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NC-100 Petition for Change of Name — Riverside County

The NC-100 is the California Judicial Council form an adult (or a parent, for a child) files to ask the Superior Court for a legal name change. You don't need a lawyer — and you don't need to fill it out by hand.

🚀 Fill out your NC-100 free — answer a few questions, download the completed packet →NC-100 · NC-110 · NC-120 (the Hemet Chronicle pre-designated) · CM-010 — print-ready

What goes in the NC-100 packet

NC-100	Petition for Change of Name — who is petitioning, the current and proposed names, and the reason.
NC-110	Name and Information About the Person Whose Name Is to Be Changed — one per person (date and place of birth, parents for a minor).
NC-120	Order to Show Cause for Change of Name — the court fills in the hearing date; it names the newspaper where it will be published.
CM-010	Civil Case Cover Sheet, filed with the petition.
FW-001 / FW-003	Fee waiver request and order — only if you can't afford the filing fee.

Filling out the NC-100, section by section

Petitioner. Your name, mailing address, phone and email. If you're changing a child's name, the parent or guardian is the petitioner.

Present and proposed names. Write each name exactly as it appears now and exactly as you want it — including middle names and hyphens. A typo here becomes a typo on your court decree.

Reason. A short, honest reason is enough ("to use the name I am known by," "to take my spouse's surname"). The court can't grant a change meant to avoid debts or mislead anyone.

Prior criminal history / sex-offender registration. If either applies, extra rules apply — call us at (951) 262-7611 before filing and we'll point you in the right direction free of charge.

Where to file in Riverside County

Name-change petitions are filed at the courthouse assigned to your ZIP code — Corona, Moreno Valley, Menifee, Palm Springs, or Blythe (the Riverside Historic Courthouse takes probate, not name changes). Our free tool picks the right one from your ZIP. The filing fee is $435, waivable with form FW-001. The clerk assigns a case number and a hearing date and returns a stamped NC-120. See the Riverside County courthouse guide.

After you file: publish the NC-120

California law (CCP §1277) requires the stamped NC-120 to run in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four consecutive weeks before your hearing. The Hemet Chronicle is adjudicated for all of Riverside County (Superior Court Cases MCC2001316 and MCC2001738). Upload a photo of your stamped order and we handle all four runs and the signed affidavit for $98.

Common questions

How much does the NC-100 cost in Riverside County?

The court filing fee is $435 (FW-001 fee waiver if you qualify). Our forms tool is free. Publishing the NC-120 order — required by law — is $98 with us, including the signed affidavit.

Can I fill out the NC-100 online?

Yes. Our free tool asks plain-English questions and produces the completed NC-100, NC-110, NC-120 and CM-010 as one PDF to print, sign and file.

Do I need a lawyer for a name change?

No. Most adult name changes are filed by the person themselves. The court's Self-Help Center can review your forms at no charge.

How long does a name change take?

Usually 6–10 weeks from filing to the decree, driven by the hearing date the court assigns.

Ready? Fill out your NC-100 free → · Already filed? Publish your NC-120 — $98 →

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Disclaimer: We are a newspaper. We are not attorneys, paralegals, or registered Legal Document Assistants, and we are not acting in any of those capacities. Our forms tool is free (our only paid service is newspaper publication), provides no legal advice, and is used at your own risk — review every form before signing and filing. For legal questions, consult an attorney or the court's free Self-Help Center.