Illinois State Sen. Villivalam law protects those seeking a name change

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State Senator Ram Villivalam sponsored a newly signed law to further protect personally identifiable information of those seeking a name change, a February 11, 2024 press release from his office said.

House Bill 5164 was signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday and takes effect on March 1, 2025.

“Our residents deserve to be able to change their name in private and without worry for their well-being or safety,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Requiring those seeking a name change to publish such change with a local newspaper relinquishes their privacy and poses a threat to the confidentiality of personally identifiable information.”

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As judges retain the discretion to allow someone to change their name, House Bill 5164 removes the requirement to publish a name change with a local newspaper and lowers the Illinois residency requirement from six months to three months.

“Ensuring the safety and privacy of all Illinois residents is a key priority, especially in these uncertain times,” said State Representative Kevin Olickal (D-Chicago), the bill’s House sponsor. “This legislation helps prevent the misuse of state records for political purposes, protecting vulnerable communities from harm and upholding our commitment to keeping all Illinoisans safe.”

The law also establishes a procedure for someone to impound their court file — further protecting the confidentiality of personally identifiable information. When an individual seeks to impound their court file, it must be done under oath with the belief that public discourse of their file would have a negative impact on the person’s health or safety.

Michael Ziri, director of public policy at Equality Illinois, said, “We thank Governor Pritzker, Representative Olickal, Senator Villivalam, Speaker Welch and President Harmon for their leadership on this law and applaud our partners at the Transformative Justice Law Project for their advocacy and frontline work to support trans and gender-expansive folks.”

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