Applicants will be required to show proof of DC residency and photo identification. There is no requirement to publish notice of the name change, though applicants are required to notify their creditors and other interested parties directly via certified mail. At the time of filing, the applicant will be notified of their hearing date.
Hearings are typically brief, and on occasion the judge may simply sign the name change order on the hearing date without requiring the applicant to appear before them. The applicant should wait to sign the application until they are in front of the court clerk at the courthouse. Applicants may submit an Application to Proceed without Prepayment of Costs, Fees, or Security to request a waiver of this fee. Note that if the applicant receives any of the public benefits listed in questions 1 and 2, they will qualify for a fee waiver and do not need to fill out the rest of the form.
If the applicant has an unexpired DC driver's license or ID card with their current address, that is the easiest proof of residency. If the applicant does not have this, however, they will need to find other documents to provide proof, such as:. If the applicant's original birth certificate is in a language other than English, they should also provide a certified translation into English.
The applicant should take their completed application packet, all supporting documents, and filing fee to:. NWWashington, DC The applicant should sign the application once they are in front of the clerk to file their paperwork.
The clerk will assign a hearing date, which will be indicated on the Order and Notice of Final Hearing. The applicant will receive a copy of the signed Application and Order and Notice to take with them. The applicant should make enough photocopies of the Application and the Order and Notice to send a copy to all of their creditors, as well as any other interested parties e.
