change process, eligible individuals must complete the Petition for Name Change (Instructions) and the Confidential Party Information (Instructions).

The petitioner must take the Petition and the Confidential Information forms to their local district court and file them with the clerk.^[1] They will need to be prepared to pay the filing fee.

A hearing will need to be set for at least six weeks after the Petition has been filed. The petitioner can ask the district court clerk for the information on who to contact to schedule the hearing.

Once the hearing date has been set, the petitioner must complete the Legal Notice for Publication (Instructions) and have it published in a local newspaper. The petitioner must request that the newspaper provide the court with an affidavit stating that the notice was published once a week for four consecutive weeks.^[2]

The petitioner can ask the court to waive the notice requirement by filing a Petitioner’s Showing and Request for Waiver of Publication if they believe publishing notice would put them in danger.^[3] This must be filed simultaneously with the Petition.

Within five days of publication, the petitioner must mail a copy of the published notice to any party who may have a legal reason to know about the name change.^[4] A copy can be provided by the newspaper or found at nepublicnotices.com.

The petitioner will then complete the Affidavit of Mailing Published Notice (Instructions).^[5] It must be signed in the presence of a notary public and filed with the clerk.

The petitioner will need to complete the Decree of Name Change (Instructions) and the Instructions for Your Name Change Hearing before the hearing date. They will need to bring both forms to the hearing, including two copies of the Decree. At the hearing, the judge will decide whether to approve the name change.

If the name change is granted, the judge will sign the Decree. The petitioner will need a certified copy of the document to change their name with official agencies such as the DMV and the Social Security Administration. Certified copies can be obtained from the clerk of district court.

Individuals can change their last name by providing a certified copy of their marriage license to government agencies, banks, and other entities.

Someone can have their maiden name restored with a divorce decree or a declaration of annulment.^[6]