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Hawaii name change guidance

Hawaii Adult Name Change

Hawaii handles name changes through the Lieutenant Governor’s online portal, not the courts — the portal generates your personalized petition, notice, and order after you apply and pay. There is no court packet to buy, so we do not sell one. Here is exactly how the official process works.

  • Official state portal
  • Step-by-step guidance
  • No packet sold for Hawaii

How a Hawaii adult name change works

The official sequence from the Lieutenant Governor’s online instructions (Rev 3-2026).

1. Check eligibility and gather documents

You must be a Hawaii resident (active-duty military use a physical Hawaii address). US-born petitioners need a certified birth certificate issued within the last 90 days — order it before you start. Plan on using a notary commissioned in Hawaii.

2. Apply online and pay

Create a free account at namechange.ehawaii.gov, choose the individual or couple application, and answer the questions. The session times out after 120 minutes and is not saved until you pay the non-refundable $56 in portal fees. The portal then generates your Petition, Fact Sheet, Notice of Change of Name, and Order.

3. Notarize and mail

Print the documents single-sided, sign the Petition before a Hawaii notary, and mail the set within 30 days of notarization to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor with your birth certificate and two self-addressed stamped envelopes. If the office requests corrections, reopen the same application — never start a new one.

4. Publish the Notice

After approval, the Lieutenant Governor signs your Notice of Change of Name. Publish it in the newspaper — the state directs you to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser — within 60 days of the signature date or your petition is automatically void. The newspaper sends its affidavit to you and the office, and then the Order is signed.

5. Record the Order, then update your IDs

File the original signed Order with the Bureau of Conveyances within 60 days ($41). Then update Social Security, your Hawaii driver’s license or state ID, and your passport. Amending a Hawaii birth certificate is a separate Department of Health step with its own fee.

Researched filing overview

Hawaii Adult Name Change Filing Overview

Who grants it
The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii — not a court — signs standard adult name-change orders, on a petition the state’s online portal generates after you apply and pay.
What it costs
$56 in portal fees ($50 filing + $1 archive + $5 service, all non-refundable), newspaper publication starting at $204.19, and $41 to record the signed order — about $301+ in government fees before notary, birth-certificate, and postage costs.
The sequence
Apply and pay online; print, notarize, and mail the petition set within 30 days of notarization; publish the approved Notice within 60 days of its signature date; then record the Order with the Bureau of Conveyances within 60 days.
Eligibility
Hawaii residents only — active-duty military apply with a physical Hawaii address (a PO box works for the return envelopes).
Before you pay
Married in Hawaii and declared your spouse’s name on the marriage certificate, or a divorce decree that restores a maiden or previous name? You do not need a name-change order at all.
Timeline
Lieutenant Governor review runs about 8–12 weeks; publication and recording add several more weeks.
Verified against the State of Hawaii Online Name Change System (welcome page and FAQ) and the official instructions, Rev 3-2026, on 2026-08-20. Sources: State of Hawaii Online Name Change System ; Official instructions (Rev 3-2026, PDF) ; Legal Navigator Hawaii — Name Change

Frequently Asked Questions About Hawaii Name Change

Because Hawaii generates the documents for you. The Lieutenant Governor’s online portal builds your personalized petition, notice, and order after you apply and pay — there is no blank court form to buy, so there is nothing legitimate for us to sell. This page walks you through the official process instead.

Portal fees are $56 ($50 filing + $1 archive + $5 service, all non-refundable), newspaper publication starts at $204.19, and recording the signed order with the Bureau of Conveyances is $41 — about $301+ in government fees, before notary, birth-certificate, and postage costs.

The Lieutenant Governor’s review takes about 8–12 weeks, then publication and recording add several more weeks. Two deadlines matter: publish the Notice within 60 days of its signature date, and record the Order within 60 days of its date — miss either and the petition is void.

Hawaii residents. Active-duty military personnel apply using a physical Hawaii address (a PO box works only for your return envelopes). If you do not live in Hawaii, the portal cannot help you — file in your current home state instead.

Maybe not. If you were married in Hawaii and declared on the marriage certificate that you would take your spouse’s name, or your divorce decree stipulates resumption of a maiden or previous name, you do not need a name-change order — the certificate or decree already does the work.

No. ILRG provides self-help legal information, not legal advice. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor cannot give legal advice either — consult a licensed attorney if your situation involves unusual facts or legal questions.

Start at the official Hawaii portal →