How to Change Your Legal Name by Deed Poll in England and Wales

Decide which type of deed poll you actually need

A deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. In England and Wales, the main choice is between an unenrolled deed poll and an enrolled deed poll.

If you are 16 or over, GOV.UK allows you to make an unenrolled deed poll yourself and start using the new name once it has been signed correctly. There is no government application or court fee for making your own unenrolled deed poll.

If you are 18 or over, you can instead apply to put the change of name on public record by enrolling the deed poll with the High Court. The current enrolment fee is £53.05.

Some banks, mobile phone companies, energy providers and other organisations may require an enrolled deed poll. GOV.UK therefore advises checking what form of evidence the organisation will accept before choosing the more formal route.

Check that your proposed new name is permitted

You can use a deed poll to change any part of your name, add or remove names or hyphens, or alter spelling.

Your new name must be pronounceable and must not include symbols, numbers or punctuation except where punctuation is part of an established or hyphenated name. It must not be offensive or contrary to the public interest.

You cannot use a deed poll merely to change capitalisation of letters or to change a title such as Mr, Mrs, Sir, Lady or Doctor.

People aged 16 or over can create an unenrolled deed poll

To make your own unenrolled deed poll, you must be 16 or over. GOV.UK provides the wording that should be used for the deed.

The document records that you have given up your old name and adopted your new name for all purposes. It also records your address, the date, your old and new signatures and the names and addresses of your witnesses.

You need 2 witnesses, both aged 18 or over. They must sign the deed poll as witnesses to your signature.

GOV.UK warns that some organisations may reject a deed poll if a witness lives at the same address as you or is a close relative, so choosing independent adult witnesses is usually the safer option.

You can use a signed unenrolled deed poll immediately

Once your unenrolled deed poll has been correctly completed and signed, you can use it straight away as evidence of your new name.

There is no court processing period for a self-made unenrolled deed poll because it is not registered with the High Court. You can present it to organisations that accept unenrolled deed polls when asking them to change their records.

Adult enrolment is available from age 18

If you are 18 or over, you can apply to enrol a deed poll with the High Court through HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

HMCTS adult deed poll guidance also specifies citizenship requirements for enrolment. The applicant must fall within one of the citizenship categories listed in the official LOC020 guidance, including British citizens and qualifying Commonwealth or British dependent territories citizens.

If you are under 18, the separate child deed poll procedure applies. A person aged 16 or 17 can make their own unenrolled deed poll, but enrolment as a child is handled under the child process unless the specific adult-rule exception applies.

Prepare identity and status evidence before applying

For an enrolled deed poll, HMCTS requires a copy of one of the following:

• a birth certificate;
• a valid passport; or
• a certificate of naturalisation.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need adoption documents, a marriage or civil partnership certificate, written consent from a spouse or civil partner, a final divorce order or decree absolute, or a spouse or partner's death certificate.

If the supporting documents are not in English or Welsh, HMCTS requires certified translations.

Start the High Court enrolment application online

You can begin an enrolled deed poll application online. HMCTS says you need a debit or credit card to use the online service, although payment instructions are provided after submission.

After submitting the online application, HMCTS reviews it and emails the required forms: LOC020, LOC021 and LOC027. You then print, complete, sign and post the forms to the Deed Poll Office.

The online application itself must be submitted within 28 days after you start it if you save and return later, otherwise you must begin again.

Use forms LOC020, LOC021 and LOC027

You can also apply entirely by post. The adult paper process uses:

• LOC020 - the adult deed poll form;
• LOC021 - the statutory declaration; and
• LOC027 - the exhibit cover sheet for supporting evidence.

LOC020 must be signed in front of 2 witnesses, who also sign the form. HMCTS says LOC021 and LOC027 must be signed in front of a solicitor or another authorised witness as required by the form guidance.

The completed documents are posted to the Deed Poll Office, King's Bench Division, Room E15, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL.

Your declarant must meet specific HMCTS rules

The person completing the adult statutory declaration is called the declarant. They confirm that you are the person described in the application.

HMCTS says the declarant must normally have known you for 10 years or longer, be a British or Commonwealth citizen and be a householder in the UK. They cannot be your spouse, civil partner or another relative by birth or marriage.

If you have not known anyone for at least 10 years, you can provide the additional witness statement required by HMCTS explaining why. A judge then decides whether the enrolment can proceed.

The declarant must swear or affirm the statutory declaration before an authorised person such as a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or officer of the court. HMCTS states that an oath or affirmation made in court costs £14; a solicitor or commissioner for oaths may charge a different fee.

High Court enrolment costs £53.05

The current HMCTS fee to enrol a deed poll is £53.05.

For postal applications, HMCTS says you can pay by credit or debit card through the High Court Fees Office, or by postal order or cheque payable to HM Courts and Tribunals Service. You receive a fee reference number after payment.

The £53.05 court fee is separate from any amount charged by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or other authorised witness for witnessing or swearing documents.

Your name change becomes a public court record

Enrolling a deed poll places the name change on public record. HMCTS states that a notice containing your name change and normally your address is published in The Gazette.

If you have a strong reason why your details should not be published, explain that in the application. A judge may agree to limit publication, for example by publishing only your first name or surname.

If the application is approved, the Deed Poll Office seals the deed and sends it back to you by post. The sealed deed is proof of the enrolled change of name.

HMCTS says enrolment can take several weeks

There is no fixed guaranteed completion date for enrolled deed polls. GOV.UK states that enrolment can take several weeks.

If you have not received an outcome, you can ask the Deed Poll Office for an update 16 weeks after you apply.

Different rules apply to children under 18

For a child under 18, a parent or guardian can use a specialist agency or solicitor to create an unenrolled deed poll, or can apply to enrol the child's name change with the High Court.

For enrolment, you normally need the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or a court order. If agreement cannot be reached, HMCTS says you must first try to resolve the issue before seeking a court order.

A person aged 16 or 17 can make their own unenrolled deed poll. If a child aged 16 or 17 is included in an enrolled child application, HMCTS requires their written agreement to the name change.

Some name changes can use existing certificates instead

You do not normally need a deed poll merely to take your spouse's or civil partner's surname. GOV.UK says a marriage or civil partnership certificate can usually be sent to record-holders as evidence.

After divorce or dissolution, some organisations may allow you to return to your former name using the marriage or civil partnership certificate together with the decree absolute or final order. Other organisations may still insist on a deed poll.

If the name change follows a divorce, the separate process for applying for divorce in England and Wales may also be relevant.

Do not use the England and Wales route for a Scottish birth record

GOV.UK expressly states that there are different rules if you were born in Scotland. National Records of Scotland operates a separate formal name-change process for people born or adopted there.

If you were born in Scotland, follow the Scottish procedure rather than assuming the England and Wales deed poll rules apply to your birth record.

Some people must notify police within 3 days

If you are a registered sex offender, violent offender or terrorist offender, GOV.UK says you must tell the police about your name change within 3 days. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.

Avoid problems that can make proof of your new name harder

• Do not assume every organisation accepts an unenrolled deed poll; ask what evidence they require before choosing the route.
• Do not make your own unenrolled deed poll if you are under 16.
• Use 2 adult witnesses and avoid close relatives or people at the same address where possible because some organisations may reject those witnesses.
• Do not enrol a deed poll without understanding that your name change and normally your address will be published in The Gazette.
• Complete the HMCTS forms without crossings-out or errors; incorrect forms can be returned.
• Include certified translations for required enrolment documents that are not in English or Welsh.
• Do not use the England and Wales process if you were born in Scotland without first checking the separate Scottish rules.
• Do not ignore any legal duty to notify the police if you are a registered offender covered by the reporting rules.