§ 1277.5.Name Change to Conform to Gender Identity

This section carves out a distinct, more private track within Title 8 for petitioners changing their name to conform to their gender identity, separate from the general process in §§ 1276 through 1278. In both the version now current and the version replacing it, this kind of petition never has to be published in a newspaper -- a meaningful departure from the general rule, given how sensitive this information can be.

Through June 30, 2026, the process works by objection: the court issues an order describing the petition, gives anyone six weeks to file a written objection with reasons, and grants the name change without a hearing if no timely objection arrives. A hearing happens only when someone objects and shows good cause -- and disagreement with the petitioner's stated gender identity is expressly not good cause. If a minor's petition doesn't carry both living parents' signatures, the order gets served on the parent who didn't sign, within 30 days of the order.

Starting July 1, 2026, the law simplifies the adult petitioner's path further: the court grants the name change within six weeks, without a hearing and without any objection window at all, subject only to § 1279.5's sex-offender-registrant carve-out. A minor petitioner signed by every living parent gets that same automatic path. But a minor's petition missing a parent's signature still follows something like the older objection-based procedure -- an order goes out, the nonsigning parent gets served within four weeks, and a hearing happens only if a timely objection shows good cause, with the same rule that disagreement over gender identity alone doesn't count.