Legal Transition: A Visual How-To Guide to Changing Your Legal Name or Sex Designation in New Brunswick

There are no age requirements to changing your name or sex designation! If you are under sixteen (16) years of age there is a Child Form for you to fill out and parental/guardian consent is needed; if you are over sixteen (16) years old, there is an Adult Form and parental/guardian consent is not required.

Yes! If you were born in a different Canadian province, all you need is your long-form birth certificate from the province you were born in and you are good to go!

If you are a permanent resident, you can still access this service! Permanent Residents need to have a birth certificate translated into English or French, have a valid passport, and bring your travel documents to a Service New Brunswick location with your completed name change/sex designation forms.

A Commissioner of Oaths is a distinction given to a Service New Brunswick employee which allows them to witness, sign, and seal important documents such as Name Change Applications, Sex Designation Change Applications, Marriage Licenses, etc. Commissioners of Oaths are on site at all Service New Brunswick locations. Notary Public is a similar distinction typically associated with lawyers, judges, and related officials. Both distinctions provide similar services.

Sponsor’s can be anyone who has known you for at least two (2) years, is unrelated to you through family, extended family, or common law relationships. Sponsors do not have to be New Brunswick residents; however, they must be willing and able to accompany you to a Service New Brunswick location with a valid ID or passport to sign the confirmation of identity in front of the Commissioner of Oaths/Notary Public.

Prices vary depending on the applicant’s wishes. A first and/or middle name change is typically $115 dollars* and last name changes are $130 dollars*. If you do not have a birth certificate, reprints are $45 dollars on top of the normal change fee. We highly recommend submitting Name Change and Sex Designation change applications at the same time to avoid multiple filing fees. Not included in these prices are any service fees charged by third (3rd) party healthcare providers who may have fees associated with obtaining a professional statement in support of Sex Designation Change applications. *All amounts listed are in Canadian Dollars (CAD). 

The Professional Statement is a letter provided by a Social Worker, Licensed psychologist, counselor, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, etc. which indicates that the change in Sex Designation is to align with the applicant’s gender identity. The letter is to be attached with the Sex Designation application when submitted at Service New Brunswick.

Once you receive your new ID card and Birth Certificate, there are a number of places to contact to ensure your personal information is updated. Places include Canada Revenue Agency, Social Insurance Numbers, Banking Services, Medicare, Healthcare offices, etc. Please email outreach@chromanb.ca for a comprehensive list of common places to update your personal information.
It is important to note that no complete list of places to update your personal information is available as each applicant’s service use is unique.

Yes! We would be happy to support you! There are meeting times available at our evening drop-ins, or you can email outreach@chromanb.ca to set up an in-person or virtual meeting, ask any questions, or just say hi – we are here to support you!