How to change your name with HM Land Registry
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This page covers HM Land Registry, which registers property in England and Wales. For property in Scotland use Registers of Scotland, and in Northern Ireland use Land & Property Services. Selling, transferring or adding an owner is a different application.
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How do I change my name on the property register?
Use form AP1 and send it with original or certified copies of documents that link your new name to the name currently on the register. GOV.UK says you do not have to pay anything to do this (checked 24 September 2026).
| Item | When you need it | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Form AP1 | Always, unless you use form CNG for a change of name for your affirmed gender | No fee for a change of name |
| Evidence linking your names | Always | Original or certified copy of one of: your marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname), a deed poll, a statement of truth, or a statutory declaration sworn before a magistrate, a solicitor or a commissioner of oaths |
| Form ID1 or ID3 | If you are not using a solicitor or conveyancer | Filled in, in your new name |
| A document in your former name | If you are not using a solicitor or conveyancer | A copy of an official document, such as a passport, driving licence or utility bill |
Send completed forms to HM Land Registry Citizen Centre, PO Box 7806, Bilston WV1 9QR, unless the form gives a different address. GOV.UK notes that the process involves legal steps and can be complicated, and links guidance on what to consider before applying without legal representation.
Which identity form do I need without a conveyancer?
GOV.UK says to “use form ID1 if someone checks your identity in person, or form ID3 if an authorised professional checks it remotely”. Complete the form in your new name.
The form ID3 page adds: “This form can only be used if both you and the person verifying your identity hold a full UK passport and the verifier has known you for at least one year.” Read the conditions on the form ID1 page or the ID3 page before arranging the check. GOV.UK lists the identity form and the former-name document only for people who are not using a solicitor or conveyancer.
Will HM Land Registry return my original documents?
Yes, if you apply yourself: GOV.UK says HM Land Registry will return your original documents after the register has been updated. If you use a solicitor or conveyancer, check with them whether they will return your documents.
Keep a note of what you sent and when. If another organisation needs the same original, such as DVLA or HM Passport Office, plan the order of your applications or use a certified copy where the recipient accepts one.
What is form CNG?
If you have changed your name for your affirmed gender, GOV.UK says you can use either form AP1 or form CNG; both update your name on the register in the same way. Use AP1 to send standard documents such as a deed poll, statement of truth or statutory declaration. Use CNG if you want to send more sensitive documents that show your name has changed.
With CNG you can send one document showing both names, such as a deed poll. If you do not have one, send one document showing your current name and one showing your former name, for example old and new passports or driving licences, a gender recognition certificate, a new birth certificate, a utility bill in your former name, or a letter from a UK-based medical practitioner confirming you live in your affirmed gender and use your new name. If you are sending a gender recognition certificate, write “Private and confidential” on the envelope.
Read the trans name-change guide for other privacy routes.
How do I return to my original surname after divorce?
Send form AP1 with an original or certified copy of your final order (formerly called a decree absolute for marriages, or a dissolution order for civil partnerships). GOV.UK says you can only use the final order if it shows both your original and married names and the proceedings were taken in your original name.
If the final order does not show both names, include a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or a certificate by a conveyancer confirming the change of name. If you are returning to a name that is not shown on either certificate, you will need formal evidence such as a deed poll. See changing your name after divorce for other records.
Can I stop my previous name appearing on older documents?
Your previous name will still appear on documents filed with HM Land Registry before the change, and GOV.UK says previous names cannot be changed. You might be able to stop them being copied or inspected by making an exempt document application using forms EX1 and EX1A.
GOV.UK lists the cost as £25 per document for paper applications, or £12 per document for electronic applications, which only businesses and organisations such as conveyancers can make (checked 24 September 2026).
Does this update my mortgage and other records?
No. Updating the register changes HM Land Registry’s record only. Your mortgage lender, home insurer, council tax account and utilities hold separate records, so ask each one how it wants to be told. The free name change organiser lets you add HM Land Registry to a checklist, and the who-to-notify checklist covers the rest.
If you need a deed poll as the linking document, you can use the free template or optional personalised preparation for £14.99. Buying a document does not submit the AP1 application.
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