Petition to Change Name of Adult form
Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27) - Revised 5/6/24
This form must be signed in the presence of a notary public. You may be asked to provide a photo identification with your current legal name. Contact the notary public for more information on what proof they require. Review a sample Petition to Change Name of Adult form (PDF).
Information and instructions
- Probate and Family Court Uniform Guide to Filings
- How do I file a change of name for an adult? - New 5/6/24
- Instructions for Notice in Change of Name: Use this worksheet to help find out who you must notify of your change of name petition. - New 5/6/24
Required at initial filing
- Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27) - Revised 5/6/24
- A certified copy of your birth certificate (long-form). This is available from the Registry of Vital Records or from the city or town where you were born. Birth certificates that are not written in English must include a written translation signed by the person translating the birth certificate with a statement that they are fluent in the foreign language and English and that the translation is a true and accurate translation. The translators signature must be notarized.
- If you were born out of state and plan to bring evidence of your name change back to that state, you may need to provide additional information to the court. Please contact the state where you were born for more information on updating your name in that state. Request a certified copy of your birth record (certificate) if you were born outside of Massachusetts.
- If you have changed your name in the past, you must file the certified document showing that name change for each time your name changed. Examples of this are a marriage certificate, Judgment of Divorce, or other court decree of name change.
- A Court Activity Record Information (CARI) and Warrant Management System Release Request Form (CJP 34).
If you would also like to amend the sex on your Massachusetts birth certificate, please see Amend a birth certificate following medical intervention for the purpose of sex reassignment.
Form you may need
Motions are requests made to the court. Use the form Motion (CJD 400) to make additional requests to the court. Examples of motions:
- Motion to waive the publication requirement
- Motion to impound part or all of your case
- Motion to waive notarization requirement
The court will make a final decision if this will be allowed.
Translated forms
This form is also available in Portuguese and Spanish - COMING SOON
- CJP 27 Pedido de mudança de nome / Petition to change name of adult
- CJP 27 Solicitud de cambio de nombre(s) / Petition to change name of adult
Alternative form
Most users should use Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27).
If you need to save a partially filled-out form, you may choose to use the Alternative Form.
Alternative Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27)
This version of the form allows you to save a partially filled-out form to finish later or for re-use. This form must be downloaded and opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer.
For instructions on how to open, see What to do if you can't open court PDFs.
For more information or assistance
For assistance, please email pfcquestions@jud.state.ma.us.