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How much does it cost to change your name in New York?

Where you file decides what you pay. A name change petition costs $210 in Supreme Court or County Court — the index-number fee — but only $65 in New York City Civil Court, an option available to anyone who lives in the five boroughs. Both figures are from the New York Courts' own name change guidance.

New York name change fees at a glance

The cheapest legal name change in the state is in New York City

Most states charge one fee for a name change petition. New York effectively charges two, because Civil Rights Law Article 6 lets a petitioner file in more than one court. Outside the city, Supreme Court and County Court are the options, and both run through the $210 index number. Inside the city, the Civil Court hears the same petitions for $65 — a $145 saving for filing in a different building. If you file in Supreme Court, you must also submit a Request for Judicial Intervention to have a judge assigned, but the New York Courts confirm there is no fee for the RJI in a name change case, unlike the $95 RJI in a divorce. The national name change guide shows how unusual this two-track pricing is.

No publication — and the file is private

New York used to require name change petitioners to publish their old and new names in a newspaper, as many states still do. The Gender Recognition Act eliminated publication in 2021. Today the case is kept private while it is pending, and a petitioner concerned about safety can ask the court to seal the record permanently as part of the petition itself. That removes what is, in states like California, the most unpredictable cost in the whole process — a newspaper's advertising rate. What remains is paperwork: the petition must be signed before a notary, and you file it with proof of birth. Notary charges are set by the notary, not the court, so no figure is listed here.

Changing a child's name

The same fees apply to a child's petition — $210 or $65 depending on the court. The added work is consent, not cost: every parent or legal guardian either joins the petition or consents in writing, a child aged 14 or older must consent as well, and a parent who will not consent must be given formal notice under Civil Rights Law §62 so they can object. Families already in Family Court on another matter may be able to raise the name change there, where filing fees do not apply.

1. Complete the name change petition and proposed order (forms UCS-NC1 / UCS-NCO1) and sign the petition before a notary.
2. File in Supreme or County Court $210 — or, in New York City, in Civil Court $65 — with proof of birth; add the no-fee RJI in Supreme Court.
3. The judge reviews the petition, usually without a hearing for a straightforward adult change.
4. Buy several certified copies of the signed order — every agency will want one — then update Social Security (no charge), your driver licence or state ID, and your passport; those agencies charge their own fees, which are not court costs.

Can't afford the fee?

Filers who cannot pay can apply for poor person relief under CPLR 1101 (the court system's fee-waiver application, form UCS-FW1), which waives the petition fee for a qualifying filer. See the fee waiver guide for how these applications are judged.

Sources: New York Courts (nycourts.gov) — "Name Change Basics" (court fee $210 in Supreme and County Courts; $65.00 in New York City Civil Court; RJI required in Supreme Court with no fee) · Civil Rights Law Article 6, §62 · Ontario County Clerk fee structure (certified copy $1.25/page, $5 minimum) · Gender Recognition Act (2021, publication repeal). Last verified: October 2026 — confirm current figures with the clerk.