How-to Guide to Changing Your Name AND Gender

Important! You do not need a court ordered gender change to change your California driver's license, social security card, or U.S. passport. You also no longer need a court order to have a new birth certificate issued reflecting a change of gender (for California birth records). You may want to get a court ordered gender change to amend your birth certificate if you were born outside of California. Find out more at ID Please - A guide to Changing California and Federal Identity Documents to Match Your Gender Identity or get help from the resources listed under "Related Information" on the Gender Change home page. You DO need a court order for a change of name. If you need to change your name AND gender, you can follow the instructions below, or you can instead change your gender with the State Registrar (without a court order) and separately get a court order for a name change only. To do that, visit our name change section.

Generally, to get a court order changing your name AND gender, follow these steps:

1. Fill out your court forms
   • Petition for Change of Name and Gender (Form NCC-200) and Attachment to Petition for Change of Name (Form NC-110),
   • Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (Form NC-220), and
   • Civil Case Cover Sheet (Form CM-010).

   Some courts also require you to fill out local forms to ask for a name change, like a criminal background information form. Ask your local court clerk if there are local forms you have to fill out. Some courts also have forms on their websites. Find your local court’s website. Make sure to keep copies of any local forms you fill out.

2. Have your doctor fill out an affidavit telling the court that you have undergone clinically appropriate treatment for change of gender
   Your doctor can use the Declaration of Physician — Attachment to Petition (Form NC-210) or write out his or her own declaration. It is very important it be done by a licensed physician; it cannot be done by a nurse. If your doctor uses his or her own letter, make sure it contains all the required information. 

3. Have your forms reviewed
   If your court's family law facilitator or self-help center helps people with name and gender change cases, ask them to review your paperwork. They can make sure you filled it out properly before you move ahead with your case.

4. Make 1 copy of all your forms

5. File your forms with the court clerk
   File all the forms and copies in the superior court in the county where you live. The clerk will stamp your forms “Filed,” keep the original, and return the copies to you. The clerk will give you a date for your court hearing and will write it on the Order to Show Cause, along with information on the time and department number for your hearing.
   You will have to pay a filing fee. Find out how much the filing fee is for a first petition (sometimes called a “first appearance” or “first papers”). If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver.

6. Go to your court hearing
   Go to court on your court date and take a copy of the papers you filed, along with the Decree Changing Name and Gender (Form NC-230) for the judge to sign.

7. Get your Decree Changing Name and Gender from the court
   If the judge approves your request for a change of name and gender, the judge will sign the Decree Changing Name and Gender (Form NC-230). Once you get your signed decree, get a certified copy from the court clerk. You will need this to change all your legal documents, including your birth certificate and other government-issued identification like your driver’s license. Click for information on changing your driver’s license.