When You Should Use the Free Official Forms (And When Not To)
Quick answer
Use the free official form whenever the organisation publishes one. The court forms for an unpaid penalty charge (PE3 and PE2, or TE9 and TE7 for a parking PCN), the Gender Recognition Certificate declarations, the SRA’s declaration in place of a criminal record check and HM Land Registry’s statement-of-truth forms are all free to download, so never pay for those. Witnessing can still cost £5 in England and Wales. Pay for a tailored 1835 Act declaration only when no prescribed form exists and the exact wording matters, such as name changes, single status or lost documents.
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Which declarations should always be free?
Any declaration where the receiving body publishes its own form. The main ones:
| What it is for | Official form | Published by | Needs an authorised witness? | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenging an Order for Recovery for some unpaid PCNs, such as London moving traffic and low emission zone charges | PE3 statutory declaration; PE2 if late | HM Courts & Tribunals Service | Yes; free at most County Court hearing centres | England and Wales |
| Challenging an Order for Recovery for a council parking PCN | TE9 witness statement; TE7 if late | HM Courts & Tribunals Service | No: statement of truth | England and Wales |
| Applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate | Statutory declarations for single applicants, for married or civil-partnered applicants, and for a spouse or civil partner | HM Courts & Tribunals Service | Yes | UK; in Scotland, a notary public or JP |
| Admission as a solicitor where your country issues no criminal record check | Statutory declaration in place of a criminal check | Solicitors Regulation Authority | Yes: a Commissioner for Oaths or solicitor | Solicitors in England and Wales |
| Registering land on adverse possession, lost or destroyed deeds, a prescriptive easement, or cancelling a Form A restriction | ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 and ST5 | HM Land Registry | No for the statement of truth; yes if you choose a statutory declaration instead | England and Wales |
| Redeeming pawned goods without the pawn receipt | Statutory declaration in the form prescribed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 | Prescribed by regulations; ask the pawnbroker | Yes, unless the credit is £75 or less and the pawnbroker accepts a signed statement | UK |
For the PE3, HM Courts & Tribunals Service says County Court staff witness it free at most hearing centres, though an appointment may be necessary (see our guide to unpaid PCN court forms). We do not sell any of these forms, and you should not buy them anywhere.
Is a statement of truth the same as a statutory declaration?
No. A statement of truth is signed by you alone, with wording such as “I believe that the facts stated in this application are true”; nobody has to witness it. A statutory declaration must be made in front of someone authorised to administer oaths. Some official forms use one, some the other:
| Point to check | Statement of truth | Statutory declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Form TE9; HM Land Registry forms ST1 to ST5 | Forms PE3 and PE2; GRC declarations; the SRA declaration |
| Witness | None | Solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary public, JP or other authorised person |
| Witnessing cost | None | £5 per declarant and £2 per marked exhibit with a Commissioner for Oaths in England and Wales; free for a PE3 at most County Court hearing centres |
| If it is knowingly false | Form TE9 warns of proceedings for contempt of court; HM Land Registry forms warn of fraud, with up to 10 years’ imprisonment | An offence carrying up to two years’ imprisonment in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland |
HM Land Registry adopted statements of truth in November 2008. Before then, a statutory declaration was the normal way to give this evidence, and its practice guide says you may still use one for supporting evidence if you prefer, except where the application form already includes a statement of truth.
Does a free form cost anything to complete?
Sometimes. The form is free; the witnessing and the application may not be:
- Commissioner for Oaths in England and Wales: £5 per person making the declaration, plus £2 for each exhibit that has to be marked, including VAT where payable.
- Magistrates’ court in England and Wales: the fee for a statutory declaration where no other fee is specified is £32 from 13 July 2026. HMCTS’s GRC guidance says your local magistrates’ court can tell you when it hears declarations and whether it will charge or waive the fee.
- County Court: free for a PE3 at most hearing centres, by appointment where needed.
- Scotland: the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service says Justices of the Peace currently sign documents free of charge, by appointment at your local JP court.
- The application itself: a Gender Recognition Certificate application costs £6, for example, and HM Land Registry charges its own fees for the application the ST form supports.
See the statutory declaration cost guide for notary, apostille and overseas charges.
When does a tailored declaration earn its £9.99?
When the declaration is open-form under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 and the exact prescribed opening, closing and jurat must be reproduced with your facts: change of name, single status / freedom to marry, “one and the same person”, lost documents, and general-purpose statements. HM Passport Office’s caseworker guidance tells staff not to accept a change of name declaration that lacks the 1835 Act statement or is signed only in the old name; that is the risk the generator removes.
How do I decide which I need?
Ask one question: does the receiving body publish or require a specific form? Then work through these steps:
- Ask the organisation, in writing if possible, whether it has its own form or wording, and who may witness it.
- If it has a form, download it from the official site, such as GOV.UK, the SRA or HM Land Registry, and pay nothing for the blank form.
- Check whether it is a statutory declaration or a statement of truth. Only a statutory declaration needs an authorised witness.
- Use each form only for its stated purpose. HM Land Registry says not to use its ST forms for any other application, and PE3 notes say you cannot change the wording of its grounds.
- If they simply require “a statutory declaration”, the 1835 Act wording applies. Our free template shows the structure, and our tailored generator produces it with your details for £9.99.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Which statutory declarations are free from the government?
The Traffic Enforcement Centre’s PE3 and PE2 penalty charge declarations and the three Gender Recognition Certificate statutory declarations are published free on GOV.UK. For a council parking PCN, the free court form is TE9 (TE7 if late), a witness statement rather than a declaration. The Solicitors Regulation Authority publishes a free declaration for admission applicants whose country issues no criminal record check, and HM Land Registry’s ST1 to ST5 statement-of-truth forms are free and may be replaced by a statutory declaration if you prefer.
When should I NOT use a free form?
When your declaration is an open-form 1835 Act declaration with no prescribed template — name changes, single status, identity discrepancies, lost documents, general statements of fact. There the risk is drafting, and a tailored generator (£9.99) with exact prescribed wording is the safer route.
Does using a free form make it less valid?
No — where a prescribed form exists, it is the correct and strongest option. Paying for what the government publishes free would add nothing.
Who witnesses the free forms?
Only the statutory declarations need an authorised witness: forms PE3 and PE2, the Gender Recognition Certificate declarations and the SRA declaration. That means someone authorised to administer oaths, such as a solicitor or other Commissioner for Oaths (£5 per declarant in England and Wales), a notary public or a Justice of the Peace. For form PE3, HM Courts & Tribunals Service says County Court staff witness it free at most hearing centres; an appointment may be necessary. Forms TE9 and TE7 and HM Land Registry’s ST forms are statements of truth that you sign alone.
Do I need a solicitor for a free official form?
Not necessarily. A statement of truth, such as form TE9 or HM Land Registry’s ST forms, is signed by you alone. A statutory declaration must be signed in front of someone authorised to administer oaths: a solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary public or Justice of the Peace, or a County Court officer for form PE3. You do not need to instruct a solicitor to act for you.
Is the Gender Recognition Certificate declaration the same as a change of name declaration?
No. GOV.UK says the GRC statutory declarations are not the same as a change of name statutory declaration or document. If you have changed your name, the GRC application asks for copies of the documents that show it, such as a deed poll or a change of name statutory declaration.
Can I use HM Land Registry’s ST3 form for other lost documents?
No. HM Land Registry says not to use its statement-of-truth forms for any application other than the one each is designed for. Form ST3 supports first registration of land in England and Wales where the title deeds are lost or destroyed.