Name Change – Family Part
Promulgated via AJ Memo 11/01/2019, CN 10552 page 6 of 25
docket number on all future papers you send to the
court about your case. The court will fill in the date on
the Order Fixing Date of Hearing. That is the day you
will appear before the judge to get the Final Judgment.
The court will also indicate the name of a newspaper in
which you are to have the notice of your hearing date
published.
If you and/or your child Do Not have pending criminal
or delinquent charges in New Jersey skip to Step 8.
STEP 7: If you and/or your child have criminal or
delinquent charges pending, notify the State or
County Prosecutor of the Application for a Name
Change.
If you and/or your child have criminal or delinquent
charges pending in New Jersey, you must send a copy of
the Verified Complaint, Certification of Confidential
Information for Name Change and Order Fixing Date of
Hearing by regular mail and certified mail, return
receipt requested to the Prosecutor of the county where
the matter is being heard at least 20 days before the
hearing.
If the charges were brought by the Office of the
Attorney General, you must send a copy of the Verified
Complaint, Certification of Confidential Information for
Name Change and Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the
Director of the Division of Criminal Justice as set forth
in Step 8.
STEP 8: Notify the State of the Application for a
Name Change for each person filing with the court.
You must send a copy of the Order Fixing Date of
Hearing by regular mail and certified mail, return receipt
requested, to the Director of the Division of Criminal
Justice in Trenton, New Jersey, at least 20 days before
the hearing. Mail a copy to:
Director, Division of Criminal Justice
ATTN: Records and Identification Section
R. J. Hughes Justice Complex
25 W. Market Street
P. O. Box 085
Trenton, NJ 08625-0085
Note: If you and/or your child have criminal charges
pending against them in New Jersey, you must also
include a copy of the Verified Complaint and
Certification of Confidential Information for Name
Change.
STEP 9: Publish the Order Fixing Date of Hearing.
In the Order Fixing Date of Hearing that you receive
back from the court, the judge will have specified the
name of a local newspaper. You must have the Order
Fixing Date of Hearing published (for each person) in
the newspaper the judge chooses. It must be published
in the newspaper at least two (2) weeks before the date
of the hearing. You should talk to the newspaper about
how to publish legal notices. Included in this packet are
sample newspaper notices for both adult (Form E) and
minor (Form J).
STEP 10: Send the Affidavit of Publication to the
court.
Once you have published the Order Fixing Date of
Hearing, the newspaper will send you an Affidavit of
Publication, which is proof that you had the newspaper
publish the Order Fixing Date of Hearing. You must
send the original of this Affidavit of Publication
document to the court immediately after you get it from
the newspaper. Keep a copy of it for your files.
STEP 11: Notify minor child’s other parent.
If you are changing the name of a child who is under the
age of 18 years and the child’s other parent does not
reside with you, you must send a copy of the Verified
Complaint and the Order Fixing Date for Hearing to the
last known address of the child’s other parent. This
must be sent by regular mail and certified mail, return
receipt requested. Your post office can tell you how to
do this.
STEP 12: Complete Proof of Mailing (Form D -
Adult, Form I - Minor) and send to court.
After you have mailed the required copies of the
Verified Complaint, Certification of Confidential
Information for Name Change and/or signed Order
Fixing Date for Hearing, the post office will send you a
green card (called a certified mail receipt) for each
recipient that shows the mail was delivered. Once you
get it back, fill out the form called Proof of Mailing
(Form D - Adult, Form I - Minor) and select the
appropriate response as to whether you sent the forms to
the Division of Criminal Justice, or both the Division of
Criminal Justice and the Prosecutor. Be sure to attach
the original green certified mail receipt(s) to the original
Proof of Mailing. Send the Proof of Mailing to the
court. Keep a copy of it for your files.
STEP 13: Appear in court on the date set by the
judge for your hearing.
Be sure to bring with you proof of current name(s) for
you and/or your child.
STEP 14: Publish the Final Judgment in the
newspaper.
After the hearing, the court will enter the original Final
Judgment signed by the judge, as well as the Final
Judgment Addendum. As soon as you receive your copy
of the Final Judgment, you must send it to be published
in the newspaper chosen by the judge (do not send a
copy of the Final Judgment Addendum to the