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NameRight provides procedural guidance, not legal advice.
Verify requirements with official courts and agencies. Full legal disclaimer
In New York, you file a name change petition in the Supreme Court or County Court of the county where you live. NYC residents can also file in Civil Court, which has lower fees. Name change and sex designation change can be requested together. New York DMV supports M, F, and X gender markers.
Where you file
Supreme Court or County Court of the county of residence; NYC residents may also file in NYC Civil Court
Estimated court fee
$210 (Supreme/County Court index number); $65 (NYC Civil Court)
Typical timeline
Varies by county; confirm with the clerk
Residency rule
Must be a resident of New York (file in your county of residence)
Publication for general filings
Not required
Fee waiver available
Available — ask the clerk
Gender marker options
M / F / X
UCS-NC1 — UCS-NC1 Name/Sex Designation Change Petition (Individual Adult)
The standard adult name change (and optional sex designation change) petition for Supreme Court, County Court, and NYC Civil Court
View form Source: Official sourceUCS-FW1 — UCS-FW1 Application to Waive Court Costs, Fees, and Expenses
Fee waiver (poor person's relief) application supporting materials
View form Source: Official sourceLinks open on the publisher’s site. “Official source” means a court or agency published it, and “Archived copy” means an Internet Archive snapshot of a page that has moved. A third-party resource is not a court document and listing it is not an endorsement. Confirm every form with the New York court before you file.
The filing fee is $210 (Supreme/County Court index number); $65 (NYC Civil Court). Confirm the current amount with the court clerk before filing.
Fee waiver available: Yes
Fees vary by county and change over time — confirm with the clerk before filing.
New York does not require newspaper publication for an adult name change petition, and the court can order the case record sealed. Confirm any notice requirement that applies to your situation with the clerk.
Record sealing may be available after name change. New York does not require newspaper publication for adult name change petitions.
New York offers an X gender marker on state driver licenses/IDs (MV-44) and on birth certificates (NY State DOH-5305 and NYC VR 218).
Agency by agency
Gender marker rules differ by agency — driver license / ID, birth certificate, passport (federal), and SSA (federal) can each have different options and proof rules. Confirm the options for each record you plan to update.
Self-attestation: Verify with the relevant agency
Medical proof required: No
Confirm current procedures with each agency before filing.
After receiving your court order, update your records in the following order to avoid conflicts between agencies.
New York has 62 counties. Court procedures vary. NYC residents have the additional option of filing in Civil Court. Confirm with your local court clerk.
Featured counties: New York (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Bronx, Westchester
Free guides explain the general process. Complete helps apply the process to your situation.
Yes. New York allows you to file a combined petition for name change and sex designation change using form UCS-NC1. You can also file them separately.
Both courts accept name change petitions from NYC residents. Civil Court has a lower filing fee (approximately $65 vs. $210). Choose based on your budget and court availability.
Yes. New York DMV supports M, F, and X gender markers on driver licenses and non-driver ID cards, as shown on form MV-44.
Yes. You can request that the court seal your records, particularly if publication or public access would endanger your safety. Check with the court clerk for the specific procedure.
You can apply for a fee waiver (Poor Person's Relief) using form UCS-FW1. If the court grants your application, your filing fees may be waived.
Every claim on this page points back to an official source. Here is what each source supports and when it was last checked — verify details with the source before filing.
Get a personalized filing path based on your situation.
NameRight is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We provide self-help information, document preparation tools, and public court process guidance based on publicly available information. Court procedures and eligibility rules can change, and your situation may require advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Full legal disclaimer