Adult name and gender recognition
Overview
Ask the court to change your name and get order recognizing your gender
In California, you can ask the court to change your legal name and get a court order recognizing your gender. To do this, you file a petition with the court and get a decree. The process generally takes up to 2 months.
Choose any part of the process below to get step-by-step instructions.
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1. Fill out a petition
First, you fill out a petition to ask the court to change your name and recognize your gender
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2. File petition and pay fee
Then, file your petition and pay a fee (or ask for a fee waiver).
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3. Get your decree
If the judge approves your request, you'll get a signed decree. You can use this to update your legal documents, like your birth certificate, driver's license, social security, and passport.