Yes, you can. It can be found in the Special Confidentiality program. When a person decides to change their name in secret, there can be a myriad of reasons they have decided to do that. Among the reasons, is if you’ve enrolled in a Witness Protection Program, or if you or your kids have been victims of abuse or are being stalked or if you have a legitimate reason to fear for your safety and/or your kids’ safety, etc. In the California Civil Code, some provisions allow you and your children the chance to change names in complete confidentiality (read California Civil Code §1277 (b) (c) and §1278(b). There’s a very confidential procedure used by the State of California that’s available to persons with any of these concerns. If you feel like your well-being or life is in danger and you want to ‘disappear’ to reclaim your life back, then the California Safe at Home Program is what you should be considering. You can gain access to the service via the Secretary of State of California where you can get additional information or get in touch with them via their website by clicking here. If you’re in one of the contending qualifying danger situations, the safety program has numerous other services you’ll hugely benefit from. They will establish a confidential new mailing address for you. You can even get a voter registration that’s confidential through them. Around 6,000 Californians are members of this program. In fact, California’s Safe At Home Program has been deemed the gold standard of these types of programs across the whole of America.

There are Legitimate Reasons for Changing Your Name in Secret But…

If you aren’t in any of the mentioned danger scenarios, you can still legally change your name in quietly. But the California Name Change laws under CCP Section 1275-1279.5 require you to publish ads and file your petition publicly. The reason for the publication is to make the Name Change public to everybody in the community and allow them an opportunity to object. But objections are extremely rare.

However, the Confidential Name Change process doesn’t apply to everybody. Sometimes changing your name in secret can be impossible. So does it apply to you? That’s a fundamental and personal question to ask. If it turns out to be for you, then it’s integral to know what you’re getting into. To find the best legal name change course of action, you should contact name change experts at EZ Name Change. They can direct you on how to go about it and get you ready for the rest of your life with the name you purposefully chose!