Denver County Court

Name Change Information

This page will help you learn about Name Change rules & laws in Colorado, case filing, form and fee requirements, common legal terms & frequently asked questions. Reviewing all these sections will assist you with processing a name change.

Please read the instructions before completing any forms. The instructions provide a step-by-step approach to assist you with completing the necessary forms. All forms are available on this website. The forms can be completed online & then printed.

For additional information, please review Colorado Revised Statutes §13-15-101102 C.R.S.

NAME CHANGE – ADULT 

You must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of Denver County to petition the Denver County Court for a change of name.

You must NOT have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state under federal law. Special rules apply for persons with felony convictions who wish to obtain a name change and you will need to follow the requirements in the section: “ NAME CHANGE – OBTAIN IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

The Court will NOT consider a Petition for a name change unless a fingerprint-based criminal history record check is conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition.

Unless the Court has ordered that publication is not required, proof of publication must be completed and submitted to the Court prior to the name change being officially granted.

A hearing will be scheduled in approximately 2 weeks from the date of filing, on a Friday at 10:00 a.m.

For detailed filing information click HERE.

NAME CHANGE – MINOR

The minor child must be a resident of Denver County, OR

If the child is under 19 years of age and is the subject of an action concerning child support, allocation of parental responsibilities, or parenting time, the Petition for Name Change must be filed in the District Court that has jurisdiction.

The Parent/Petitioner must be 18 years or older

The minor child, if 14 years or older, must NOT have been adjudicated as a juvenile delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult in this state or any other state or under federal law.

The Court will NOT consider a petition for a name change for a minor 14 years or older, unless a fingerprint-based criminal history record check is conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition.

Unless the Court has ordered that publication is NOT required, proof of publication must be completed and submitted to the Court prior to the name change being officially granted.

A hearing will be scheduled in approximately 2 weeks from the date of filing, on a Friday at 10:00 a.m.

For detailed filing information click HERE.

NAME CHANGE – OBTAIN IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

These instructions ONLY apply to a person who was convicted of a felony or adjudicated as a juvenile delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult in Colorado or any other state or under federal law and the person needs a legal name change in order to be issued a driver’s license or an identification card in Colorado.

You MUST be a resident of Denver County to file your Petition.

The proposed name change you are requesting should be the name under which you were convicted or adjudicated, unless you can show good cause for proposing a different name.

The Court will NOT consider a Petition for a name change unless the following occurs:

  • A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) fingerprint-based criminal history record check is conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition.
  • The Colorado criminal history record has the proposed name change added as an alias. If the conviction or adjudication occurred in another state, this may not apply.
  • Written notice of the proposed name change has been provided to the District Attorney’s Office, where the conviction requiring incarceration or an order for probation or community corrections occurred.
  • If petitioner is in custody of the Department of Corrections, under an order for probation or community corrections, or incarcerated in a county jail, written notification must be provided to the supervising agency.

A hearing will be scheduled in approximately 2 weeks from the date of filing, on a Friday at 10:00 a.m.

For detailed filing information click HERE.

NAME CHANGE – 70 YEARS OR OLDER

These instructions ONLY apply to a person who is at least 70 years of age, has not been convicted of a felony or adjudicated as a juvenile delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult in any state or under federal law, and is seeking a name change to harmonize name discrepancies necessary to be issued an identification card in Colorado.

You MUST be a Denver resident to file your Petition.

The Court will NOT consider a Petition for a name change unless the following occurs:

A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Colorado Bureau Investigation (CBI) fingerprint-based criminal history record check is conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition. If the fingerprint-based record checks were inconclusive because the fingerprints were unreadable or not discernable, a name-based criminal history record check conducted by the CBI shall be submitted to the Court.

A Hearing will be scheduled in approximately 2 weeks from the date of filing, on a Friday at 10:00 a.m.

For detailed filing information click HERE.

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