COLORADO STATEWIDE

Form JDF 421, Petition for Name Change for a Minor Child

Change your child's legal name in Colorado court — one guided walkthrough.

JDF 421 is the official Colorado court form that a parent or legal guardian files to ask a judge to legally change a minor child's name. After filing, the court schedules a hearing and — if approved — issues a decree that changes the child's name on all legal records.

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Average time

30–60 minutes to complete the form; weeks to months for the full court process

Difficulty

moderate

Best for

A parent or legal guardian who wants to change a child's last name after a family change, or change a first or middle name for personal, cultural, or gender-identity reasons.

What this form stands for

Get a Colorado court order legally changing your child's name — making the new name official on the birth certificate, school records, passport, and all other legal documents.

If the child is 14 or older and has a disqualifying felony adjudication, the court will deny the petition. Filing without properly notifying or obtaining consent from the non-custodial parent can get the case dismissed or the name change reversed.

What you'll need

The child's current full legal name and date of birth
Your (the petitioner's) full name, mailing address, phone, and email
The Colorado county where the child lives
Your relationship to the child (parent, legal guardian, etc.)
The proposed new full name for the child
A reason for the name change (brief written explanation)
For children 14 or older: a fingerprint-based criminal history check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), dated within 90 days
The non-custodial parent's current address (if you plan to serve them by notice), or their consent on Form JDF 423 if they agree
Any existing case number and court name if the child is in an active family case

How the walkthrough is organized

Court and Filing Information

Which court to use, the county, and any existing case number.

Your Information (Petitioner)

Your name, address, phone, and email so the court can contact you.

Child's Current Information

The child's current legal name, date of birth, county of residence, and your relationship to the child.

Requested New Name

The full new name you are asking the court to approve.

Reason for Name Change

Your written explanation of why the name change is in the child's best interest.

Publication Waiver Request

Whether you are asking the court to skip the public newspaper notice, and the legal reason why.

Other Active Cases

Whether the child is already in another active court case, and if so, the case number and court.

Parental Notification

How you will notify or involve the non-custodial parent — consent, notice, published notice, or not applicable.

Signatures

Petitioner 1 (and Petitioner 2 if both parents are filing together) signs under penalty of perjury, along with any attorney.

Ready to start?

Docgle asks calm, plain-English questions and keeps the official source attached for review.

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