Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs new law sealing name-change records for people younger than 18

DENVER - Colorado courts will now need to suppress name change records for minors under a new law signed by Gov. Jared Polis.

Polis signed Senate Bill 18 into law administratively on Monday, without a signing ceremony. The law, which takes effect July 1, will require courts to keep records of petitions for a legal name change from public view if the petitioner is younger than 18 at the time of filing.

The law is aimed at protecting the privacy of trans youth and their families.

The original version of the bill also would have directed family court judges to consider a parent's acceptance of a child's gender identity when determining custody. That provision, however, was stripped out.

A spokesperson for Polis said at the time that the governor was worried that the provision would be inadvertently harmful to the children and families it sought to protect.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 4:06 PM.