North Carolina · statute · N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 101 · 8 active provisions
Legislature may regulate change by general but not private law. The General Assembly shall not have power to pass any private law to alter the name of any person, but shall have power to pass general laws regulating the same. (Const., Art. II, s. 11; Rev., s. 2146; C.S., s. 2970.)
Procedure for changing name; petition; notice. (a) A person who wishes, for good cause shown, to change his or her name must file an application before the clerk of the superior court of the county in which the person resides. (b) Repealed by Session Laws 2025-54, s. 4(a), effective December 1, 2025, and applicable to…
Contents of petition. The applicant shall state in the application his true name, county of birth, date of birth, the full name of parents as shown on birth certificate, the name he desires to adopt, his reasons for desiring such change, and whether his name has ever before been changed by law, and, if so, the facts wi…
Proof of good character to accompany petition. The applicant shall also file with said petition proof of his good character, which proof must be made by at least two citizens of the county who know his standing: Provided, however, proof of good character shall not be required when the application is for the change of n…
Name change application requirements; grounds for clerk to order or deny name change; certificate and record. (a) A person who desires to change his or her true name may apply to the clerk of superior court of the county where the person resides and must submit all of the following information to the clerk in support o…
Effect of change; only one change, except as provided. (a) When the order is made and the applicant's name changed, he is entitled to all the privileges and protection under his new name as he would have been under the old name. No person shall be allowed to change his name under this Chapter but once, except that he s…
Recording name change. When the name of any individual, corporation, partnership, or association has been changed in a manner provided by law, any attorney licensed to practice law in this State may file an affidavit with the clerk of superior court stating facts concerning the change of name. The clerk shall cause the…
Resumption of name by widow or widower. A person at any time after the person is widowed may, upon application to the clerk of court of the county in which the person resides setting forth the person's intention to do so, resume the use of her maiden name or the name of a prior deceased husband or of a previously divor…