How to Change Your Name on Your Birth Certificate: Fees, Forms & State Examples (2026)

Your birth certificate records your name as it was registered at birth. A court-ordered name change updates your legal name for the rest of your records, but it does not touch your birth certificate by itself — amending the birth record is a separate step with the vital records office of the state where you were born.

You generally do not need to amend your birth certificate for marriage or divorce-related name changes. Your marriage certificate or divorce judgment already documents that change, and your birth certificate continues to show your birth name. Several state offices spell this out explicitly — for example, the [Kansas Office of Vital Statistics FAQ](https://www.kdheks.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=42) notes that people who get married do not need to change their birth certificates.

You typically do want an amended birth certificate when your name change comes from a court order — for example a gender-affirming name change, an adoption-related change, or a personal decision to change your legal name. In those cases the court order is the key document, and most states require you to present a certified copy of it.

One rule that applies everywhere: only the state where you were born can amend your birth certificate. If you changed your name in one state but were born in another, you contact the vital records office of your birth state, not the state where you filed in court.

Across the United States, the only way to change the name on a birth certificate is with a certified copy of a court order. State vital records offices confirm this in their published requirements — for example, the [Texas DSHS supporting documentation page](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics/requirements-requesting-changing-vital-records/supporting-documentation-record-changes) lists “certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate” as the required document for a legal name change, and the [New York City corrections page](https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/birth-death-records-corrections-birth.page) states that a certified legal name change court order is required to change a first, middle, or last name.

The practical sequence is: first get the court order granting your name change, request several certified copies from the court clerk, then submit one to the vital records office with their amendment application and fee. Court-ordered name changes and birth certificate amendments are two separate processes with separate paperwork.

If you have not started the court process yet, work through the court filing first — our [legal name change process checklist](/blog/legal-name-change-process-checklist) walks through the steps and document packet you will need before the order exists.

While forms and fees differ by state, the workflow is similar almost everywhere. A typical birth certificate amendment looks like this:

North Carolina handles birth certificate changes through the [NC Vital Records Birth Certificate Modification Application](https://vitalrecords.nc.gov/documents/NCOVR-BirthModificationsApplicationFinal-07072022v6.pdf). The application covers amendment, correction, paternity, and legitimation changes, and the fee is $39 — paid by certified check or money order payable to N.C. Vital Records. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. County offices such as [Orange County](https://orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28902), [Buncombe County](https://www.buncombenc.gov/481/Birth-Certificates), and [Guilford County](https://guilfordcountync.gov/government/register-deeds/birth-certificates) publish the same $39 figure.

The completed application is mailed to: Attn: Amendments Unit, 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1900. It requires a notarized signature, a certified copy of the name change court order, and a legible photocopy of government-issued ID. If you cannot supply the required evidence or identity, the application must be accompanied by a court order.

Processing time is up to 30 calendar days after the office receives a complete application with all supporting documents and payment. The $39 fee includes one copy of the amended certificate; additional certified copies are ordered separately.

North Carolina also publishes an expedite option — the [Guilford County page](https://guilfordcountync.gov/government/register-deeds/birth-certificates) notes a $15 expedite fee payable by money order. Verify current fees and turnaround with NC Vital Records before you file.

The [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene](https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/birth-death-records-corrections-birth.page) handles birth certificate corrections for people born in New York City. NYC is strict about what your court order must contain: the certified legal name change court order must include your full name at birth (original name), date of birth, place of birth, and certificate number. If the order lacks any of those four identifiers, you must also submit the original name change petition to the court.

You apply with the Birth Certificate Correction Application and can submit by mail — you do not need to appear in person, and submitting in person does not speed up processing. Along with the application you provide photo identification, and original supporting documents with one photocopy of each; originals are returned to you.

Note the geographic split: if you were born in New York City, you amend through NYC DOHMH; if you were born elsewhere in New York State, the state Department of Health handles the record. Our [New York name change guide](/blog/name-change-new-york) covers the court side of the process.

Texas processes birth record changes through DSHS Vital Statistics using the [VS-170 application](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics/requirements-requesting-changing-vital-records/supporting-documentation-record-changes). For a legal name change, the required supporting document is a certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate. The application must be signed and notarized, and you must be a person qualified to request the change. Court orders are also accepted for several other change types, including correcting a parent’s information and correcting a child’s name.

Kansas runs amendments through the [KDHE Office of Vital Statistics](https://www.kdheks.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=42). After a legal name change, you submit the Amendment Request Form with a certified copy of the name change order and a cover letter stating what you want done. The amendment fee is $20, which does not include the cost of a certified copy. The same page reminds applicants that marriage alone is not a reason to amend a birth certificate.

Texas and Kansas are good illustrations of a broader pattern: the paperwork is an application plus a certified court order, the fee is modest, and the details — notarization, payment methods, mailing address — live on each state’s vital records page. Always check the office’s current instructions before paying.

Amendment fees in the examples above run from about $20 (Kansas) to $39 (North Carolina), with additional charges for certified copies and, in some states, expedite processing. Court filing fees for the name change itself are a separate, usually larger expense — California courts, for example, charge $435–$450 to file a name change petition. See our [Name Change Cost by State 2026](/blog/name-change-cost-by-state-2026) comparison for the full cost picture.

Processing times vary widely. North Carolina states up to 30 calendar days; other offices quote several weeks to a few months depending on workload, staffing, and whether you used an expedite service. If your birth certificate is time-sensitive — for example, you need it for a passport application or school enrollment — ask the vital records office for their current turnaround before you submit. Wherever a fee or timeline is not documented here, verify with the court or vital records office rather than assuming.

A few states charge a nonrefundable fee even if the amendment is denied — North Carolina’s form states that fees for the record search and modification processing are not returned if the application is denied. Double-check your application for completeness before mailing.

Two 2026 developments are worth knowing if you plan to amend a birth certificate alongside a gender-related change. North Carolina’s House Bill 805 (Session Law 2025-84), which took effect on January 1, 2026, changed how sex-designation birth certificate amendments are issued: since December 1, 2025, when a person changes the sex listed on a North Carolina birth certificate, the State Registrar must attach the new certificate to the original and preserve both as a multi-page document. Any certified copy issued afterward includes the full multi-page version — it is no longer possible to get a standalone amended certificate for a sex change. HB 805 does not change the court name change process. See our [North Carolina gender marker guide](/blog/north-carolina-gender-marker-change-guide) for the full breakdown.

In California, legislation effective July 1, 2026 streamlines gender-related name change petitions: the public-objection procedure for certain gender-marker petitions is removed, and related records are automatically sealed in qualifying cases, which also removes the newspaper publication step for many filers. Our [California gender marker law 2026 update](/blog/california-gender-marker-law-2026-update) and [California gender marker guide](/blog/california-gender-marker-change-guide) cover what this means in practice.

Policies in this area continue to change quickly, and enforcement of new laws can lag their effective dates. Before you file, confirm the current rules with your birth state’s vital records office and, if relevant, with the agencies that issued your other identity documents.

Once your birth certificate is amended, make sure the rest of your records follow a workable order. The sequence that prevents the most rejections is:

Q: Do I need to change my birth certificate after marriage or divorce? A: Usually not. Your marriage certificate or divorce judgment documents that name change, and your birth certificate continues to show your birth name. Kansas’s vital records FAQ says this explicitly; most states follow the same rule. Only a court-ordered name change requires a birth certificate amendment.

Q: Can I change my name on my birth certificate without a court order? A: No — a certified copy of a court order is the required evidence for a legal name change on a birth certificate in every state. Some corrections (typos, hospital errors) have simpler paths, but a name change does not. If you are early in the process, start with our [legal name change process checklist](/blog/legal-name-change-process-checklist).

Q: I changed my name in a different state than where I was born. Which office do I contact? A: The vital records office of your birth state. The court order can come from any state — agencies accept valid court orders from other jurisdictions — but only the birth state can amend the birth record.

Q: How much does it cost to amend a birth certificate? A: In the verified examples here, $20 in Kansas and $39 in North Carolina, plus certified-copy fees and possible expedite fees. Fees vary by state and are separate from the court filing fee for the name change itself. Verify the exact amount with your birth state’s vital records office.

Q: How long does a birth certificate amendment take? A: North Carolina states up to 30 calendar days after a complete application is received; other states quote several weeks to a few months. Ask the office for current turnaround before submitting, especially if you are on a deadline.

Q: Does North Carolina HB 805 affect my name change? A: No — it leaves the court name change process under Chapter 101 unchanged. It affects sex-designation birth certificate amendments, which are now issued as multi-page documents that include the original record.

Q: My child had a court-ordered name change. How do we update their birth certificate? A: A parent or legal guardian applies on the child’s behalf, and requirements are stricter in many states — both parents’ signatures may be required. See our [guide to changing a child’s name](/blog/how-to-change-child-name-legal-guide) for the court side and check the birth state’s vital records office for the amendment rules.