Adult Name Change — North Dakota (Waiver Track)

This walks you through a standalone adult name-change petition in North
Dakota district court, on the waiver track — for changing your first
and/or middle name only, leaving your last name unchanged.

On this track a judge may waive the newspaper publication requirement, and
if publication is waived there is no 30-day waiting period. The waiver is
the judge's decision on the facts you present — it is not guaranteed, so
plan for the possibility that publication is still required.

If you are changing your last name (or any combination that includes it),
use the standard-track page instead.

One common mix-up: if you wanted your name changed as part of a divorce,
that has to be requested inside the divorce case — it is not handled here.

Official guidance and forms: ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help/name-change-adult

To petition for a name change in North Dakota you must be a U.S. citizen
or a U.S. permanent resident. You attest to this on the Petition.

A name change cannot be used to defraud anyone or to evade a legal
obligation (for example, debts or a criminal record). These are conditions
you confirm on the forms — not something you have to explain to anyone here.

Because you are not changing your last name, you can ask the judge to
waive the requirement to publish a notice in the newspaper. If the judge
grants the waiver, there is no 30-day waiting period and your petition can
be considered sooner.

The judge decides this on your particular facts, so it is not automatic.
Ask the clerk how your county handles the waiver request, and be ready in
case publication is still required.

A few North Dakota specifics that trip people up:

Leave the case number blank — the clerk assigns it when you file.

Do not sign the proposed Order. Only the judge signs that one.

The Confidential Information Form is sealed and stays out of the public
file. Keep copies — it must be attached to every certified copy of your
Order, or North Dakota Vital Records will reject your updates later.

North Dakota does not presumptively require a hearing for a name change,
but the judge may decide one is needed. If a hearing is scheduled, the
Clerk of District Court will send notice with the date, time, and location.

Ask the clerk for at least three certified copies of your Order — each one
needs the Confidential Information Form attached.

Then update your records in this order, because each step verifies against
the one before it: Social Security Administration first, then the North
Dakota DMV, then your passport, then financial accounts, your employer and
health insurance, your home title, and voter registration.