Transgender Legal Name Change - Colorado
First, I have to acknowledge ColoradoNameChangeProject because they were SO helpful. I did this in the midst of COVID-19 so it may be a little weird depending on how old this post is.
I went to CO Name Change Project and used their auto-form generator to complete my petition. It was VERY helpful and I HIGHLY recommend using it. I completed all that paperwork, printed it, and had to get it notarized (DON’T SIGN ON YOUR OWN).
The courthouse was closed because of the pandemic, so I went to a UPS and they notarized it for me. Then I sent the following to the local county court:
-Petition & forms from CO Name Change Project
-photocopy of driver’s license (OR other gov’t issued photo ID)
-FBI and CBI (CO Bureau of Inv.) fingerprinting background check results; *make sure these are no older than 90 days* [for a description of how I got these check bottom of post]
-money order with amount corresponding to # of certified copies requested (I got 5 because they’re only $20 each, if you are a pilot I highly recommend at least 3 because you’ll have to send them everywhere)
-self-addressed stamped envelope postage paid so they can send the certified copies to me
-a cover letter stating my current legal name, # of requested certified copies, and ways to contact me; this is another COVID procedure
A few days later I got an email stating my court hearing would be scheduled for June 2, 2020. That was about 6 weeks from my initial application.
About a week before the hearing, I received a call telling me the hearing would be virtual. I was given a time and link to the meeting, and they asked me to send a picture of my photo ID so they could verify it was me when we were in the meeting.
On the day, I joined the meeting 10 minutes before our time and the judge verified my name and birthday, then swore me in. She asked why I was changing my name and I said I wanted a name that better aligned with my gender identity. She then asked me if I had any felonies or I was changing my name to escape any pending criminal charges. I replied no and she waived the publication requirement, decreed my new name, and said the bailiff would either email or snail mail my court orders to me, depending on whether she *could* send certified copies via email (again, COVID-19).
It’s been about four hours so I am still awaiting the orders via email, but I will call them this afternoon/update this post when I receive them, one way or another. Keep reading for the fingerprinting process.
I went to the Colorado Fingerprinting office nearest me by setting up an appointment online. I paid for the CBI/FBI reports, which was explained on their website as required for a Legal Name Change. I think it was like $48 total. They verified my identity with my driver’s license and took my prints, then sent them to the appropriate offices. About a week later I got my CBI results, took a month for FBI.















