How To Change Your Name In California

Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.

Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal Editor

Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.

Written By Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal Editor

Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.

Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal Editor

Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.

Deputy Legal Editor Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Updated: Mar 21, 2023, 4:56am

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Table of Contents

If you need to change your name in California, there are a number of steps you’ll need to take. Some of these can be time-consuming and even expensive. If you prepare carefully, however, and follow the steps below, you can have your new name in just a matter of months.

Changing Your Name in California—Before You Start

One of the unique steps to a California name change is the requirement for publication. Before a name change can be granted, the state requires that every request be published in a newspaper. More specifically, you must publish your request in a newspaper of general circulation that publishes legal notices in the county where you live.

You’ll need to have your request published for four weeks, and the cost of publication can vary quite a lot. Luckily, the clerk’s office at most courthouses in California can provide you with a list of newspapers in the county that meet the requirement.

If you’re filing in California but currently live in another state, you still must meet the publication requirement. So, before you start the process, keep the publication requirement in mind and remember that it will be at least four weeks before you can complete the name change process.

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Deputy Legal Editor

Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or as interesting as possible).

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