An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Name Changes
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1900
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: SHEEHAN, DAUGHTRY, FECTEAU, OSHER, RECKITT, ROBERTS, WOOD
Amends: 18-C MRSA §1

Legislative Document
No. 1900
H.P. 1407
House of Representatives, January 5, 2022
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Name Changes
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SHEEHAN of Biddeford.
Cosponsored by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland and
Representatives: Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, OSHER of Orono, RECKITT of South 
Portland, ROBERTS of South Berwick, WOOD of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  18-C MRSA §1-701, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2021, c. 14, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Notice and name change; adults; notice.  Upon receipt of a petition filed under 
subsection 1, paragraph A, the court, after due notice to interested parties as required by 
law, may change the name of the person who is an adult.  To protect the safety of the person 
for whom the name change is sought, the court may limit the notice required if the person 
shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is currently in reasonable fear of 
the person's safety.
Sec. 2.  18-C MRSA §1-701, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 14, §1, is 
amended to read:
2-A.  Notice and name change; minors.  A parent or guardian who has filed a petition 
under subsection 1, paragraph B or has requested a name change in a District Court 
proceeding under subsection 1, paragraph C shall provide notice pursuant to the applicable 
rules of procedure to any other parent, any guardian and any person or agency with legal 
custody of the minor; to the guardian ad litem if one is currently appointed; and to the minor 
if the minor is 14 years of age or older, but does not need to publish notice of the minor's 
name change unless the court orders that notice of the name change of the minor be 
published due to the specific circumstances of the case.  To protect the safety of the minor 
for whom the name change is sought, the court may limit notice required under this 
subsection if the parent who has sole parental rights and responsibilities shows by a 
preponderance of the evidence that:
A.  The minor is a victim of abuse; or
B.  The minor or petitioner is currently in reasonable fear of the minor's or petitioner's 
safety.
Sec. 3.  18-C MRSA §1-701, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 14, §1, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Record.  The court shall make and preserve a record of a name change.  If the court 
limited the notice required under subsection 2 or 2‑A, the The court may make the record 
of the name change confidential or not public.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that notice of the filing of a petition to change an adult's name must 
be provided only to interested parties as required by law and that notice of a petition to 
change a minor's name must be provided only to any other parent, any guardian and any 
person or agency with legal custody of the minor; to the guardian ad litem, if any; and to 
the minor if the minor is 14 years of age or older.  The court may limit that notice to protect 
the safety of the adult or minor.