> Source: https://instantdeedpoll.co.uk/lost-document-declaration/ — last reviewed 22 August 2026. This Markdown mirror is generated at build time from the same content the page serves. # Statutory Declaration for Lost Documents Quick answer A lost-document statutory declaration is a sworn statement — made before a solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary or JP under the 1835 Act — recording what you held, when it was lost, and that a thorough search failed. Our tailored PDF is £9.99, plus the £5 statutory witnessing fee. Who should skip this Skip this product if you lost a signed deed poll — reprint and sign a fresh original instead. Skip us if the issuer reissues from its own form (GRO certificates, a lost passport). Skip PE2/PE3 parking forms: those are free. InstantDeedPoll.co.uk is an independent document service and is not affiliated with HM Government. £9.99One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription, ever. - ✓Personalised statutory declaration PDF with the exact 1835 Act wording and blank jurat - ✓Exhibit cover pages for any supporting documents - ✓Witnessing instruction card with the £5 + £2 statutory fee rules - ✓Unlimited free re-downloads for 12 months - ✓Money-back acceptance guarantee [Generate your declaration — £9.99](/start/statutory-declaration/?use-case=lost-document)Acceptance guarantee: if HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC or any UK bank refuses to accept your document solely because of its wording, tell us within 60 days and we will refund you in full. WARNING: it is a criminal offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, knowingly to make a false statutory declaration. Do not sign this document until you are in front of your witness. ![A client signing a statutory declaration across the desk from a solicitor in a high-street office] 1 ### Fill in, in 3 minutes Answer a few plain-English questions about your declaration. No legal knowledge needed — and you can preview your document free before you pay. 2 ### Checked by our legal team Your declaration is built from wording our paralegal has checked against the prescribed form of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 — right first time, no drafting errors. 3 ### Instant PDF by email Pay once. Your tailored declaration arrives by email within minutes, with a step-by-step instruction card and unlimited re-downloads. 4 ### Sign in front of an authorised witness Do not pre-sign. Sign in front of a solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary or JP, who watches you sign then signs, dates and stamps it. The statutory witness fee is fixed by law at £5. ### Accepted or your money back If HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC or any UK bank refuses your document solely because of its wording, we refund you in full within 60 days. ### One-time payment Yours forever. No subscription, no hidden fees, and unlimited free re-downloads for 12 months. ### Genuine legal wording The government model wording and 1835-Act prescribed form, reproduced character-for-character and checked by our legal team. InstantDeedPoll.co.uk is an independent document service and is not affiliated with HM Government. Read our acceptance guaranteeAcceptance guarantee: if HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC or any UK bank refuses to accept your document solely because of its wording, tell us within 60 days and we will refund you in full. One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription, ever. ## Why do organisations ask for a statutory declaration for a lost document? Because it carries criminal weight: a false declaration is an offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. That is strong enough proof of loss for registrars, share registrars, banks and some passport processes. Recipients still set their own rules — confirm first. This is not a replacement certificate. Birth, marriage and death certificates are reissued by the GRO. A lost British passport is a Home Office replacement. Use the declaration only where the receiving body has asked for one. ## I lost my deed poll — is this the right document? No. A deed poll is something you can execute again: print the wording and sign a fresh original in front of two witnesses. Paying an archive fee for a scan of the old sheet is optional convenience, not a legal requirement. A lost-document statutory declaration does not recreate a deed poll. Walkthrough: [lost or replacement deed poll](/replace-lost-deed-poll/). If you bought from us in the last 12 months, re-download the PDF free. DIY wording: [free template](/free-deed-poll-template/). ## What details should I gather before I start? The document type and any reference number, roughly when and how it was lost, and what you will do if it is found. If you are replacing a passport, report the loss to HM Passport Office as well — the declaration supports, but does not replace, their own process. Banks often want a declaration made within three months. Free official forms exist for some losses — see [free statutory declaration forms](/free-statutory-declaration-forms/). Parking PE2/PE3: [use the free court forms](/pcn-statutory-declaration/). ## How do I sign it? Book a witnessing appointment with a solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary or JP. Bring photo ID and proof of address. Sign in front of the witness — never beforehand — and the witness completes the jurat. The statutory fee is £5 plus £2 per exhibit; some firms add an appointment charge. See [who can witness a statutory declaration](/who-can-witness-a-statutory-declaration/) and the [full statutory declaration guide](/statutory-declaration/). What a statutory declaration really costs| Route | Typical cost | What you get | Solicitor drafts it | £25–£55 | Drafting fee, plus the £5 statutory witnessing fee on top | Notary public | £70–£125+ | Notarial rates, plus appointment lead time | InstantDeedPoll.co.ukBest value | £9.99 once | Tailored 1835-Act PDF by email in minutes (+ £5 statutory witness fee) One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription, ever.Good to know ## Frequently asked questions ### Which lost documents does this cover?+ Passports, birth, marriage and degree certificates, share certificates, title deeds and similar documents. You select the document type, give the reference number if you know it, and describe when and how it was lost. ### What does the declaration commit me to?+ You declare that you held the document, that it was lost on or about a date in circumstances you describe, that a thorough search has not found it, and what you will do if it turns up — typically returning it to the issuing authority or notifying the relevant body. ### Who can witness it and what does it cost?+ A solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary public or JP — independent of you and the matter. The statutory fee is £5, plus £2 per exhibit. Many high-street solicitors charge only that; some add appointment fees of £10–£30. ### Will the receiving body accept it?+ Statutory declarations are the standard proof of loss for administrative replacements. Recipients set their own freshness rules — banks commonly want a declaration made within the last three months — so check before booking your appointment.