How to Legally Change Your Name in Nevada (Court Petition)
When your new name isn't written into a marriage certificate or a divorce decree, Nevada requires a court order: you file a petition, publish a notice, and a judge signs an order that every agency will then accept. Here is the Nevada version of that process, in order.
Do you actually need the court?
Only if your new name can't be derived from a marriage certificate or a divorce decree with a restoration clause. Taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or going back to a maiden name named in the decree all skip the court entirely.
Just married? You don't need any of this — a certified marriage certificate is your document. Build your free marriage checklist instead.
Nevada quick facts
| Where to file | The district court in the county where you live |
|---|---|
| Form | Petition for Change of Name (Nevada self-help forms; Clark County has its own packet) — official forms |
| Cost | ≈ $270–$300 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge (confirm with the clerk) |
| Publication | Required once a week for three weeks in a newspaper in the county, unless the court waives it; the judge can sign the order 10 days after the last notice if nobody objects |
| Background check | The petition asks whether you have felony convictions; if so, notice also goes to the Central Repository and the court weighs it. No routine fingerprinting for adults |
| Residency | You file in your county of residence |
| Time | 5–8 weeks, driven by the three-week publication |
What makes Nevada different
Nevada's publication runs three weeks and the court can't act until 10 days after the last notice — so the calendar, not the paperwork, sets your timeline. File the publication the same day you file the petition.
Las Vegas (Clark County) has a full self-help center with a name-change packet and a fee-waiver form; most Nevada petitions are filed there, and the packet is the easiest starting point in the state.
Step by step
- Get the petition form from the Nevada courts and fill it in: current name, requested name, the reason, and the sworn statements about your record. Have it notarized if the form requires it.
- File it with the clerk of the district court in the county where you live. Pay the filing fee (≈ $270–$300 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge) or file a fee-waiver request with proof of income.
- Publish the notice. Required once a week for three weeks in a newspaper in the county, unless the court waives it; the judge can sign the order 10 days after the last notice if nobody objects. Get the newspaper affidavit of publication and file it with the court.
- Background check. The petition asks whether you have felony convictions; if so, notice also goes to the Central Repository and the court weighs it. No routine fingerprinting for adults.
- Hearing or signature. Many uncontested petitions are granted on the papers; if a hearing is set, it is usually five minutes of confirming what you wrote. The judge signs the order.
- Certified copies of the order — get at least 3. The order is now your authorizing document. From here it's the standard sequence: Social Security (free SS-5), wait 48 hours, driver's license, passport, then everyone else. The tracker keeps the list.
Want the petition prepared for you?
A document service prepares the Nevada petition to your county's exact requirements and walks you through publication and filing — useful if you'd rather not manage the logistics. Court filing fees are separate either way.
See LegalZoom name change →Common questions
How much does it cost to legally change your name in Nevada?
≈ $270–$300 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge. Add certified copies of the order afterwards (a few dollars each) and the downstream document fees — the Social Security card is free, the license is $10–$50 depending on the state, a passport in the new name is $130. Fee waivers exist for low-income petitioners in every state. Confirm the current fee with the clerk: Nevada courts.
How long does a court name change take in Nevada?
5–8 weeks, driven by the three-week publication. The pacing item is the publication schedule.
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Nevada?
No. Adult name changes are designed to be filed without a lawyer, and the court's self-help forms are the same ones lawyers use. People hire help for one of three reasons: a criminal record that complicates the petition, a contested case (usually a child's name), or simply not wanting to manage publication and hearing logistics — a document service handles that part for a flat fee.
Do I need a court order to change my name after marriage in Nevada?
No. A marriage-based change (taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or restoring a former name written into a divorce decree) needs no petition — the certified marriage certificate or decree is the legal document, and you take it straight to Social Security. The court route is for every other kind of change: a new name you simply prefer, a name for a child, or a divorce decree that lacks a restoration clause.
Can the judge deny my name change?
Rarely, and only for cause: the change appears intended to defraud creditors, evade law enforcement, or infringe someone's rights; you hold certain convictions the state bars; or the name is obscene or would cause confusion. A truthful petition for an ordinary reason is granted as a matter of course.
Divorced and the decree didn't restore your name? Read getting your maiden name back after divorce first — amending the decree is often cheaper than a new petition. Full cost comparison: how much a name change costs by state.