> Source: https://instantdeedpoll.co.uk/statutory-declaration/ — last reviewed 22 August 2026. This Markdown mirror is generated at build time from the same content the page serves.

# What Is a Statutory Declaration? (UK Guide)

Quick answer

A statutory declaration is a written statement of fact that you sign in front of an authorised witness — a solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, notary public or magistrate — declaring it true under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. The witnessing fee is fixed by law at £5. It’s used for name changes, proving single status, identity discrepancies and lost documents.

Who should skip this

Skip a statutory declaration for PE2/PE3 parking forms, Gender Recognition Act forms, or professional admission declarations: those have free official forms. Skip it if a court wants an affidavit instead.

Checked by [Sarah Ellison](/author/sarah-ellison/), paralegal — last reviewed 22 August 2026

[Generate your declaration — from £9.99](/start/statutory-declaration/)One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription, ever.

![A formal declaration document with a fountain pen, reading glasses and an ink stamp on a dark slate desk]

## What is a statutory declaration?

A statutory declaration is a written statement of fact that you declare to be true before an authorised witness. The Statutory Declarations Act 1835, section 20 and its Schedule, prescribe the exact form. It is not sworn on oath: that is an affidavit, which is sworn evidence for court under the Oaths Act 1978.

Stat decs are for non-court, administrative matters: name changes in Scotland, proving you are free to marry abroad, identity discrepancies, lost documents. **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.**

If a court has asked for an affidavit, skip this product. If you need a [deed poll](/adult-deed-poll/) for an everyday UK name change in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that is usually the simpler instrument — two independent witnesses, no solicitor visit.

## What can I use one for?

We generate tailored PDFs for a change of name (£9.99 — the standard route in Scotland), single status or freedom to marry abroad (£14.99), one-and-the-same-person identity discrepancies (£9.99), lost documents (£9.99), and a general-purpose generator (£9.99) where you write your own numbered paragraphs.

Links: [name-change declaration](/statutory-declaration-name-change/), [single status](/single-status-declaration/), [identity](/statutory-declaration-identity/), [lost documents](/lost-document-declaration/). Parking PE2/PE3 forms, Gender Recognition Act forms and professional admission declarations have free official forms — do not pay us for those.

## How much does a statutory declaration cost?

The witnessing fee is fixed by law at £5 plus £2 per exhibit. Many high-street solicitors charge only that. Others add £10–£30 appointment fees; remote video witnessing is often around £55 plus VAT; notaries charge £50–£150. JPs and county-court officers can witness free by appointment.

A solicitor may quote £25–£55 to draft a statutory declaration. Our tailored PDF is £9.99, and the statutory witnessing fee is fixed by law at £5. Full breakdown: [statutory declaration costs](/statutory-declaration-cost/). Who can sign: [who can witness](/who-can-witness-a-statutory-declaration/). Apostilles for use abroad are extra: £45 paper or £35 e-Apostille (GOV.UK legalisation, checked 13 August 2026).

## Does a statutory declaration expire?

Not by law — there is no statutory expiry date. Recipients impose their own freshness rules: banks commonly want a declaration made within the last three months, and HM Passport Office around six. Check what your receiving organisation requires before you book the witnessing appointment.

For weddings abroad, confirm the local authority’s window with the planner before you pay a solicitor. Generating the PDF is instant; the appointment and any apostille are the slow steps.

## Which stat decs should I NOT pay for?

Some declarations have free prescribed forms, and paying anyone for them is a waste: PE2 and PE3 parking declarations (free GOV.UK forms, witnessed free at a county court), Gender Recognition Act declarations, and SRA or GPhC professional admission declarations. Use the official form, not a generic generator.

Read [the free PE2/PE3 route](/pcn-statutory-declaration/) and [when to use the free official forms](/free-statutory-declaration-forms/). If a destination needs a Certificate of No Impediment rather than a declaration, that is a register-office product we do not sell — see [freedom to marry](/freedom-to-marry-declaration/).

## Sources and further reading

- [Statutory Declarations Act 1835 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/62)
- [Commissioners for Oaths (Fees) Order 1993, SI 1993/2297](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1993/2297)
- [Perjury Act 1911, section 5](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/1-2/6/section/5)

Good to know

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a statutory declaration used for?+

Common uses include proving a change of name, confirming you’re single and free to marry abroad, declaring that two names are the same person, and replacing lost documents. It’s a formal statement of fact for administrative matters — not court evidence, which is what an affidavit is for.

### What’s the difference between a statutory declaration and an affidavit?+

A statutory declaration is declared true under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 and used for non-court, administrative matters. An affidavit is sworn on oath (Oaths Act 1978) and used as evidence in court proceedings. If a court is involved, you usually need an affidavit.

### How much does it cost to have a statutory declaration witnessed?+

The fee is fixed by law: £5 per declarant plus £2 per exhibit, under the Commissioners for Oaths (Fees) Order 1993. Many high-street solicitors charge just that; some add appointment fees of £10–£30. Justices of the Peace and county-court officers can witness free by appointment.

### Can I write my own statutory declaration?+

Yes, but the prescribed wording from the 1835 Act must be used exactly — the opening “I … do solemnly and sincerely declare that”, the closing invocation of the Act, and the jurat your witness completes. Our generator produces that exact wording with your facts inserted.

### What happens if I lie in a statutory declaration?+

Knowingly making a false statutory declaration is a criminal offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. Every declaration we generate carries this warning — only declare what you know to be true.

### Does a statutory declaration expire?+

Not by law — but recipients set their own freshness rules. Banks commonly require a declaration made within the last three months, and HM Passport Office around six. Check what your receiving organisation requires before booking your witnessing appointment.