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Hawaii name change guidance

Hawaii Minor Name Change

Hawaii changes a child’s name through the Lieutenant Governor’s online portal, not the courts — the portal generates the personalized petition, notice, and order after a parent or guardian applies and pays. 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 minor name change works

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

1. Check eligibility and gather documents

The child must be a Hawaii resident. You need the child’s 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

A parent or guardian creates a free account at namechange.ehawaii.gov and chooses the minor application — you apply as the petitioner for the child. 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 the Petition, Fact Sheet, Notice of Change of Name, and Order.

3. Notarize and mail — every parent signs

Every parent listed on the child’s birth certificate must sign and notarize the petition or a consent form. Print single-sided, notarize before a Hawaii notary, and mail within 30 days of notarization with the child’s birth certificate and two self-addressed stamped envelopes — plus any death certificate, adoption decree, or guardianship decree that documents why a parent’s signature is not required.

4. Publish the Notice

After approval, the Lieutenant Governor signs the 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 the petition is automatically void. The newspaper’s affidavit goes to you and the office, and then the Order is signed.

5. Record the Order, then update records

File the original signed Order with the Bureau of Conveyances within 60 days ($41). Then update the child’s Social Security record, school and medical records, and passport. Amending a Hawaii birth certificate is a separate Department of Health step with its own fee.

Researched filing overview

Hawaii Minor Name Change Filing Overview

Who grants it
The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii signs minor name-change orders on a parent or guardian’s petition through the state’s online portal — the Family Court only when a parent will not consent.
Who must sign
Every parent listed on the child’s birth certificate signs and notarizes the petition or a consent form, and a child who is 10 or older must consent.
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.
If a parent cannot be located
The portal still requires every listed parent’s signature or documentation — a death certificate, adoption decree, or guardianship decree — showing why consent is not required.
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 the personalized petition, notice, and order after a parent or guardian applies and pays — 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.

A parent or guardian applies through the Lieutenant Governor’s portal as the petitioner, choosing the minor application. Every parent listed on the child’s birth certificate must sign and notarize the petition or a consent form — or document why a signature is not required (death certificate, adoption decree, or guardianship decree).

Yes — a child who is 10 or older must consent to the name change.

Then the matter may need to go through Family Court rather than the Lieutenant Governor’s process. That is different from a parent who cannot be located — the portal still requires every listed parent’s signature or a document showing why consent is not required.

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.

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, a contested issue, or legal questions.

Start at the official Hawaii portal →