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 Denver resident to file your Petition.
The purposed 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 additional information, please review Colorado Revised Statutes §13-15-101 – 102 C.R.S.
STEPS TO FILING YOUR CASE
Complete the required fingerprint-based criminal history check. You must submit a criminal history check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the time the Petition for Change of Name to Obtain Identity-Related Documents is filed. Please follow these steps:
- Contact the Denver Police Department or Colorado Correctional Industries (CCI) to be fingerprinted.
- Fingerprint cards (you will need 2 cards) may be obtained at: CCI/State Forms Center, 4999 Oakland, Denver, CO 80239.
- In the upper left hand corner of the card you will see a box labeled “Reason Fingerprinted”; complete the box with “§13-15-101 Name Change to Obtain Legal Documents”. It is important that the CBI and FBI know that the criminal history check is for a legal name change. Please write your name, home address, and date of birth clearly on the fingerprint card. If the agency completing the fingerprints uses an electronic print system, please do not write on the cards as the agency will automatically input the information.
- You are responsible for mailing or hand-delivering the completed fingerprint cards to the CBI and FBI. Allow up to 13 weeks to process the criminal history check from the FBI. It can take 4 weeks to receive your criminal history check back for the CBI. The criminal history results must be conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition. For this reason, it is best to mail your FBI fingerprint card, wait 7 – 9 weeks, and then mail or hand-deliver your CBI fingerprint card. You will be provided with a full report from both agencies.
- The FBI requires an Applicant Information form to be submitted with the fingerprint card. This form, along with additional information on FBI requests, can be obtained at the following link: www.fbi.gov
- Mail a completed fingerprint card and Applicant Information form, along with a certified check or money order to the FBI at: Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, Attn: SCU, Mod. D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306. Do not fold the fingerprint card.
- Mail or hand-deliver a completed fingerprint card, along with a money order to the CBI at: Colorado Bureau of Investigation, 690 Kipling #3000, Denver, CO 80215. Do not fold the fingerprint card. If you hand-deliver the fingerprint card, you may also pay by cash.
- If you have a felony conviction or adjudication recorded in Colorado or any other state, and you know that it is inaccurate it is your responsibility to obtain the disposition information from the court where such action occurred as identified in the CBI and FBI reports.
- You are also responsible for providing certified copies of any criminal dispositions that are not reflected in the CBI or FBI records and any other dispositions which are unknown, by contacting the agency where such actions occurred.
Notify Appropriate Agencies in Writing
- Notify the CBI and the FBI in writing, to add the proposed name change as an alias to the Petitioner’s criminal history record.
- Notify in writing the District Attorney’s Office where the conviction requiring incarceration or an order for probation or community correction occurred. A copy of this written notification must be provided to the Court.
- If you are in custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC), under an order for probation or community corrections, or incarcerated in a county jail, notify the supervisory agency in writing. A copy of this written notification must be provided to the Court.
Complete the Appropriate Forms
The caption portion of each form must be completed (your full legal name and proposed name change).
- Petition for Change of Name to Obtain Identity-Related Documents
- Complete all sections of this form.
- The proposed name change should be the name under which you were convicted or adjudicated. For good cause the Court may allow a change of name other than a name which you were convicted or adjudicated.
- Attach the fingerprint based FBI and CBI criminal history checks to the Petition and identify as Exhibit A. Make sure that the fingerprint-based criminal history record checks are conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition.
- Attach the criminal history report from the CBI and identify as Exhibit B. The proposed name should be added as an Alias on this report. If the conviction or adjudication occurred in another state, you should submit the letter from the CBI showing no CBI record exists and identify as Exhibit B.
- Attach a copy of the written notification provided to the District Attorney’s Office and identify as Exhibit C.
- If applicable, attach a copy of the written notification provided to the supervising agency of DOC, probation department or community corrections and identify as Exhibit D.
- Order for Publication for Change of Name
- Complete all sections of this form.
- The Judge or Magistrate will sign the Order for Publication, if your Petition is approved and if Publication is required.
- Public Notice
- Complete all sections of this form.
- This is the form that you will submit to the local newspaper to publish notice of the requested name change, if publication is required.
- Final Decree for Change of Name to Obtain Identity-Related Documents
- Complete caption only.
- The Judge or Magistrate will sign the Order.
File Your Documents With the Court
- Provide the Court with the completed documents.
- Pay a NONREFUNDABLE filing fee.
Appear for Hearing
- It is important that you are on time or early for your Court Hearing and that you have all of your information with you.
- Please turn off you cell phone and respect all parties in the courtroom.
- Courtroom Requirements
- Petitioner MUST use the Petition for Change of Name to Obtain Identity-Related Documents form.
- Petitioner MUST have completed fingerprint-based background check within 90 prior to the filing of this petition.
- Petitioner MUST provide proof that the District Attorney, in every jurisdiction where there is a felony conviction or adjudication, has been notified.
- You may be asked questions about your request for a name change.
Publish the Proposed Name Change
After the Order for Publication for Change of Name is entered, the change of name must be published at least three times within 21 days from the date of the publication order in a newspaper by using the Public Notice form, unless pursuant to §13-15-102, C.R.S., you have been:
- The victim of a crime, the underlying factual basis of which has been found by the Court; to include an act of domestic violence as defined in §18-6-800.3(1), C.R.S., or
- The victim of child abuse as defined in §18-6-401, C.R.S., or
- The victim of domestic abuse as defined in §13-14-101(2), C.R.S.
Obtain a Signed Copy of the Final Decree From the Court
- Once proof of publication is submitted to the Court, you will receive 2 certified copies of your Decree.
- If publication is not required pursuant to §13-15-102, C.R.S., you will receive 2 certified copies of your Decree once ordered by the Court.
- You will need a certified copy of the Final Decree to provide to the Department of Revenue to be issued a driver’s license or identification card in your new name.
If you do not understand this information, please contact an attorney.
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