Name & Gender Marker Change Clinic

Clinics are held twice per year. Walk-in or schedule an appointment to get help filling out paperwork to change your name in Pima County. Student lawyers on site to answer questions about the process.

Email: soaznamechangeclinic@gmail.com

Made possible by the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the Burbank-Talanquer Fund held at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Assisted by the National Lawyers Guild: University of Arizona Chapter and the Pride Law Student Group at the University of Arizona.

History of Affirming Name and Gender Marker Changes in Pima

Since 1999, SAGA has been supporting transgender and gender-expansive individuals in navigating legal name and gender marker changes in Arizona. Tucson attorney Amrit Donaldson, along with Ann Jones, who also founded Desert Sisters, led early research into Arizona statutes, developed SAGA-specific court petitions, and initiated judicial trainings to improve access and understanding within the legal system.

In 2015, SAGA officially launched its Name Change Clinics in collaboration with the University of Arizona College of Law, a partnership that continues today. Through this collaboration, thousands of transgender and gender-expansive people have received assistance completing and filing legal documents necessary to affirm their identities.

In 2024, SAGA became a full program under Fluxx Productions, strengthening its long-term sustainability and expanding access to services. As part of this transition, the Name Change and Gender Marker Clinic is now hosted twice per year, with additional infrastructure in place to support individuals outside of scheduled clinic dates. Fluxx now maintains a dedicated email address for anyone needing assistance with name or gender marker paperwork between clinics, ensuring ongoing access to guidance and community support.

This page outlines the general steps required to update your name on an Arizona driver’s license or ID card, Social Security records, U.S. passport, and Arizona birth certificate. For assistance with birth certificates issued outside of Arizona, please visit the National Center for Transgender Equality website for state-specific information.

Links to commonly used forms are provided below for reference. Please note that the information on this page is not legal advice, but rather a community-informed narrative reflecting decades of collective experience supporting name and gender marker changes in Arizona.

Name Change for Adults in Pima County

Use the following instructions if you are an adult Pima county resident and changing your own name. Fill in each form carefully and do not add your signature until you are at the clerk's desk. This can help you overcome an issue some people have had in the past some of being asked to have the forms notarized. Standing in front of the clerk confirms your identity.

Download the following documents below:

Civil Cover Sheet: (You are the plaintiff, fill in your current legal information where it asks, and check the box for change of name on the second page in the section "Other Civil Case Types")
Adult Name Change Only zip file: Contains both the Application for Name Change and the Order Re Application Adult Name Change without Gender Marker.
Notice of Hearing: Only fill in the top portion of this form The court will do the rest and you will receive a copy of this form to inform you of your hearing date.
Optional: Waiver or Deferral of Fees (if you're unable to afford the $292 court filing fee)

IMPORTANT: Do not sign your documents yet. You will sign them at the courthouse in front of the Clerk of Court.

File Your Petition

Make copies of all the documents you just completed. Remember, do not sign your documents yet.
Create a packet of the original documents that you will file and a second duplicate packet.
Bring both packets to the courthouse with you along with your state id or license and payment method.
If you cannot afford the filing fee of $292, you can request a waiver or deferral of payment. (Forms available in the download list below)
Get up early on a weekday and go to the courthouse at 110 w. Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701. Court is open 8-5pm Mon-Fri and does walk-in hearings on Wednesday and Thursday mornings before 10am.
Go to the Clerk's office marked "Civil" and sign your forms there as you present them. Have the clerk stamp both packets and they will keep the packet of originals to file. You keep the copy packet as proof of filing.

If you are filing on a walk-in day you will be escorted to the courtroom or a place to wait. If not, you should receive your notice of hearing by mail in 7-10 business days. If you don't receive it in the mail after that amount of time, call the Clerk of the Court Civil Office desk at (520) 724-3210

Name Change Hearing

After you attend the hearing at the date, time, and location provided in your notice of hearing or walk-in and the judge has approved your application, the court will process your paperwork in-person or by mail. You will be given 1 certified copy. Additional copies are $35.