Nebraska Identity Documents

Overview

Name Change (Adult): Yes. There is a publication requirement, but you may request to have it waived. A hearing is required.
Name Change (Minor): Yes. Consent from both parents is required. There is a publication requirement, but you may request to have it waived. A hearing is required.
Birth Certificate (Name): Yes. A certified copy of a court order for change of name and a notarized application are required.
Birth Certificate (Gender Marker): Yes. A notarized application and a physician’s letter are required.
Driver’s License (Name): Yes. A certified copy of a court order for change of name is required.
Driver’s License (Gender Marker): Yes. A certification of medical transition must be signed by a medical provider familiar with your transition.

Nebraska Name Change Law & Steps (for Adults)

To obtain a legal name change in Nebraska, you must submit a petition to the court. A petition is a formal written application to a court requesting judicial action—in this case, your name change! These steps will guide you through the process.

Please note that an adult in Nebraska is classified as someone 19 years of age or older. If you are younger than 19 years old, please see our guidelines for minor name changes.

Granting the requested name change is at the discretion of the district court. You can find your court in your county of residence here. It is recommended to check with your local court for any additional requirements, as some courts have their own local forms or guidelines.

To make a name change request, you must have lived in the county you are filing for at least one year.

Step 1: Complete the Name Change Petition

In order to begin the name change process, you must complete the Petition for Name Change (Adult).

Don’t let the unfamiliar format of a court petition scare you. Make sure to review all your completed documents for correct spelling and formatting before filing.

Step 2: Gather Documents & File at the District Court

You will need to file the required forms listed below with the district court of your county of residence. You can find your district court here.

All the required forms are available with additional instructions here. You will need:

Petition of Name Change
Confidential Party Information—Adult Name Change
Decree of Name Change
A valid form of photo ID
Filing fee (varies depending on county)

If you are unable to afford the filing fee, you can submit a fee waiver with the Affidavit and Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. Instructions for filing a fee waiver are available here.

Once the proper paperwork is filed, you will need to ask the court clerk to schedule a hearing. A hearing will be scheduled approximately 6 weeks after your filing date.

Step 3: Publication Requirement

Nebraska has a publication requirement, which requires notice of your name change to be posted once a week for 4 consecutive weeks. This requirement is to ensure that you are not changing your name for fraudulent purposes, but if publication poses a personal safety concern, a waiver is available.

If you are concerned for your personal safety due to the publication requirement, you are able to file a request for a publication waiver. You will need to file Name Change, Petitioner's Showing and Request for Waiver of Publication as well as Name Change, Order Waiving Publication of Petition to File for Name Change during step 2.

The court clerk’s office will notify you of the judge’s decision. If your request is approved, you may proceed without publishing notice of your name change. If your request is not approved, you will need to complete the publication requirement.

If you do not request a publication waiver or your request for one is denied, you will need to file Legal Notice—Adult Name Change once your hearing date has been scheduled. Contact your local newspaper about publishing legal notice of your requested name change for the outline publication period. Additional instructions on publication are provided by Nebraska Courts here.

Once notice of your name change has appeared in a newspaper for the allotted time, you will need to request proof of publication from the newspaper. You will need to file this with the court before your hearing.

Step 4: Notification of Interested Parties

Once your notice has appeared in the newspaper for 5 days, you will need to notify any interested parties of your name change by mailing them a copy of the published notice. You will then file the Affidavit of Mailing Published Notice with the court as proof of fulfilling this requirement. This affidavit must be filed with the court within 10 days of mailing a copy of the newspaper’s published notice to all interested parties. For an adult name change, an interested party may include a legal spouse or any creditors.

Before the affidavit can be filed, you will need to have it notarized. You can make an appointment with a notary public at your local bank, library, or county clerk’s office. You must bring proper identification (e.g. driver’s license) to your appointment. Do not sign the petition until you are with the notary. For more information about how to prepare for a notary appointment, click here.

Step 5: Attend Hearing

Once the proper paperwork is filed, the court will schedule a hearing, which you will be required to attend. Additional guidance for your hearing is provided by Nebraska Courts here.

You will need to bring 2 copies of the Decree of Name Change. During the hearing, the judge may ask you further questions about your requested name change. For more information on what a hearing is and how to prepare, click here.

If the judge approves the request, they will sign the Decree of Name Change and you will request a certified copy of the order from your district court. It is recommended that you ask for 5-7 copies of this order, as you will need certified copies to amend your identity documents. A fee will apply per copy requested.

Once you’ve received your certified copies, you may start updating documents and informing other relevant institutions. This includes important documents such as birth certificate, driver's license, social security card, and passport.

If the judge does not approve the request, you may decide to appeal against the decision or seek legal counsel.

Nebraska Name Change Law & Steps (for Minors)

To obtain a legal name change as a minor (someone under 19 years of age), an adult (typically your parent or guardian) must submit a petition to the court on your behalf. A petition is a formal written application to a court requesting judicial action—in this case, your name change! These steps will guide you through the process.

Consent is required from both parents listed on the minor’s birth certificate. If you know the other parent will contest the requested name change, you may wish to seek legal advice or obtain an attorney.

To make a name change request, you must have lived in the county you are filing for at least one year.

Step 1: Complete the Name Change Petition

In order to begin the name change process, you must complete the Petition for Name Change of a Minor Child or Children.

Don’t let the unfamiliar format of a court petition scare you. Make sure to review all your completed documents for correct spelling and formatting before filing.

Step 2: Gather Documents & File at the District Court

You will need to file the required forms listed below with the district court of your county of residence. You can find your district court here.

All the required forms are available with additional instructions here. You will need:

Petition for Name Change of a Minor Child or Children
Confidential Party Information - Name Change of a Minor Child
Consent for the Name Change of a Minor Child
Decree for Name Change of a Minor
A valid form of photo ID
Filing fee (varies depending on county)

If you are unable to afford the filing fee, you can submit a fee waiver with the Affidavit and Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. Instructions for filing a fee waiver are available here.

Once the proper paperwork is filed, you will need to ask the court clerk to schedule a hearing. A hearing will be scheduled approximately 4 weeks after your filing date.

Step 3: Publication Requirement

Nebraska has a publication requirement, which requires notice of your name change to be posted once a week for 2 consecutive weeks. This requirement is to ensure that you are not changing your name for fraudulent purposes, but if publication poses a personal safety concern, a waiver is available.

If you do not request a publication waiver or your request for one is denied, you will need to file Legal Notice for Publication - Name Change Minor Child once your hearing date has been scheduled. Contact your local newspaper about publishing legal notice of your requested name change for the outline publication period. Additional instructions on publication are provided by Nebraska Courts here.

Step 4: Obtain Parental Consent & Notification of Interested Parties

Consent is required from both parents listed on the minor’s birth certificate. The parent who is filing the petition on your behalf is consenting to the name change by acting as the petitioner. The non-petitioning parent will need to complete Consent for the Name Change of a Minor Child. This should be filed with the paperwork during step 2.

Once your notice has appeared in the newspaper for 5 days, you will also need to notify the non-petitioning parent of your name change by mailing them Notice to Parent of Name Change for a Minor Child. If you do not know the location of the other parent, you do not need to file this document.

Finally, you will need to file the Affidavit of Mailing Published Notice with the court notifying all other parties of interest. This affidavit must be filed with the court within 10 days of mailing a copy of the newspaper’s published notice to all interested parties. For a minor name change, an interested party may include any person or entity with custody over the child or any creditors.

Step 5: Attend Hearing

Once the proper paperwork is filed, the court will schedule a hearing, which your petitioning guardian will be required to attend. Before the hearing date, you may wish to contact the court bailiff to inquire if the minor’s presence is needed at the hearing. Additional guidance for your hearing is provided by Nebraska Courts here.

You will need to bring 2 copies of the Decree of Name Change of a Minor. During the hearing, the judge may ask you and your petitioning guardian further questions about your requested name change. For more information on what a hearing is and how to prepare, click here.

Judges may consider whether to grant a name change for a minor according to what is in the ‘best interests of the child’. They typically evaluate the best interest of the child by looking at a variety of factors, which may include the child’s preference (taking into consideration their age and experience), the length of time a child has used that name, the difficulties, harassment, or embarrassment a child may experience from the present or proposed name, and the motives or interests of the parent.

If the judge does not approve the request, you may decide to appeal against the decision or seek legal counsel.

Nebraska Birth Certificate Laws

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Service will issue an amended birth certificate upon receipt of a court order for name amendments and a physician’s letter for gender marker amendments.

When Amending the Name Only

To change your name on your birth certificate, you will need to submit the following:

Application for Amendment
A certified copy of your court order for change of name
The $16.00 amendment fee.
The $17.00 certificate fee. There is an additional fee for multiple copies.

Please note that you will need to have the application for amendment notarized before submitting. You can make an appointment with a notary public at your local bank, library, or county clerk’s office. You must bring proper identification (e.g. driver’s license) to your appointment. Do not sign the petition until you are with the notary. For more information about how to prepare for a notary appointment, click here.

When Updating the Name and Gender Marker, or Gender Marker Only

Nebraska will issue a new birth certificate “upon receipt of a notarized affidavit from the physician that performed sex reassignment surgery on an individual born in this state and a certified copy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction changing the name of such person.” The record will be sealed and can only be accessed by a court order.

To change your gender marker on your birth certificate, you will need to submit the following:

Application for Amendment
A Physician's Affidavit, stating they performed gender reassignment surgery and the date the surgery took place, with the physician's notarized signature
The $16.00 amendment fee.
The $17.00 certificate fee. There is an additional fee for multiple copies.
A certified copy of your court order for change of name (if you wish to amend your name at the same time).

Submitting the Required Documents & Next Steps

If you were born in Nebraska, you may mail your request, required documents, and fee payment to the Nebraska Vital Records Office.

Mailing address:

Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065

If you are no longer a Nebraska resident, but you have a birth certificate issued by the state of Nebraska, you are still able to mail-in your request and amend your birth certificate as outlined above. The Nebraska Vital Records Office will accept a certified copy of an order for name change signed by a court from your current state of residence.

If you were not born in Nebraska, you will need to follow the amendment instructions from the state’s vital records office. For more instructions, find the state that issued your birth certificate in A4TE’s ID Doc Center and skip to the section on birth certificates.

For more information or questions regarding amending your birth certificate, contact the Vital Records Office.

Phone: 402-471-2871 or 402-471-0918
Email: [email protected]

Nebraska Driver’s License Policy & Procedures

In order to update the name on a Nebraska driver’s license or state ID, you must first change your name with the Social Security Administration. For more information on that process, visit the Social Security Record section of the ID Documents Center.

To change your name on your license or state ID, you will need to make an in-person appointment with the DMV. You can schedule an appointment here.

You must notify the DMV of a legal name change within 60 days of the name change.

You will need to bring the following to your appointment:

A certified copy of your order of name change
Class O English Data Form
Proof of identity (a list of acceptable documents is available here)
Your current DL/ID
Updated social security
Two forms of proof of Nebraska residency (a list of acceptable documents is available here)
The licensing fee (which varies depending on license type)

When Updating the Name and Gender Marker, or Gender Marker Only

Nebraska driver's licenses and ID cards can display a gender of either F or M. There is currently no option for an X gender marker in Nebraska. While the form requires certification of “sex reassignment procedures” required for “social gender recognition.” The form is vague as to what treatment was performed and proof of surgery is not required.

To change your gender marker on your license or state ID, you will need to make an in-person appointment with the DMV. You can schedule an appointment here.

You will need to bring the following to your appointment:

Certification of Sex Reassignment Form—signed by a medical professional familiar with your transition
Operators License-ID data form
Proof of identity (a list of acceptable documents is available here)
Your current DL/ID
Updated social security
Two forms of proof of Nebraska residency (a list of acceptable documents is available here)
The licensing fee (which varies depending on license type)
A certified copy of your order of name change (if you wish to update your name at the same time)

If you have additional questions, you may wish to contact your DMV at 402-471-2281.

Additional Resources

For even more information, please check out the A4TE Name Change Overview page as well as the additional state resources listed below. You can also reach out with questions via email at [email protected].

ACLU Trans Nebraska—provides community resources as well as additional guidance on the name change process and updating your identity documents. To request legal assistance, email or call to make an appointment.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 877-250-2016
Out Nebraska—has compiled a detailed list of community resources including transition grant resources and legal assistance. You can contact them here.

Nebraska Legislature Code Citations

Birth certificates; without given name; legal change of name; procedure—Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-641
Birth certificate; sex reassignment; new certificate; procedure—Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-604.01.
Change of Name—Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-21,271 to 25-21,273

Last updated January 2026.

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