There are many reasons why people decide to legally change their name. Whether you are doing it for personal reasons, issues related to work, in order to take on a new persona in the entertainment industry, or because you want to avoid identity theft, the solution is not as difficult as you might think. If you live in the state of California and want to change your name, this page will walk you through appropriate steps.

Are you in the process of getting married or divorced, and need help legally changing your name? Perhaps you have just turned 18 and want to start out fresh by shedding your birth name? Whatever your reasons are, if you live in the state of California and need to legally change your name, this page will walk you through the process of how to change your name in California

People legally change their names for a variety of reasons, some of which may include:

1. Marriage or Divorce
2. Naturalization
3. Protecting their identity. Some people change their names after their identity has been stolen.
4. Personal reasons

• In the state of California, most name changes are granted. However, there are some exceptions. These include:

Names that can be used as racial slurs or fighting wordshttp://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30079.html

Names of fictitious characters protected under copyright lawshttp://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30079.html

Names of a famous people if you are changing your name for fraudulent purposes, to benefit financially, or if it will cause the famous person to be presented in a negative lighthttp://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30079.html

Applying for your name change through the court system is the most efficient way to legally change your name in the state of California. There are several steps you will go through to do this effectively. They are:

1. Download the appropriate form online, including Form NC-100, Form NC-110 Form NC-120, Form NC-130 and Form CSM-010
2. Fill out the forms, answering all questions to the best of your abilityhttp://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
3. Make two copies of each of the following forms: NC-100, NC-110 andNC-120http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
4. If required by your county court, you may need to fill out a local form such as the Criminal Background Information Formhttp://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
5. File all appropriate forms at the Court of Clerks at the courthouse in the county in which you reside.http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
6. Publish the Order to Show Cause in a general circulation newspaper once a week for four weeks. This means you will be publishing your request for a change of name. Check with the courthouse to make sure the newspaper you publish this in is approved by the court.http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
7. Appear at your court date, with proof that you published your request in the newspaper for the appropriate amount of time. Also bring Form NC-130 for the judge to sign.http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm
8. Once you receive your accepted Decree from the court, make sure you obtain a certified copy from the court.http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeadult2.htm

Once you have received your name change decree from the court, you will want to change all your legal documents accordingly. Make sure you bring copies of the certified name change decree issued by the court. Legal documents to change include, but are not limited to:

1. Social Security Card
2. Passport
3. Driver's license or identification card
4. Birth Certificate