North Carolina Adult Name Change Resources
The NCBA Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Committee and the North Carolina Bar Foundation host Name Change Clinics across the state to support transgender North Carolinians in drafting the required documents and filings for seeking a legal name change to affirm their gender. For a list of upcoming clinics, visit the LGBTQ+ Legal Clinics homepage.
Resources
Adult Name Change Information and Resources Brief Guide
North Carolina eCourts Guide & File: Adult Name Changes
Adult Name Changes are public cases and will be searchable online in North Carolina’s eCourts Portal, unless they are sealed. In some cases, Adult Name Changes are automatically sealed. In others, applicants must file a motion to seal the file.
Automatic Sealing
If you can prove that any of the following are true, the clerk of court will automatically seal your Adult Name Change:
- You are a participant in the Address Confidentiality program. You may need to provide proof of your participation in this program; or
- You can prove you are a survivor of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking. You will need to show proof to the Clerk of Court that you are victim or survivor of domestic violence.
Examples of proof:
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- Law enforcement, court, or federal or state agency records or files;
- Letter or other document from a domestic violence agency that receives funds from the Domestic Violence Center Fund.
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If you can prove either of these things are true, you will also not be required to post a notice of your intent to change your name.
Requested Sealing
If you do not qualify for automatic sealing of your Adult Name Change, you may be able to have your file sealed, and to be exempted from posting a notice of intent to change your name, if you can prove you have special privacy reasons for your legal name change to not be available to the general public through an on-line search of court records. To make this request, you may file a Motion to Seal and for Exemption from Notice. You will likely need to request a hearing for a judge to make a ruling on your Motion to Seal. Contact the clerk of court in the county that you live in to gain information regarding how to request a hearing.
Motion to Seal and for Exemption from Notice
Order Granting Motion to Seal and for Exemption from Notice
Video Resources
The information above is meant to provide general information only about the Adult Name Change process in North Carolina and does not constitute legal advice.