Applications for change of names must be determined by the Superior Courts.
§ 1275.Superior Court Jurisdiction
Title 8. Change of Names · Last amended 1983 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1275 gives the superior courts exclusive authority to decide applications for a change of name, establishing which court in California handles this kind of petition.
Full Text of § 1275
Plain-English Summary
Section 1275 is a single sentence that answers a jurisdictional question before Title 8 gets into any procedure: name-change petitions belong in the superior courts. Every rule that follows in this title -- who can file, how notice works, when a hearing is required -- assumes that starting point.
The section doesn't need to say much more than that. California consolidated trial-court jurisdiction into the superior courts decades ago, so this provision now mostly confirms what's already true elsewhere in the court system, while anchoring the rest of Title 8 in the right forum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which court handles a name-change petition in California?
The superior court, under § 1275.
Do I file a name-change petition in a specialized court?
No. Section 1275 places name-change applications with the superior courts generally, the same courts that hear most other civil matters.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 486, Sec. 1.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: which court hears name change californiasuperior court name change jurisdiction