RCW 4.24.130 Action For Change of Name-Fees

• Library: Washington Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through the 2023 1st Special Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: RCW 4.24.130

(1) Any person desiring a change of the person's name or that of the person's child or ward, may apply therefor to the district court of the judicial district in which the person resides, by petition setting forth the reasons for such change; thereupon such court in its discretion may order a change of the name and thenceforth the new name shall be in place of the former.

(2) An offender under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections who applies to change the offender's name under subsection (1) of this section shall submit a copy of the application to the department of corrections not fewer than five days before the entry of an order granting the name change. No offender under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections at the time of application shall be granted an order changing the offender's name if the court finds that doing so will interfere with legitimate penological interests, except that no order shall be denied when the name change is requested for religious or legitimate cultural reasons or in recognition of marriage or dissolution of marriage. An offender under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections who receives an order changing the offender's name shall submit a copy of the order to the department of corrections within five days of the entry of the order. Violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.

(3) A sex offender subject to registration under RCW 9A.44.130 who applies to change the sex offender's name under subsection (1) of this section shall follow the procedures set forth in RCW 9A.44.130(7).

(4) The district court shall collect the fees authorized by RCW 36.18.010 for filing and recording a name change order, and transmit the fee and the order to the county auditor. The court may collect a reasonable fee to cover the cost of transmitting the order to the county auditor. Upon affidavit by the person seeking the name change that the person is unable to pay the fees due to financial hardship, the court shall waive all fees for filing and recording a name change order and direct the county auditor or recording officer to process the name change order at no expense to the person. The court may not waive the fees if the person has received victim compensation for name change fees.