SB 26-18

Senate Bill 26-18, which is now law after being signed by the governor, protects minors' privacy when they change their names starting July 1, 2026. If someone under 18 wants to legally change their name and hasn't been convicted of a felony, the court will keep this information private and won’t publish it online. The bill also means that young people don’t have to tell everyone about their name change publicly. Only certain individuals can access these records with permission from those involved in the case. This law aims to help minors maintain privacy when changing names, shielding them from public disclosure unless there’s a prior felony conviction.

Official Summary

Beginning July 1, 2026, if a petitioner is under 18 years old at the time of filing a petition seeking to change the petitioner's name, the act requires the court to suppress the record unless the petitioner was previously convicted of a felony. The act authorizes the court to use the suppressed court record for administrative purposes, but the court is prohibited from publishing the petitioner's name or the petitioner's new name online. A petitioner who is under 18 years old is not required to give public notice of the name change. The act authorizes an individual to access a suppressed court record without a court order if the individual obtains verbal consent from a party to the case and submits an affidavit to the court, upon penalty of perjury, that the individual has obtained the verbal consent.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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