Changing Kids Names

We had planned to change The Kids names (the boys don't have their Korean middle-names on their Birth Certificate-s, we changed Number Three's Korean middle name after the first choice was included on the cert). It seems silly to get passports with the "wrong" info.

• I hoped maybe we could use the form/process to correct the cert. But the form says To change your name, you must go to Civil Court. Please contact the Civil Court for further information before going. An example of a name correction is Dauid to David, which requires documentation. An example of a name change is June to Edna, which requires a court order.

• This does not sound like fun. Each application, which can be made at any of the city's civil courts, must give basic biographical information, and attest that the petitioner was never convicted of a crime, or "been adjudicated bankrupt." They throw on a birth certificate, a $50 filing fee, then wait the eight weeks or so it takes a judge to sign off on it. Once that happens, a person who has changed her name must publish that fact in a newspaper; most opt for the New York Law Journal. That article's from 1994 - I wonder if the process if faster now?

  • This says the time lag is between filing the papers and getting the hearing. The clerk will assign you a date for a name change hearing. If you know you can not make it on that date, just tell the clerk and ask for a later date. Your name change hearing will probably be scheduled for around one to four weeks after the date you file your papers. (This procedure can be different in other boroughs. For example, in Brooklyn, you will usually see a judge on the same day you file the papers.) The judge approves it right at that time, so that part's quick. But the process isn't done until you file with a newspaper and bring proof of that back to the court. Then you can buy name-change certificates to use when ordering new Birth Certificate-s and other forms. Argh that part sounds like it could be slow again.

  • do kids have to come along?

• who do I call to clarify this?

  • Civil Court Clerk 646-386-5730?

  • Department Of Health (212) 788-4520?

  • Name changes 646-386-5609 - bingo that's the person

    • yes have to go through whole hearing/publication process

    • in Manhattan usually get hearing within 1-2wks of filing application

    • when you come back with the proof-of-publication, they issue the name-change-proof while you wait

    • but yes you can't submit the birth-cert change until you have that proof in hand.

Definitely not trying to do this before Getting Passport For Kids for Spring Break. (But I purposely left their middle names off their passports, so that at least I won't need to get those re-done.)

• [process](http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/Change Name/Change Name_851.html) for getting new-name passport for Number Three.