DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) will no longer handle requests to change a name. The new Civil Registry Acts Law 04-23 orders that name change procedures be be filed first at the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), and not at the JCE. The TSE will first study requests for a change of a name, and, if approved, the high court will then send a note to the JCE, which, in turn, will notify the applicant of the authorization to carry out the requested change.

The law authorizes the online issuing of civil registry documents.

Another novel feature is that the law allows for a one-time changing of the last names, but only when the first ID or cedula is issued when the child is 16.

Law 04-23 prohibits parents choosing for the children names that might cause confusion at a later age. Parents can no longer choose a name that might confuse the sex of the child (such as Dolores or Barbara for...