General information, not legal advice. NewLastName isn't a law firm, doesn't give legal advice about your situation, and doesn't refer you to lawyers.
How a name-change fee waiver works
A fee waiver is a court order that lets you file without paying the court's filing fee when you cannot afford it. It does not pay a newspaper, a driver's license, or a passport. In California you ask with form FW-001. Every state has a way to ask. Start with your court's self-help page.
Last checked: 2026-10-10 for the court and agency pages linked here. California's filing fee was checked on the statewide civil fee schedule on 2026-10-12. Other fee figures in tables come from our state cost file, last verified 2026-10-12 (Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. filing fees in that file were verified 2026-10-09). Newspaper and certified-copy amounts were not re-checked against every county fee schedule.
Key facts
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| California filing fee | California's filing fee is $435 ($450 in Riverside and San Francisco counties) (source: California Courts, https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change; county amounts: statewide civil fee schedule). |
| California waiver form | FW-001, Request to Waive Court Fees |
| Social Security card | Free (source: Social Security). There is no fee to waive. |
| Passport fees | See the State Department fees page (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html) |
California: how you ask
- Read the information sheet first. The fee-waiver self-help guide says to read FW-001-INFO, then fill out form FW-001. You also fill out item 1 on form FW-003, the order.
- Show one way you qualify. The guide says you only need one path: you receive a listed public benefit, your household income is under the limit printed on FW-001 item 5b, or you cannot pay the fee and still meet basic needs.
- File it with the court. File the original and one copy with the clerk, with your other papers or on their own. The clerk or judge writes the decision on FW-003. The request is confidential.
- Know what it does not pay. The guide says a granted waiver can cover filing fees and some other court costs listed on FW-003. It does not cover lawyer fees, private mediation, fines, or a court reporter's transcript. The newspaper bills you separately. Ask the clerk whether a waiver reaches that charge.
What differs by state
Every state has a way to ask. Start with your court's self-help page. California and Washington pages are linked below. For other states, use that court's own page. Do not assume another state's form number.
| State | What to check | Official page | State guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| California | Filing fee $435 ($450 in Riverside and San Francisco counties) (source: California Courts, https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change; county amounts: statewide civil fee schedule). | Fee-waiver page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Florida | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Georgia | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Illinois | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Massachusetts | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Michigan | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| New Jersey | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| New York | Filing fee: $210 in Supreme and County Courts; $65 in NYC Civil Court (source). Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| North Carolina | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Ohio | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | See the state guide | State guide · Court petition page |
| Pennsylvania | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Texas | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Virginia | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Washington | Filing fee varies; check your court. Fee-waiver page linked. | Fee-waiver page | State guide · Court petition page |
| Washington, D.C. | Filing fee varies; check your court. Ask that court's self-help center about a waiver. | Court page | State guide · Court petition page |
The itemized calculator is at the name-change cost calculator. The state-by-state table lives on name-change cost.
Free official help
California's self-help guide and the superior court self-help center in your county can walk through FW-001. That is help from the court, not a referral to a private lawyer.
Also on this site
- Name-change cost
- Cost calculator
- California name-change cost
- Texas name-change cost
- How long a California name change takes
- Marriage and a court order
- All name-change guides
- Court order and form NC-100
- Publication rules
- How long a name change takes
Official sources
Forms, fees and rules change. Check these official pages (and your county court) before you file.
- Fee waiver self-help guide (California Courts Self-Help Guide) Last checked 2026-10-09.
- Request to Waive Court Fees (form FW-001) (California Courts Self-Help Guide) Last checked 2026-10-10.
- Name change self-help guide (California Courts Self-Help Guide) Last checked 2026-10-09.
- GR 34 Request for Waiver of Civil Filing Fees and Surcharges (Washington State Courts) Last checked 2026-10-09.
- Change your name with Social Security (Social Security Administration) Last checked 2026-10-09.
General information, not legal advice. NewLastName isn't a law firm, doesn't give legal advice about your situation, and doesn't refer you to lawyers.