Where should I publish my San Diego County name change petition?

Publish in the Heartland News. It is adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation for San Diego County by the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego (Case No. 234901 (adjudicated June 9, 1992)), so it satisfies California Code of Civil Procedure §1277 for any name-change petition filed in San Diego County. Designate the Heartland News as the publication paper on your NC-110 (Order to Show Cause), then place your publication order online at newfbn.com/order.

Do I have to file the petition with the court before I publish?

Yes. The court has to issue an Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (Judicial Council form NC-120, sometimes paired with NC-110) before any newspaper can publish it — the published notice is the court order. The order to publish (NC-110/NC-120) must be signed and filed-stamped by the San Diego County Superior Court, and then we publish that document for four consecutive weeks. We cannot publish without it.

How do I tell the court I want to publish in the Heartland News?

When you complete the Petition for Change of Name (NC-100), you indicate which newspaper of general circulation you want to use for publication. Write in Heartland News. The Superior Court will then issue the Order to Show Cause naming the Heartland News. Once you have the filed-stamped NC-110/NC-120, take or upload it to newfbn.com and we run the four required publications.

How much does it cost?

$98 flat for a single-petitioner name change with all four required weekly publications and the signed Affidavit of Publication. Add $30 per additional petitioner on the same court form (e.g. parent + minor child on the same petition). Add $35 if you want us to file the signed Affidavit directly with the San Diego County Superior Court for you instead of self-filing.

How long does name change publication take?

California Code of Civil Procedure §1277 requires four consecutive weekly publications, with the last publication at least 30 days before your court hearing. The Heartland News prints every Thursday — orders submitted before Tuesday noon Pacific publish that same Thursday. All four runs complete within 28 days of the first publication. Bring your signed Affidavit of Publication to the hearing (or have us file it for you for $35).

What if my hearing is in a few weeks — am I too late?

You need at least 4–5 weeks before the hearing for the publication schedule to fit. Call us at (951) 262-7611 Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific — we can usually accommodate same-week scheduling and will tell you straight whether the timing works for your specific hearing date. If it doesn't, you can ask the court to continue the hearing using form CM-110.

Do you file the Affidavit of Publication with the court for me?

Yes — for an additional $35, we file the signed Affidavit of Publication directly with the San Diego County Superior Court on your behalf. Most attorneys and many self-represented petitioners pick this option so they don't have to drive to court before the hearing. You can also self-file — we email you the signed Affidavit after the final run.

Is the Heartland News a real newspaper of general circulation?

Yes. The Heartland News is adjudicated by the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Case No. 234901 (adjudicated June 9, 1992) as a newspaper of general circulation under California Government Code §6000 et seq. It has been continuously published in San Diego County since long before the adjudication and qualifies for any matter that requires publication in a newspaper of general circulation in San Diego County.

Publish Your San Diego County Name Change in the Heartland News

If you've filed a Petition for Change of Name with the San Diego County Superior Court, California Code of Civil Procedure §1277 requires you to publish the resulting Order to Show Cause for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation — with the last publication at least 30 days before your court hearing. The Heartland News is the recommended choice for that publication: court-adjudicated for San Diego County, simple flat-rate pricing, fastest online checkout, and the most responsive customer-service team in the county.

$98

Flat fee for a single-petitioner name change. Includes 4 consecutive weekly publications in the Heartland News plus the signed Affidavit of Publication. Additional petitioner on the same form: +$30. We file the Affidavit with the court for you: +$35.

Place a Notice — $98

Important: file with the court FIRST

You cannot publish a name change in any newspaper before the court has signed the Order to Show Cause. The published notice is the court order — without the judge's signature and the court's filed-stamp, the publication has no legal effect.

Step 1: File your Petition for Change of Name (NC-100) at the San Diego County Superior Court, and on the form designate the Heartland News as the newspaper of general circulation for publication.
Step 2: Wait for the court to issue the signed, filed-stamped Order to Show Cause (NC-110 / NC-120) naming the Heartland News and setting your hearing date.
Step 3: Upload a photo of the filed-stamped order at newfbn.com/order — that's where we run it.

The Five-Step San Diego County Name-Change Workflow

File the Petition for Change of Name (NC-100) with the San Diego County Superior Court — San Diego Central Courthouse, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101, or the appropriate branch courthouse for your residence. San Diego Superior Court self-help materials are at www.sdcourt.ca.gov. On the petition, write in Heartland News as the newspaper for publication.
Receive the Order to Show Cause (NC-110 / NC-120) back from the court — judge-signed, court filed-stamped, naming the Heartland News and your hearing date. Keep the stamped copy.
Order publication online in about three minutes at newfbn.com/order. Snap a phone photo of the filed-stamped order, pay $98 (Stripe), and we schedule the four runs. If your hearing is tight, we can usually accommodate same-week scheduling — call (951) 262-7611.
The Heartland News publishes for four consecutive Thursdays. Orders received before Tuesday noon Pacific run in that week's edition. All four publications complete within 28 days of the first run.
Get the signed Affidavit of Publication by email after the final run, and bring it to your court hearing as proof you complied with §1277. Or — for $35 extra — we file the Affidavit directly with the court so you don't have to make the trip.

Why the Heartland News is the Best Paper for San Diego County Name Changes

Court-adjudicated for San Diego County. Adjudicated by the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Case No. 234901 as a newspaper of general circulation. Any San Diego County court will accept publication here.
Easiest online checkout in the county. Order in three minutes from your phone — no calling, no paperwork-by-mail, no faxing. Snap a photo of the filed-stamped order, pay, done.
Responsive customer service. A real person picks up the phone Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific, at (951) 262-7611. Bilingual (English & Spanish). Email replies inside one business day.
Simple flat-rate pricing. $98 flat for a single-petitioner name change — no surprises, no hidden add-ons.
Same-week scheduling. Tuesday-noon cutoff for that Thursday's edition. Tight hearing date? Call us — we'll fit you in.
We can file the Affidavit with the court for you. For $35, your signed Affidavit of Publication goes directly to the San Diego County Superior Court file. You show up to your hearing without paperwork to chase.
Same publishing operation as NewFBN (the San Diego County FBN/DBA platform), so you get the same proven publication infrastructure trusted by thousands of San Diego County small businesses every year.

Place Your Name-Change Notice — $98

What the Notice Looks Like in Print

Your published notice is a faithful reproduction of the court's signed Order to Show Cause — the same wording the judge approved, including the present and proposed names, the petitioner, the case number, and the hearing date and location. The Heartland News prints it in the Legal Notices section, in the format that California courts have accepted for decades.

What If My Court Form Doesn't Name the Heartland News?

If the court already issued an Order to Show Cause naming a different newspaper and you'd rather use the Heartland News, you can ask the court for an amended order — file a brief request with the court explaining the change. Most courts grant this routinely. Once you have the amended NC-110/NC-120 with the Heartland News named, place your order with us as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I publish my San Diego County name change petition?: Publish in the Heartland News. It is adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation for San Diego County by the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego (Case No. 234901 (adjudicated June 9, 1992)), so it satisfies California Code of Civil Procedure §1277 for any name-change petition filed in San Diego County. Designate the Heartland News as the publication paper on your NC-110 (Order to Show Cause), then place your publication order online at newfbn.com/order.
Do I have to file the petition with the court before I publish?: Yes. The court has to issue an Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (Judicial Council form NC-120, sometimes paired with NC-110) before any newspaper can publish it — the published notice is the court order. The order to publish (NC-110/NC-120) must be signed and filed-stamped by the San Diego County Superior Court, and then we publish that document for four consecutive weeks. We cannot publish without it.
How do I tell the court I want to publish in the Heartland News?: When you complete the Petition for Change of Name (NC-100), you indicate which newspaper of general circulation you want to use for publication. Write in Heartland News. The Superior Court will then issue the Order to Show Cause naming the Heartland News. Once you have the filed-stamped NC-110/NC-120, take or upload it to newfbn.com and we run the four required publications.
How much does it cost?: $98 flat for a single-petitioner name change with all four required weekly publications and the signed Affidavit of Publication. Add $30 per additional petitioner on the same court form (e.g. parent + minor child on the same petition). Add $35 if you want us to file the signed Affidavit directly with the San Diego County Superior Court for you instead of self-filing.
How long does name change publication take?: California Code of Civil Procedure §1277 requires four consecutive weekly publications, with the last publication at least 30 days before your court hearing. The Heartland News prints every Thursday — orders submitted before Tuesday noon Pacific publish that same Thursday. All four runs complete within 28 days of the first publication. Bring your signed Affidavit of Publication to the hearing (or have us file it for you for $35).
What if my hearing is in a few weeks — am I too late?: You need at least 4–5 weeks before the hearing for the publication schedule to fit. Call us at (951) 262-7611 Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific — we can usually accommodate same-week scheduling and will tell you straight whether the timing works for your specific hearing date. If it doesn't, you can ask the court to continue the hearing using form CM-110.
Do you file the Affidavit of Publication with the court for me?: Yes — for an additional $35, we file the signed Affidavit of Publication directly with the San Diego County Superior Court on your behalf. Most attorneys and many self-represented petitioners pick this option so they don't have to drive to court before the hearing. You can also self-file — we email you the signed Affidavit after the final run.
Is the Heartland News a real newspaper of general circulation?: Yes. The Heartland News is adjudicated by the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Case No. 234901 (adjudicated June 9, 1992) as a newspaper of general circulation under California Government Code §6000 et seq. It has been continuously published in San Diego County since long before the adjudication and qualifies for any matter that requires publication in a newspaper of general circulation in San Diego County.

Ready to publish?

$98 flat. 4 weekly publications. Signed Affidavit of Publication included. Optional court-filing service. Bilingual support.

Place Your Name-Change Notice

Questions? Call (951) 262-7611 Mon–Fri 8 AM – 4 PM Pacific.