Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

ID Documents Center

Welcome to our one-stop hub for name and gender change information. Find out how to update your name and gender on state and federal IDs and records.

Most courts and government offices have resumed normal operations with the formal end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Make sure to contact your local court or other government offices for details on their current operating hours and procedures, including if they require appointments for in-person visits.. You should keep dated copies of any materials you submit by mail or electronically.

Last updated November 2023

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Name Change, Driver's License & Birth Certificate Policies in:

Federal IDs and Records:

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Name Change Laws

What to file:

All forms can be found at the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary Court Forms site. You will need to file the following forms:

The petition should include the current legal name of the petitioner, the proposed name, the residence of the petitioner, the birth place of the petitioner, and a reason for the request. The petition can also include a request to amend the gender marker, which should be accompanied by a notarized affidavit from a physician attesting that the sex of the petitioner has been changed by surgical procedure.

Where to file:

The Superior Court of CNMI at Guma’ Hustisia Iimwal Aweewe’

Guma’ Hustisia Iimawal Aweewe’

House of Justice

P.O. Box 500307

Saipan MP

96950-0307

The Superior Court of CNMI at The Rota Judicial Center

Superior Court

P.O. Box 511631

Rota Island

96951

Do I need to publish my name change in a newspaper?

Yes; prior to the hearing date, the petitioner must publish notice of the requested legal name change in a newspaper of general circulation at least once prior to the hearing. Notice of the requested legal name change must be posted at the courthouse for a period of ten days prior to the hearing.

Once you have published, you must submit a Declaration of Publication to the court.

The court may be petitioned to seal the record and bypass the publication requirement, but only if it can be demonstrated that significant harm will befall the petitioner, and representatives of the court have noted that they cannot recall a point in time when a petition to seal was granted.

Cost:

The fee for filing the petition is $150.

If you cannot afford the fee, you can submit a Motion and Order to Waive Court Filing Fee.

Name Changes for Minors Under 18:

Separate forms for minors can be found at the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary Court Forms site, including:

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Drivers License Policy & Procedures

In order to change the name and gender marker on a driver’s license, the license holder must provide both the court order for the legal name and gender change, as well as a valid passport or original birth certificate. The license holder must also provide a complete driver’s license application. This information was obtained from an interview with a Bureau of Motor Vehicles representative.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Birth Certificate Laws

In order to change a legal name on a birth certificate, the applicant must provide a court order for legal name and gender marker change to the Vital Statistics Office Division of Public Health (P.O. Box 500409, Saipan MP 96950), and the certificate of birth will be amended. The birth certificate, on the reverse, will be marked as having been amended, however the front of the document will show the requested name and gender marker. (N.M.I. Public Law 15-50).