How to Change Your Name in Oregon (2026): Forms, Fees & the New HB 4088 Confidentiality Rule

Oregon has long been one of the most straightforward states for a legal name or gender change: a single statewide form packet, a flat **$124** filing fee, no newspaper publication, and — in most counties — no hearing at all. What makes 2026 different is privacy. On March 31, 2026, Governor Tina Kotek signed **HB 4088** (Chapter 52, Oregon Laws 2026), and under an amendment to that law, **applications to the court for a name change and/or a change of sex became confidential as of July 1, 2026**, with limited exceptions, according to OPB’s coverage and the bill record on the Oregon Legislature’s OLIS system.

That is a real change. Before HB 4088, a sex-change record could be sealed only if you asked for it, and a name-change record could generally only be sealed for Address Confidentiality Program participants (more on that below). Now the court applications themselves are confidential by default. This matters if you care about keeping the link between your old and new identity out of the public court index — see our privacy checklist for what still needs attention after the court part is done. Because the confidentiality rule is new, confirm with your local court how it is applying the law when you file.

Oregon publishes a single statewide packet for adults: the Adult Name and Sex Change Packet from the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). It contains the two documents the judge signs off on — the Petition for Change of Name / Sex and the Judgment for Change of Name / Sex — and you check the boxes for name, sex, or both. The petition asks for your current legal name, the new name you want (first, middle, last), your date of birth, and a series of “Public Interest” disclosures: whether you owe child support arrears, have a protective or restraining order in effect against you, are on probation or parole or post-prison supervision, or are required to register as a sex offender. Marking a box does not automatically disqualify you — the judge weighs it — but you must be truthful, because the petition is signed under penalty of perjury.

If you are changing your sex as well, the petition includes a statement about undergoing “surgical, hormonal, or other treatment appropriate to me for the purpose of affirming my gender identity” and lets you choose male, female, or nonbinary as your new legal sex on the court record. You do not need a lawyer to file — the packet is designed for self-representation — and court staff can walk you through procedures but cannot give legal advice. The Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service (503.684.3763 or 800.452.7636) is listed in the packet if you want an attorney.

Most counties accept the statewide packet as-is, but a few publish local supplements you should check before filing: Lane County requires an additional Affidavit in Support of Petition, and Washington County and Clackamas County have their own local versions. Ask your clerk whether your county uses any local forms in addition to the statewide packet.

Oregon name and sex changes are heard by the **Circuit Court**, and the filing location depends on what you are asking for. Per the official packet: a name change for yourself is filed in the circuit court for the county where you live; a sex change can be filed in **any** circuit court in Oregon; and if you are asking for both at the same time, you can also file in any Oregon circuit court. For a minor child, you file in the county where the child lives. Find your court through the OJD Find a Court directory.

The filing fee is a flat **$124** for a change of name, change of sex, or both, according to the OJD’s 2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule (the fee schedule URL is shared across years — confirm the current amount with your clerk). Several counties also publish the same figure in their local packets; Washington County’s adult packet, for example, lists $124 plus $5.25 per certified copy of the judgment. Certified copies from Oregon courts generally run **$5 plus $0.25 per page**. If $124 is a hardship, the Fee Deferral or Waiver Packet lets you ask the court to defer or waive the fee — the application itself is free, and it is filed at the same time as your petition — see our fee waiver guide.

Filing can typically be done in person or by mail at the clerk’s office; Oregon’s courts also offer e-filing through OJD eFile, though self-represented litigants should confirm with their county whether e-filing is available for this case type. Some counties require or offer appointments or specific review counters (Washington County runs a Name Change Orientation window), so check your county’s local practice before you go.

Oregon does not require you to publish your name change in a newspaper. The state’s name change statutes (ORS chapter 33) contain no publication step, and the official adult packet includes none — a meaningful privacy and cost advantage over states like Idaho and Pennsylvania, which we compare in our publication requirement guide.

You also usually do not need to appear in court. The judge reviews your petition on paper and signs the judgment; the packet says you do not need to go to court “unless the court tells you to or sends you a hearing notice.” A hearing is most likely if something in your public-interest disclosures raises a question, or if another party objects (in a minor case). After the judge signs, the judgment is entered into the court’s Register of Actions and takes effect the moment it is entered; the court mails you a Notice of Entry of Judgment. The Oregon Law Help guide for low-income Oregonians puts the typical court review at two to eight weeks depending on the county — confirm the expected timeline with your clerk when you file. One thing to know if you are a registered sex offender: Oregon does not bar you from a name change, but you must disclose your registration on the petition, and a granted change must be reported to the Oregon State Police (or a city police or county sheriff) within 10 days.

This is the part that is genuinely new in 2026. Under HB 4088 (signed March 31, 2026), **applications to the court for a name change and/or change of sex became confidential as of July 1, 2026**, with limited exceptions — a much stronger default than Oregon’s old rules. Previously, per the OJD packet and Oregon Law Help: a sex-change record could be sealed only if you requested it (checked a box on the petition), a name-change record could generally be sealed only for participants in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) under ORS 192.826 (available to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking), and a combined name-and-sex case could not be sealed as a whole unless you qualified for ACP. The new law removes most of that friction for court applications filed on or after July 1, 2026.

Two practical notes. First, because the confidentiality rule is brand new, courts are still working out how it applies in individual cases — if privacy is your priority, ask your county clerk how the court is implementing HB 4088 before you file, and raise any sealing request explicitly in your petition. Second, a confidential court record does not remove your old and new names from data brokers, background-check companies, or the agencies you update afterward — work through our privacy-first workflow and name change privacy checklist after your updates so the link does not resurface through commercial data.

A signed judgment does not update anything by itself — the court sends the judgment to no other agency. You take certified copies to each agency yourself. Work in this order, because agencies verify against each other’s records:

Oregon is one of the most accommodating states for gender markers, and state documents are unaffected by the federal restrictions on Social Security and passports. On the **driver license or ID side**, the Oregon DMV lets you choose M, F, or X (X stands for “not specified”) on standard and REAL ID credentials — no court order and no medical documentation for the marker itself. If you are changing only your gender marker, bring your current license, permit, or ID to a DMV office, select the marker, and pay the renewal or replacement fee. You cannot do a marker change online; it requires an in-person visit. Changing your name on the card is separate — that requires the SSA update first, as above.

On the **birth certificate side**, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Vital Records offers two paths for people born in Oregon, both covering name and/or sex: an **administrative application** using OHA 2673 — notarized, no court order and no medical proof, $35 amendment fee plus the certificate fee — or a **court-order path** using your certified judgment ($35 amendment fee). The administrative path is the product of HB 2673 (2017) and lets you set the birth record to M, F, or X. One limit: through the administrative path, your name and your sex can each be changed only once — further changes require a court order. See the OHA “Change Birth Record to Support Gender Identity” page for the current form and fee details. The amended certificate does not carry a notation that a change was made, and the underlying documentation is kept in a sealed file. OHA publishes current amendment processing times — roughly 8 weeks for court-ordered name changes and 11 weeks for court-ordered sex changes on the official processing time page, with an expedited option for an additional fee.

The federal side is different, and it is worth repeating: since January 31, 2025, Social Security no longer processes sex-marker changes, and since Executive Order 14168 passports are issued only with M or F markers matching the applicant’s sex at birth — applications requesting an X or a marker differing from birth records are issued with the marker matching birth records. These federal restrictions do not change your Oregon state documents. See our gender marker guide and nonbinary X marker guide for the broader picture.

A parent, legal guardian, or legal representative petitions on behalf of a child under 18 using the Minor Name and Sex Change Packet, filed in the county where the child lives. The key added step is notice: after filing and receiving a case number, you must send written notice of the petition to all legal guardians and to the other parent (or to both parents if you are not a parent), then complete and file a Declaration of Notice with the court. There is one statutory exception under ORS 33.420: notice to the other parent is not required if the child has not lived with that parent and that parent does not contribute — and has not tried to contribute — to the child’s support; in that case you file a verified statement of the facts instead. A hearing is held only if a parent or guardian objects or the court decides one is needed — see our child name change guide for the broader picture.

Here is the realistic budget for an uncontested adult name change (and, if you want it, a marker change) in Oregon, excluding attorney fees:

Q: How much does a name change cost in Oregon? A: The court filing fee is a flat $124 statewide for a name change, sex change, or both. Add about $5 per certified copy of the judgment, $30 for a standard driver license replacement ($60 for REAL ID, $40 for an ID card), and, if you were born in Oregon, a $35 birth certificate amendment fee plus the certificate fee. The filing fee can be deferred or waived with the free Fee Deferral or Waiver Packet if your income is low.

Q: Do I have to publish my name change in a newspaper? A: No. Oregon’s name change statutes (ORS chapter 33) contain no publication requirement, and the official statewide packet includes no publication step. This is a meaningful privacy advantage over publication states — see our publication explainer.

Q: Do I need a hearing? A: Usually not. The judge reviews your petition on paper and signs the judgment; you only appear if the court tells you to or sends a hearing notice — most common when a disclosure raises a question or a parent or guardian objects in a minor case. The judgment takes effect the moment it is entered in the court’s records.

Q: Are Oregon name change court records public? A: The rules changed in 2026. Under HB 4088 (signed March 31, 2026), applications to the court for a name change and/or change of sex became confidential as of July 1, 2026, with limited exceptions. Previously, only sex-change records could be sealed on request, and name-change records generally only for Address Confidentiality Program participants. Because the new rule is fresh, confirm with your county clerk how it is being applied. Either way, data brokers and background-check companies may still link your old and new names — work through our privacy checklist after your updates.

Q: Can I change my gender marker in Oregon? A: Yes, on state documents. Oregon DMV offers M, F, and X on licenses and IDs by self-selection with no medical proof (in person, $30+ replacement fee). Oregon birth certificates can be amended to M, F, or X through the OHA 2673 administrative application ($35 amendment fee, no court order) or with a court order. The federal side is different: Social Security stopped processing marker changes on January 31, 2025, and passports are issued only with M or F matching birth records — see our gender marker guide.

Q: How long does an Oregon name change take? A: The court review typically takes two to eight weeks depending on your county, per Oregon Law Help; there is no publication waiting period. If you also amend an Oregon birth certificate, OHA publishes separate processing times — roughly 8 weeks for court-ordered name changes and 11 weeks for court-ordered sex changes as of early 2025, with an expedited option for an extra fee. Confirm the timeline with your clerk and the vital records office when you file.

Q: Do I need a court order to change my name after marriage or divorce? A: Usually not after marriage — the SSA and Oregon DMV accept a marriage certificate as proof to update your name administratively, with no court filing. In a divorce, you can ask the court to restore your former name as part of the dissolution judgment under ORS 107.105(1)(h). A court petition is the route for every other change — see our post-marriage guide and post-divorce guide.