I need help
Start with the kind of help you need right now. Crisis lines and legal aid are run by independent organizations; the NameRight tools below are the ones you control yourself. NameRight is a national self-serve toolkit plus a directory of local resources — not a lawyer matching service, and no one here is your attorney. If you are in immediate danger in the United States, call 911.
What this page is — and what NameRight cannot do
- NameRight is not a law firm. We cannot give legal advice or represent you, and nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship.
- We cannot contact a court, agency, or organization for you, and we do not share your NameRight records with anyone listed here.
- The organizations on this page are independent. A listing is not a referral, partnership, or endorsement, and we do not control or guarantee their current intake, eligibility, hours, or fees.
- There is no organization portal on NameRight and no way for an outside person or institution to search NameRight users or their documents.
- If you are in immediate danger in the United States, call 911. NameRight cannot dispatch emergency help.
For account, billing, or checklist questions, contact support@nameright.app or open the support page.
Listings are directory links, not referrals. External listings show the date their official page was last reviewed and whether intake could be confirmed; hours, eligibility, and intake can still change without notice — confirm directly with the organization before you rely on any of them.
State filters only narrow programs that serve specific states. National and nationwide listings always stay visible.
Crisis and safety
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential support for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, available by call or text.
- Scope
- United States and territories
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Call or text 988 — no appointment or intake needed; text AYUDA for Spanish
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Hours (as listed)
- 24/7/365
- Languages (as listed)
- English and Spanish by phone and text; interpretation for additional languages on voice calls
Listed as open around the clock
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Trans Lifeline
Trans-led peer support hotline. Operators are not counselors and cannot call emergency services without your consent.
- Scope
- United States and Canada
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Trans and questioning people
- Before you reach out
- Confirm the line is currently operating and check its hours before relying on it
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
The homepage loaded when this listing was reviewed, but it does not state current hotline hours; confirm on the Hotline page before relying on it.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
The Trevor Project
Crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people by phone, text, and chat.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- LGBTQ+ young people
- Before you reach out
- Call, text, or chat — no appointment needed; confirm the current contact options
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Hours (as listed)
- 24/7/365
Listed as open around the clock
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Crisis Text Line
Text-based crisis support with a trained volunteer.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Text HOME to 741741 — confirm the current keyword on the site
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Hours (as listed)
- 24/7
- Languages (as listed)
- English and Spanish
Listed as open around the clock
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Text HOME to 741741
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Confidential support for anyone affected by domestic or dating violence, including safety planning around address privacy and technology.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Anyone affected by domestic or dating violence
- Before you reach out
- Call, text, or chat — confirm the current options on the site
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Hours (as listed)
- 24/7
Listed as open around the clock
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Text START to 88788
Legal help
Lambda Legal Help Desk
Legal information and referrals for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. The Help Desk answers questions; it does not represent every caller.
- Scope
- National (United States)
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV
- Before you reach out
- Check whether the Help Desk is currently accepting new requests
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
The Help Desk page loads through scripts, so its current intake status could not be read; confirm on the site.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
Legal information and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
- Scope
- National (United States)
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- LGBTQ+ people and families
- Before you reach out
- Call or email during the hours listed on the site; confirm current contact options
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Hours (as listed)
- Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Pacific (as stated by the organization)
Confirm current intake on the official site
NCLR’s Get Help page also offers an online contact form; check whether it is currently open before relying on it.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — formerly TLDEF
Legal information and advocacy for transgender people. The former TLDEF site now redirects here.
- Scope
- National organization; service area varies
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Transgender people, subject to current capacity
- Before you reach out
- Confirm the current name-change help process and intake on the A4TE site
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
- Taking requests
- No, as of the review date
Organization or site changed
tldef.org redirects to this site. The Name Change Project page states that it stopped accepting applications on March 11, 2026. Confirm any current help path on the A4TE site.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Trans Legal Services Network Directory (A4TE)
State-by-state directory of legal service providers that may help with name and gender marker changes. Some listings say they do not currently take name-change clients.
- Scope
- United States, D.C., and Puerto Rico
- Cost
- Free directory; provider services vary
- Eligibility
- Transgender people; each provider sets its own eligibility
- Before you reach out
- Browse your state, then confirm each provider’s current intake and eligibility directly
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
The directory has no visible last-updated date, and at least one listing says the provider does not serve name-change clients. Confirm each provider before relying on a listing.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
Find legal aid near you (Legal Services Corporation)
Directory for finding a local legal aid office that may help with forms, fees, or eligibility questions. LawHelp.org lists similar state-level referrals.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free or low-cost, based on eligibility
- Eligibility
- People who qualify for civil legal aid
- Before you reach out
- Search by address or city, then contact the office directly
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Cost barriers
NameRight Community Access
Discounted or gift-supported access to NameRight itself. It does not cover court, publication, or agency fees.
- Scope
- NameRight accounts
- Cost
- 30% or 50% off, or partner-issued access
- Eligibility
- Anyone who needs help affording the platform; no income proof required
- Before you reach out
- Claim it from the Community Access page
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
NameRight fee waiver guide
How court fee waivers generally work, what paperwork they usually require, and what to confirm with your court.
- Scope
- Court filing fees (state rules vary)
- Cost
- Free guide
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Read the guide, then confirm the current process with your court
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Name change fee waiver guide (Point of Pride)
State-by-state list of court fee-waiver forms and guidance, plus links to other financial help. The page warns that its links and forms can change.
- Scope
- All 50 states and D.C. (as listed)
- Cost
- Free guide
- Eligibility
- Anyone; each court sets its own waiver eligibility
- Before you reach out
- Open your state’s entry, then confirm the current form, fee, and eligibility with your county court
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
The guide was published in December 2024 and says its links may break or change; verify the current form with the court.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
Identity Document Assistance (IDA) Network (MTPC)
Guidance, name-change clinics, notary help, and limited financial assistance for trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive people updating federal and state documents. MTPC says it does not provide legal representation.
- Scope
- New England; clinics in Massachusetts and virtual
- Cost
- Free guidance; limited financial assistance
- Eligibility
- Trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive people; financial aid is need-based
- Before you reach out
- Check the financial assistance request page for current availability before applying
- States
- Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Limited to people living in New England.
Confirm current intake on the official site
The page does not state whether the financial assistance request is open; confirm before relying on it.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
Trans Lifeline Microgrants
Name-change microgrants that Trans Lifeline says it now delivers through partner organizations. The official page lists no open public application.
- Scope
- United States, through partner organizations
- Cost
- Grant funding when available
- Eligibility
- Set by Trans Lifeline and its partner organizations
- Before you reach out
- Check the official page for the next partner-based cycle; no open public application is listed
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Delivered through partner organizations; no public application on the official page.
Confirm current intake on the official site
Trans Lifeline says it relaunched the program through five local partner organizations. A third-party directory still describes it as paused; trust the official page and confirm before applying.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
Funding for legal name changes (The House of Denise)
An independent community list of free or pro bono legal services and funding programs by region and state. It is not affiliated with NameRight and some funds are marked paused.
- Scope
- United States, organized by region and state
- Cost
- Free list; each program sets its own funding terms
- Eligibility
- Varies by program
- Before you reach out
- Browse the list, then confirm each fund’s current status and eligibility directly
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Third-party list; confirm each linked program on its own official page.
Confirm current intake on the official site
This is a third-party list with no visible last-updated date; at least two funds were marked paused when reviewed.
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-11-05. Check it yourself.
Privacy and safety planning
NameRight privacy-safe checklist
Lower-exposure planning for publication, mailing addresses, and the order in which records get updated.
- Scope
- General United States guidance
- Cost
- Free article
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Read online
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
NameRight data broker removal guide
Steps for reducing unwanted exposure of an old name across people-search sites.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free article
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Read online
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Safety Net (NNEDV)
Technology safety planning and self-help toolkits for survivors of abuse, including device and account safety.
- Scope
- United States
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Survivors and the advocates supporting them
- Before you reach out
- Browse the resources on the site — this is a self-help library, not a hotline
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
Confirm current intake on the official site
Listing reviewed against the organization's official page on 2026-10-30. Check it yourself.
Your data, your controls
NameRight account data controls
Download a copy of your data or delete your account yourself. You do not need to contact anyone or explain why.
- Scope
- Your NameRight account
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Signed-in users
- Before you reach out
- Sign in and open Settings
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
NameRight privacy policy
What we collect, who can see it, how long it is kept, and how export and deletion work.
- Scope
- NameRight
- Cost
- Free
- Eligibility
- Anyone
- Before you reach out
- Read online
- States
- Nationwide or as described above
NameRight only aggregates publicly available information. We do not administer these programs, cannot reserve funds or appointments, and do not guarantee that any program is accepting applications, still funded, or available in your area. Confirm every detail with the organization itself.
NameRight is a self-help guidance and document-preparation tool. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice or representation, and does not replace a court, agency, or medical provider. See the full disclaimer.