1. Do I have to pay a fee to change my name?
Yes, there are several fees involved in changing a name. There is a $55 fee paid to the Lt. Governor's Office, which includes a $5 online administrative fee to submit your Name Change Petition. To publish your Name Change Notice, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser charges a fee. To complete the Name Change process, you must file your Name Change Order with the Bureau of Conveyances and there is a fee $41, effective 2/27/17, subject to change without further notification. Some people may encounter a fourth fee if they are amending their birth certificate. That is payable to the Department of Health.
For more information on the aforementioned fees charged by the various departments, please contact them directly at:
Honolulu Star Advertiser
(808) 529-4747
www.staradvertiser.com
Bureau of Conveyances
Department of Land and Natural Resources
(808) 587-0147
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/recording-fees-new
Vital Statistics
Department of Health
(808) 586-4541
http://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/amendments
2. Do I need to visit the Lt. Governor's Office in person?
No, you can rely on the web site to submit your initial forms, then mail in your notarized forms. The Lt. Governor's Office can mail your forms back to you to finish the process.
3. How long does the Name Change process take?
The process takes 6-8 weeks. This excludes the final step of taking your Name Change Order to the Bureau of Conveyances for recording.
