Name change in Oregon
These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Oregon, in order. Each links to its official source and the date we last checked it. When you're ready, build a personalized checklist that covers every document at once.
This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change, so always confirm with the official source linked on each step, and talk to a lawyer or legal-aid organization about your specific situation.
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Step 1: Get a court order for your name change
- Oregon lets you ask a circuit court to change your legal name and/or your sex on record through the same petition process. You complete a statewide Name and Sex Change Packet plus a Name Change – Supplemental form, then file them with the court in person or by US mail.
Varies by court/clerk.
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- After you file, the court opens a case, reviews your documents, and contacts you about your next step — which may include a hearing before a judge. Minor applicants use a separate, additional packet with its own requirements.
📝 Get the official form: Name and Sex Change Packet (Adult)
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Step 2: Update your Social Security record
- Social Security still changes the legal name on your Social Security record. A valid court order for a name change is one of the events Social Security recognizes as changing your legal name, and you apply with Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card.
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- Social Security's policy manual defines your legal name as your first name and last name — the name you use to sign legal documents. For a person born in the United States, that is generally the name shown on the birth certificate, unless the name changed through an event such as a marriage or a valid court order for a name change. The sex marker on your record is handled separately and under a different rule — see the Social Security sex marker step.
📝 Get the official form: Form SS-5 — Application for a Social Security Card
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Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID
- To change the name on your Oregon driver's license, permit, or ID card, make an appointment or visit a DMV office for standby service, present proof of your legal name change, and present proof of your identity and address, then pay the applicable fee.
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- DMV verifies your Social Security number with the Social Security Administration, so if you want a REAL ID-compliant credential the name on it must match what SSA has on file — you need to update your name with SSA first. For a standard, non-REAL-ID credential, the name on your card can differ from SSA's records if you provide proof of that name. You can also change your gender marker as part of the same visit.
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Step 4: Update your U.S. passport
- To update the name on your U.S. passport, submit a passport application with an original or certified copy of the document that legally changed your name, such as a court order.
More detail
- If your name changed within 1 year of your most recent passport being issued, mail Form DS-5504 with the name-change document — you will not have to submit any fees for this service. If it has been more than a year, renew by mail with Form DS-82 and a certified name-change document, or apply in person with Form DS-11. If you have no legal documentation of the change, you apply in person with Form DS-11 plus Form DS-60, Affidavit Regarding a Change of Name.
📝 Get the official form: Form DS-82 — U.S. Passport Renewal
Sources
- U.S. Department of State — Change or Correct a Passport — We cannot check this source automatically for changes. Check it yourself before you file.
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Where to get help
- Basic Rights Oregon — Statewide LGBTQ2SIA+ advocacy organization that publishes practical guidance on changing your name and gender marker on Oregon identity documents.
- Oregon Law Help — Free legal-information site published by the Oregon State Bar, including a self-help guide to updating your name or gender on identity documents and referrals to free legal clinics.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — Oregon identity documents guide — Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) keeps a plain-language guide to changing your name and gender marker on Oregon documents. Their staff write and update it. Read it alongside this checklist.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — National advocacy organization (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality) with plain-language guides to updating federal identity documents (Social Security, passport) after a name or gender-marker change.
- Lambda Legal Help Desk — National LGBTQ+ legal organization offering a free legal help desk for questions about discrimination and legal name/gender-marker changes.