The court by order shall fix a date for hearing not less than 30 days after the date of the order. In all name change actions, notice of application must be served by certified and regular mail, at least 20 days prior to the hearing to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice to the attention of the Records and Identification Section. If criminal charges initiated by a county prosecutor are pending, a copy of the complaint shall also be served on the county prosecutor by certified and regular mail at least 20 days prior to the hearing. Service on the Division of Criminal Justice or on a county prosecutor shall be accompanied by a request that the official make such response as may be deemed appropriate. The court shall also require, in the case of a minor plaintiff, that notice be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, upon a non-party parent at that parent's last known address.
Rule 4:72-3.Notice of Application
Last amended September 1, 2022 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:72-3 requires at least 30 days between the order fixing a name-change hearing and the hearing itself, with notice served at least 20 days beforehand on the Division of Criminal Justice, any prosecuting county prosecutor, and, for a minor, a non-party parent.
Full Text of Rule 4:72-3
Amendment History
New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.
Source-R.R. 4:91-3. Amended July 7, 1971 to be effective September 13, 1971; amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; amended July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000; amended August 1, 2016 to be effective September 1, 2016; amended November 17, 2020 to be effective immediately; amended August 5, 2022 to be effective September 1, 2022.
Plain-English Summary
A name-change hearing can't be scheduled or noticed on the fly. The court's order has to set the hearing date at least 30 days out, and at least 20 days before that hearing, notice goes by certified and regular mail to the Division of Criminal Justice's Records and Identification Section, inviting whatever response it thinks appropriate.
If a county prosecutor has pending charges against the applicant, that prosecutor gets the same notice. And when the applicant is a minor, the court also requires notice by registered or certified mail to a parent who isn't part of the case, sent to that parent's last known address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice is required before a name-change hearing?
The hearing date must be set at least 30 days after the order, with notice served at least 20 days before the hearing.
Who must be notified of a name-change application?
The Division of Criminal Justice, any county prosecutor with pending charges against the applicant, and, for a minor, a non-party parent.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:72-3). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: name change hearing notice