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If you wish to change your name by deed poll, check your name change will be accepted by the following people:

• your employer
• any institute or professional body of which you are a member
• your country of origin, if you are a foreign national living in the UK
• the relevant authorities of the country in which you are living, if you are a UK national living overseas

Note: We no longer offer a change of name deed (Deed Poll) service for anyone under the age of 18.

Name restrictions

There are some restrictions about what you can change your name to and why. You may not change your name:

• in order to commit an illegal act such as fraud
• to something that is vulgar, offensive, blasphemous or unsuitable
• to imply or include a title such as Sir, Lord, Lady, Duke or Duchess
• to something that includes symbols or numbers

Documents required

When you phone to book your appointment with us you will be advised as to which documents you will need to bring to your appointment. All documents must be originals and not photocopies.

They may include one or more of the following:

• birth certificate showing the name which is to be changed
• passport
• marriage certificate
• decree absolute
• late spouse's death certificate

The change of name deeds we issue are as legally valid as un-enrolled deeds issued by solicitors in England and Wales.

Exceptions to our guarantee

Our guarantee does not apply in the following situations:

• if you are a foreign national
• if your Deed Poll is not accepted by a government department, company or organisation outside the UK (British Embassies and British High Commissions overseas are considered part of the UK)
• if your Deed Poll for a child is not accepted because the record holder's parental consent requirements have not been met
• if a record holder is unable to enter your name correctly on their computer system; for example, because your name includes modified Latin characters or your forename or surname is too short
• if a record holder requires other documentary evidence that your name has been changed for "all purposes"
  • for example, some financial institutions and the General Medical Council will want to see your passport in your new name before they will recognise your new name
  • the UK Identity and Passport Service (and British Embassies and British High Commissions overseas) may require evidence that you are using your new name for all purposes by presenting them with two or three documents in your new name
• if you are detained under the Mental Health Act and your clinicians decide you do not have sufficient mental capacity to understand the significance and consequences of changing your name
• if the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) deem your new name to be in breach of their inappropriate and temporary name change policy
  • which states IPS will not issue a passport in a name they consider temporary or contains a political statement; a string of words that will not normally be considered a name, or a trademarked name

These are our fees:

• a single application is £50 (this includes indefinite storage in our secure vault)
• additional copies are £10 each

If you have been asked to make a payment, please use the link below.

When using the online system, please add the reference code you will have been sent via email before adding the payment option to the basket.