Filling out court papers

Detailed instructions and examples for filling out your court forms

Header
CM-010
NC-300
NC-110
NC-330
NC-125

Header

At the top of every court form, there's a section called the "Header", which contains information about you and your case. Fill each of these out in the same way. You'll see header examples for all of the court forms covered by this guide.

ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY

Here, enter your current (unchanged) legal name and the address where you live. Some forms will provide dedicated spaces for your address details and some just expect you to write your address after your name.

If the form asks, provide your phone number and email address.
If the form has an ATTORNEY FOR section, enter Self-Represented or In Pro Per.
Anything that doesn't apply, such as FIRM NAME, STATE BAR NUMBER, or FAX NO., you can leave blank.

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF...

After this text, enter the county where you'll be filing your case. For me, this was Los Angeles, so after I entered it, the full text read SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF Los Angeles.

If your form asks for it, you can find your court's address on its website. If it has separate street and mailing addresses, put those in their respective places. If not, put the same address in both the Street and Mailing address areas.

PETITION OF

In this section, put your current (unchanged) legal name

CASE NAME

In this section, enter "Petition of Current Legal Name for Change of Name and Gender", replacing Current Legal Name with your current legal name. If any future forms ask for a case name or a short title, use the same thing there.

CM-010

The first form you should fill out is the CM-010. This form is required for all new cases, and it tells the court what your case is about. Start by filling out the header as detailed here, and then do the following:

Under CIVIL CASE COVER SHEET, select Unlimited
For number 1, select Other petition (not specified above)
For number 2, select is not
For number 3, select option B (nonmonetary; declaratory or injunctive relief)
For number 4, enter 1
For number 5, select is not
Enter your name and the current date
Sign on the signature line
Leave everything else blank

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

NC-300

This page assumes you want to change both your name and gender, and that you want to update your birth certificate. If not, it should be self-explanatory which options need to be changed.

The NC-300 form is your actual request to change your name and gender. Start by filling out the header as detailed here, and then do the following:

Under PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF CHANGE OF GENDER AND SEX IDENTIFIER, check the two boxes labeled AND CHANGE OF NAME, and AND ISSUANCE OF NEW CERTIFICATES.
For number 1, put your current legal name next to (present name), and check the box for which gender you want to change to.
Check the box for number 4 and put the name you want to switch to after (proposed name)
- For a, check the box labeled resides in this county
- Check the box for b
- Check the box for c
Check the box for number 5
- Check the box for a, as well as the and change of name box under a.
For the checkboxes in the declaration paragraph, check the box for the gender that you want to switch to.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

NC-110

The NC-110 form has information about you and your name change. It's required for all California name changes. If you're changing multiple people's names, you'll need a separate NC-110 form for each person.

Start by filling out the header as detailed here, and then do the following:

Where it says "Attachment", write 1 of 1, or change that as needed if you have multiple NC-110 forms.
Under field b, check Self if you're changing your name, or Other if you're changing someone else's name.
- In field 1, write your current legal name
- In field 2, write the name you want to change it to
- In field 3, write your date of birth and check the correct box about your age
- In field 4, put the county and state where you were born
- In field 5, check the box corresponding to your AGAB
- In field 6, write your current address
Under field c, enter the reason for your name change (e.g. "To conform to my gender identity (female)").
Under field d, select your relationship to the person whose name is being changed. Select Self if you're changing your own name.
Under field f, check the boxes corresponding to your current legal situation, and then print your name, write the current date, and sign.
Under the text that says "Each petitioner must sign", write the date and your name, and then sign.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

NC-330

This page assumes you want to change both your name and gender, and that you only want to update your birth certificate. If not, it should be self-explanatory which options need to be changed.

The NC-330 form will be your court order once the judge finishes filling out the form and signs it. In order to prevent mistakes, you have to fill out part of the order.

Under PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF CHANGE OF GENDER AND SEX IDENTIFIER, check the two boxes labeled AND CHANGE OF NAME, and AND ISSUANCE OF NEW CERTIFICATES.
If you're changing your name, check the box next to number 3, stating that you included a request to change your name in the petition.
For number 9, select the gender you want to change to.
If you'd like a name change to be shown on your court order, check the box next to number 10.
- If you're changing your name as part of this court order, check the is changed to box and put the name you'd like to change to after (new name).
- If you've already changed your name previously, you're not changing it again in this court order, and you would like your previous name change displayed on this court order, check the was previously changed by court decree box and put the name your previous court order changed you to, after (name). If you do this, you will have to attach a copy of your previous name change court decree.
Leave everything else blank. The judge will fill in anything else that needs to be filled in.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

NC-125

You only need this page if you're changing your name as part of this court order

The NC-125 form is an order for any interested parties to file objections to your name change within 6 weeks. Objections must have good cause to object to the name change. As stated on the page, concerns that the proposed change doesn't actually match your gender identity don't count as good cause. Objections are typically used for concerns that you are changing your name for fraudulent purposes.

If an objection with good cause is filed within the 6-week period, an in-person hearing date will be set to determine whether the name change should be granted or not. You will be informed of this by mail.

For number 1, put your current legal name after Petitioner (name).
Under Present name, put your current legal name.
Under Proposed name, put the name you want to change to.
Leave everything else blank.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):