Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Identity Documents
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Name Change Laws
What to file:
All forms can be found at the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary Court Forms site. You will need to file the following forms:
The petition should include the current legal name of the petitioner, the proposed name, the residence of the petitioner, the birth place of the petitioner, and a reason for the request. The petition can also include a request to amend the gender marker, which should be accompanied by a notarized affidavit from a physician attesting that the sex of the petitioner has been changed by surgical procedure.
Where to file:
The Superior Court of CNMI at Guma’ Hustisia Iimwal Aweewe’
Guma’ Hustisia Iimawal Aweewe’
House of Justice
P.O. Box 500307
Saipan MP
96950-0307
OR
The Superior Court of CNMI at The Rota Judicial Center
Superior Court
P.O. Box 511631
Rota Island
96951
Do I need to publish my name change in a newspaper?
Yes; prior to the hearing date, the petitioner must publish notice of the requested legal name change in a newspaper of general circulation at least once prior to the hearing. Notice of the requested legal name change must be posted at the courthouse for a period of ten days prior to the hearing.
Once you have published, you must submit a Declaration of Publication to the court.
The court may be petitioned to seal the record and bypass the publication requirement, but only if it can be demonstrated that significant harm will befall the petitioner, and representatives of the court have noted that they cannot recall a point in time when a petition to seal was granted.
Cost:
The fee for filing the petition is $150.
If you cannot afford the fee, you can submit a Motion and Order to Waive Court Filing Fee.
Name Changes for Minors Under 18:
Separate forms for minors can be found at the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary Court Forms site, including:
- Petition for Change of Name -- child
- Order Prescribing Notice -- child
- Notice of Hearing -- child
- Consent of Natural Mother/Father -- child
- Declaration of Posting -- child
- Declaration of Publication -- child
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Drivers License Policy & Procedures
In order to change the name and gender marker on a driver’s license, the license holder must provide both the court order for the legal name and gender change, as well as a valid passport or original birth certificate. The license holder must also provide a complete driver’s license application. This information was obtained from an interview with a Bureau of Motor Vehicles representative.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Birth Certificate Laws
In order to change a legal name on a birth certificate, the applicant must provide a court order for legal name and gender marker change to the Vital Statistics Office Division of Public Health (P.O. Box 500409, Saipan MP 96950), and the certificate of birth will be amended. The birth certificate, on the reverse, will be marked as having been amended, however the front of the document will show the requested name and gender marker. (N.M.I. Public Law 15-50).
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