To get started you can use the Supreme Court Adult Name Change Petition Program to change your name. The adult name change form is used to ask (or “petition”) the NY State Supreme Court to change your name. The petition (court paper) may be filed in the Supreme Court in the county where the person lives. If your name change is granted by the Court, you must publish your new name in the newspaper within 20 days of the Judge's signing of the order. You then have to file proof of publication from the newspaper in the County Clerk's Office. New York City residents can use the New York City Civil Court Adult Name Change Petition Program on the NYC Civil Court website. The filing fee in New York City Civil Court is much less.
