Connecticut
Connecticut Name Change Laws: Two Courts, One Possibly Free Option
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 11, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 11, 2026. · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Connecticut is unusual in giving name-change petitioners a genuine choice of court. An adult can either file a complaint in Superior Court under Gen. Stat. Section 52-11, with a hearing but no newspaper-notice step, or petition Probate Court on form PC-901, supported by affidavit PC-910, under the concurrent jurisdiction granted by Gen. Stat. Section 45a-99.
This guide covers both venues, the narrow restriction that applies to registered sex offenders and weapons offenders, and the one situation where the choice of venue does not apply.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Adult Petition Process: Two Courts
Connecticut adults have a choice of forum. Under Gen. Stat. Section 52-11(a), Superior Court in each judicial district has jurisdiction over a name-change complaint from a resident, and the court may grant the change after a hearing on the complaint, with no newspaper-publication step.
Alternatively, Gen. Stat. Section 45a-99(a) gives the courts of probate concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court, as provided in section 52-11, to grant a change of name. The adult probate filing is petition form PC-901, or PC-901CI where the concurrent-jurisdiction version applies, supported by affidavit PC-910, Affidavit Re Change of Name (Adult). PC-910 is the supporting affidavit, not the petition itself.
Because Connecticut runs these as two separate systems, confirm which venue fits your situation, and check current forms directly with the Superior Court clerk or the Probate Court in your district before filing.
Filing Fee
Gen. Stat. Section 45a-106a sets the Probate Court filing fees for matters other than a decedent's estate. It is an enumerated schedule, listing a fee for each motion, petition or application it names. It contains no change-of-name entry and no catch-all «all other petitions» tier, so it imposes no probate filing fee on a name-change petition.
The Superior Court complaint fee was not confirmed for this guide. A fee waiver, form JD-FM-75, is available for family matters in Superior Court for those who cannot pay.
Minor Name Changes
Name-change complaints are classified as family relations matters under Gen. Stat. Section 46b-1(a)(6), and the same general Section 52-11 complaint process applies without a distinct statutory minor subsection. The Probate Court runs a separate minor track with its own forms: petition PC-900, or PC-900CI for the concurrent-jurisdiction version, supported by affidavit PC-910A, Affidavit Re Change of Name (Minor). Those are the minor counterparts to the adult PC-901, PC-901CI and PC-910.
Name Change After Divorce
Connecticut restores a name as part of the divorce decree itself. Gen. Stat. Section 46b-63(a) provides that upon entering a decree dissolving a marriage, the court, at either spouse's request, restores that spouse's birth name or former name, a decree-based mechanism rather than a separate petition.
Subsection (b) covers the same request made later. At any time after the dissolution decree, on either spouse's motion, the court shall modify the judgment and restore that spouse's birth name or former name, and the statute directs the court to rule on such a motion without a hearing.
The two-venue choice described above does not extend to this route. Section 45a-99(a) grants probate courts concurrent name-change jurisdiction «except a change of name granted in accordance with subsection (a) of section 46b-63,» so divorce-related name restoration belongs to the Superior Court that handled the dissolution. See Connecticut divorce laws for the broader dissolution process.
Publication
Connecticut has no newspaper-publication or notice-by-publication step for the general Superior Court complaint process, confirmed directly from the current text of Gen. Stat. Section 52-11. Whether the Probate Court pathway involves any notice step was not confirmed for this guide; ask your Probate Court directly.
Restrictions
Connecticut's name-change restriction is narrowly targeted rather than a general felony bar. Under Gen. Stat. Section 52-11(b), a person required to register as a sexual offender, or convicted of a crime involving a deadly weapon, must notify the state Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection before filing and include a sworn statement that the change is not sought to avoid criminal consequences. The Commissioner can challenge the application, and the court can deny it if it finds the change is intended to evade legal consequences. If the court grants the change, the clerk must notify the Commissioner if the person appears in the relevant registries. Gen. Stat. Section 45a-99 imposes the same requirements on the probate pathway.
Marriage-Based Name Change
Connecticut has no statute specifically codifying marriage-based name changes. A newly married person typically updates their last name by presenting a marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and Connecticut's Department of Motor Vehicles, the customary practice used in most states without a dedicated marriage statute.
Domestic Violence and Safety Considerations
The materials reviewed for this guide did not confirm a Connecticut-specific publication waiver or sealing program tied directly to the name-change statutes for domestic violence survivors, though the Superior Court complaint process already involves no publication step for anyone. Anyone changing their name for safety reasons should raise the concern directly with the court, Superior or Probate, handling the case. A confidential court record, if one is available, does not automatically make a new name confidential with the Social Security Administration or the U.S. State Department, which apply their own separate rules.
Related Connecticut Records
See Connecticut marriage and divorce records for obtaining certified copies your petition may require, and Connecticut court records for how name-change case files fit into the state's broader court-records rules.
For the general nationwide process, see how to legally change your name, what it costs to change your name, and the post-name-change checklist.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Connecticut name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Verify current fees, forms, and procedures with the Superior Court or Probate Court where you plan to file, or with a licensed Connecticut attorney, before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which court handles a name change in Connecticut?
You can choose. File a complaint in Superior Court under Gen. Stat. Section 52-11, or petition Probate Court on form PC-901, with affidavit PC-910, under Gen. Stat. Section 45a-99. The one exception is divorce-related name restoration, which Section 45a-99(a) leaves to the Superior Court.
Which Connecticut Probate Court forms do I need for a name change?
For an adult, petition PC-901, or PC-901CI for the concurrent-jurisdiction version, plus affidavit PC-910. For a minor, petition PC-900 or PC-900CI plus affidavit PC-910A. PC-910 is the affidavit that supports the petition, not the petition itself.
Is there a Probate Court filing fee for a Connecticut name change?
No. Gen. Stat. Section 45a-106a, the probate fee schedule for matters other than decedents' estates, is an enumerated list with no change-of-name entry and no catch-all tier, so it sets no fee for a name-change petition. The Superior Court complaint fee was not confirmed for this guide.
Do I have to publish my name change in a Connecticut newspaper?
No, not for the Superior Court complaint process, which has no publication step.
Can a sex offender change their name in Connecticut?
Only after notifying the state Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection and submitting a sworn statement that the change is not sought to avoid criminal consequences, under Gen. Stat. Section 52-11(b) and Section 45a-99(b).
How do I restore my former name after a Connecticut divorce?
Request it when the court enters your dissolution decree, under Gen. Stat. Section 46b-63(a). If the decree has already entered, subsection (b) lets you move to modify the judgment, and the court must rule on that motion without a hearing.
Updates
Corrected the Probate Court forms (the adult petition is PC-901 with affidavit PC-910, and minors use PC-900, PC-900CI and PC-910A), answered the probate filing-fee question directly from the statutory fee schedule instead of hedging it, added the Section 45a-99 jurisdictional authority, and noted that divorce-related name restoration is Superior Court only.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 52 (Civil Actions), Chapter 895
§ 52-11Complaints for change of name. Exceptions re offenders required to register with Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Commissioner's standing to challenge change of name.In force
(a) The superior court in each judicial district shall have jurisdiction of complaints praying for a change of name, brought by any person residing in the judicial district, and may change the name of the complainant, who shall thereafter be known by the name prescribed by said court in its decree, except that no superior court may issue an order or otherwise allow for the change of name of a person who is required to register with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a sexual offender or as an offender convicted of committing a crime with a deadly weapon unless such person complies with the requirements of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-02 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at cga.ct.gov
Cited in 9 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2005
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Mayor v. Mayor (1989) held Section 52-11 gives the Superior Court jurisdiction to change a name only in an action brought by the person seeking it, so the court could not rename a nonparty minor child incident to a dissolution. Shockley v. Okeke (2005) addressed whether a parent was aggrieved in a minor's name-change appeal.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Shockley v. Okeke (Connecticut Appellate Court 2005, 92 Conn. App. 76)✓A mother appealed a probate denial of her application to rename her son; the court held the name change right belonged to the child, and citing section 52-11 found no statute made her aggrieved, so the Superior Court properly dismissed her appeal.
- Mayor v. Mayor (Connecticut Appellate Court 1989, 17 Conn. App. 627)✓In an uncontested divorce the trial court changed the couple's toddler's surname at the father's request; the court held section 52-11 gives jurisdiction only over a complaint brought by the person seeking the change, so the order over a nonparty child was set aside.
- In Re Brast (Connecticut Superior Court 1974, 32 Conn. Super. Ct. 1)✓A 29 year old sought to change his name to a longer five part name he said he already used; applying section 52-11, the Superior Court held a substantial reason must exist to deny a petition but denied this one as unsupported by convincing proof.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 46b (Family Law), Chapter 815j
§ 46b-63(Formerly Sec. 46-60). Restoration of birth name or former name of spouse.In force
(a) At the time of entering a decree dissolving a marriage, the court, upon request of either spouse, shall restore the birth name or former name of such spouse. (b) At any time after entering a decree dissolving a marriage, the court, upon motion of either spouse, shall modify such judgment and restore the birth name or former name of such spouse. The court shall rule on any motion filed by such spouse to have his or her birth name or former name restored without a hearing.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at cga.ct.gov
Cited in 3 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2005
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Mayor v. Mayor (Connecticut Appellate Court 1989, 17 Conn. App. 627)“…Superior Court over complaints praying for change of name); General Statutes §§ 46b-63, 46b-l (4) (jurisdiction of Superior Co…”
- Shockley v. Okeke (Connecticut Appellate Court 2005, 92 Conn. App. 76)“…anted in accordance with subsection (a) of section 46b-63." General Statutes § 46b-63 governs name changes upon dissolution o…”
- Kensel v. Kensel, No. 531457 (May 1, 1996) (Connecticut Superior Court 1996, 1996 Conn. Super. Ct. 4089)“…of her birth name to Beers is denied without prejudice. See General Statutes § 46b-63 . (12) All documents or instruments n…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
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Sources and References
- Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-11, Change of Name(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Connecticut General Statutes Section 46b-63, Restoration of Birth Name or Former Name(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Connecticut Probate Court, Form PC-910, Affidavit Re Change of Name (Adult)(ctprobate.gov).gov
- Connecticut Probate Court, Other Matters(ctprobate.gov).gov
- Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-99, Jurisdiction to Grant Change of Name; Exceptions(cga.ct.gov)
- Connecticut General Statutes Section 45a-106a, Probate Court Fees in Matters Other Than Decedents Estates(cga.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Probate Courts, Name Changes: Forms PC-901, PC-901CI, PC-910 (adult) and PC-900, PC-900CI, PC-910A (minor)(ctprobate.gov)
- Connecticut General Statutes Section 46b-1(a)(6), Family Relations Matters, Complaints for Change of Name(cga.ct.gov)