Company Name Change

STATE OF COLORADO
NAME CHANGE
ADULT PACKET

Prepared by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc.
Copyright 2018 - U.S. Legal Forms, Inc.

Control Number – CO -NAME-1

This packet contains the following:

1. Instructions;

2. Forms List; and

3. Access to Colorado Law Summary.

I. EXPLANATION OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

A. In Colorado, an action for a court ordered Change of Name begins with the filing of a Petition in the County Court. The Petition must contain certain information. The forms in this packet include the necessary information for an Adult Name Change in the State of Colorado.

B. You can use this packet if:

• You must be a resident of the county in which you are filing the Petition.

• You are at least 18 years of age.

• You must not have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state or under federal law.

• You have proper and reasonable cause for the requested change of name.

• You are not changing your name to avoid debts or defraud creditors.

II. WHAT FORMS ARE INCLUDED

A. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) (CO-NC-100) – This document states the reasons and other required details for your name change.

B. Final Decree for Change of Name (CO-NC-103) – This final statement of the legalities and terms of your name change. Once this form is signed by the Judge and filed with the court, the name change is effective.

C. Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name (CO-NC-102) - Notice that the Order of Name Change has been filed. The form states both petitioner's current name and the new name petitioner is requesting. This should be published in the newspaper following entry of the Order of Name Change.

D. Order for Publication for Change of Name (CO-NC-101) – This form orders that information about the name change be published in a local newspaper as a precondition for the issuance of the Final Decree for Change of Name.

E. Consent to Assignment of Magistrate (CO-NC-104) - This document provides the written consent for the assignment of your case to a Magistrate Judge. This form is not usually needed but, based on the County, it is occasionally required by the Clerk.

III. PROCEDURE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (ADULT) FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO

A. Preliminary Note:

1. The attached forms may be completed by:

a. Printing the forms and completing by hand. Use black ink and print neatly.

b. Printing the forms and completing using a typewriter.

c. By completing the forms on your computer using a word processing program and then printing the forms.

2. Use complete names and not initials. Check your spelling carefully, a misspelled word can delay your name change.

3. Print three (3) complete sets of forms.

4. All forms with a heading – the name of the court, the Petitioner’s name, the case number, and the name of the document – require that the heading be completed. You will need to add the name of the court and the full name of the Petitioner. The “Case No.” will be assigned by the court clerk at the time of filing.

5. Forms that require your signature and include a notary block MUST be signed in the presence of the notary or court clerk who will complete the acknowledgement. Use your complete name – first name, middle name, last name.

6. When a form is filed with the court, request the clerk “file-stamp” one copy of the form for your file.

7. A Law Summary is available and can be printed for your State. To do so, go to where you located this package and select the Law Summary link under the form title and print. Review the Law Summary before beginning the process of completing the forms.

B. Procedure

Step 1: Complete the required fingerprint based criminal history check.

The Petitioner must submit a criminal history check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the time the case is filed. Please follow these steps:

a. Contact your local law enforcement office to be fingerprinted. The Court may provide you with two fingerprint cards, or, in the event that your local court does not provide them, your local sheriff’s department should. You will see a box labeled “Reason Fingerprinted” on the card in the upper left hand corner. Complete that box with the following: “§13-15-101 Legal Name Change.” It is important that the CBI and FBI know that the criminal history check is for a legal name change. Please write your name, home address, and date of birth clearly on the fingerprint card. If the agency completing the fingerprints uses an electronic print system, please do not write on the cards as the agency will automatically input the information.

b. You are responsible for mailing or hand-delivering the completed fingerprint cards to CBI and FBI. It can take 12-15 weeks to receive your criminal history check back from the FBI, whereas CBI must complete your record check within 72 business hours by law. The criminal history results must be conducted within 90-days prior to the filing of the Petition. For this reason, it is best to mail your FBI fingerprint card, wait 8-10 weeks, and then mail or hand-deliver your CBI fingerprint card. You will be provided with a full report from both agencies. For additional information on FBI requests, please review their website at the following link: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

c. Mail the completed fingerprint card to the FBI at, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, Attn: SCU, Mod. D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306 along with a certified check or money order in the amount of $18.00. Do not fold the fingerprint card.

d. Mail or hand-deliver your completed CBI fingerprint card to the CBI at 690 Kipling, Denver, Colorado 80215 along with a money order in the amount of $16.50. Do not fold the fingerprint card. If you hand-deliver the fingerprint card, you can also pay by cash.

e. If you have a felony conviction recorded in Colorado or any other state, and you know that it is inaccurate, it is your responsibility to obtain the disposition information from the court where such action occurred as identified in the CBI and FBI reports. You are also responsible for providing certified copies of any criminal dispositions that are not reflected in the Colorado Bureau of Investigations or Federal Bureau of Investigation records and any other dispositions which are unknown by contacting the agency where such actions occurred.

Step 2: Complete all the forms using complete names – middle names instead of middle initials.

Petition for Change of Name (Adult).

a. Fill in all the blanks on the Petition.

b. Insert your full legal name and proposed name change as identified in the caption below.

c. Attach the criminal history check to the Petition and identify as Exhibit A. Make sure that the fingerprint-based criminal history record check is conducted within 90 days prior to the filing of the Petition.

d. Attach any other criminal disposition documentation and identify as Exhibit B.

e. This Petition must be signed in the presence of a Court Clerk or Notary Public.

Order for Publication for Change of Name.

a. Complete all portions of the form.

b. The Judge or Magistrate will sign the order at the time of the hearing if your petition is approved.

Public Notice.

a. Complete all portions of the form.

b. This is the form that you will submit to the local newspaper to publish notice of the requested name change.

Final Decree for Change of Name.

a. Complete caption only.

b. The Judge or Magistrate will sign the Decree.

c. This form will be returned to you only upon proof of publication.

Step 3: You are ready to file your Petition with the Court.

Provide the Court with the documents completed as described in Steps 1 - 2 above and pay the filing fee of $49.00.

If the Petition has not been signed in the presence of a Notary Public, you will sign the Petition before the Clerk at this time.

The Court may require a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Step 4: Be prepared for your hearing.

You may be asked questions about your request for a name change.

Step 5: Publish proposed name change.

After the Order for Publication is entered, the change of name must be published at least three times within 21 days from the date of the publication order in a newspaper by using the Public Notice (JDF 427) form, unless pursuant to §13-15-102, C.R.S., you have been:

a. The victim of a crime, the underlying factual basis of which has been found by the Court; to include an act of domestic violence; or

b. The victim of child abuse, or

c. The victim of domestic abuse.

Step 6: Obtain a signed copy of the Decree for Name Change from the Court.

Submit proof of publication to the Court. This can include copies of the newspaper notice.

If publication is not required pursuant to §13-15-102, C.R.S., you will receive your Decree once ordered by the Court.

If you need certified copies, please provide the appropriate fees.

NOTE

If you own real property (real estate), you should record a Decree for Change of Name with the Clerk and Recorder’s Office in the county where the property is recorded to reflect the new name on the property records.

Check with the Clerk and Recorder’s Office for the fee to record the name change, office hours, if the information can be submitted by mail or in person, etc.

NOTE ABOUT COMPLETING THE FORMS

The forms in this packet contain “form fields” created using Microsoft Word. “Form fields” facilitate completion of the forms using your computer. They do not limit you ability to print the form “in blank” and complete with a typewriter or by hand.

If you do not see the gray shaded form fields, go the View menu, click on Toolbars, and then select Forms. This will open the forms toolbar. Look for the button on the forms toolbar that resembles a shaded letter “a”. Click in this button and the form fields will be visible.

The forms are locked which means that the content of the forms cannot be changed. You can only fill in the information in the fields.

If you need to make any changes in the body of the form, it is necessary for you “unlock” or “unprotect” the form. IF YOU INTEND TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE CONTENT, DO SO BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO FILL IN THE FIELDS. IF YOU UNLOCK THE DOCUMENT AFTER YOU HAVE BEGUN TO COMPLETE THE FIELDS, WHEN YOU RELOCK, ALL INFORMATION YOU ENTERED WILL BE LOST. To unlock, click on “Tools” in the Menu bar and then selecting “unprotect document”. You may then be prompted to enter a password. If so, the password is “uslf”. That is uslf in lower case letters without the quotation marks. After you make the changes relock the document before you being to complete the fields.

After any required changes and re-protecting the document, click on the first form field and enter the required information. You will be able to navigate through the document from form field to form field using your tab key. Tab to a form field and insert your data. If problems, please let us know.

LAW SUMMARY

The law summary for this package may be located and printed from the following address:

http://www.uslegalforms.com/co/CO-NAME-1.htm

DISCLAIMER

These materials were developed by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. based upon statutes and forms for the State of Colorado. All Information and Forms are subject to this Disclaimer: All forms in this package are provided without any warranty, express or implied, as to their legal effect and completeness. Please use at your own risk. If you have a serious legal problem we suggest that you consult an attorney. U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. does not provide legal advice. The products offered by U.S. Legal Forms (USLF) are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

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Court Name:

Former Name:

Requested New Name:

Effective Date:

Additional Information / Notes: