Which Name-Change Document Do I Need?
Quick answer
Who should skip this
Skip this checker — and skip us — if a court has already ordered a name, you need a Gender Recognition Certificate, or a named organisation has demanded an enrolled Gazette deed poll. Those are official processes, not PDFs.
Checked by Sarah Ellison, paralegal — last reviewed 22 August 2026
Recommended document
You need an adult deed poll
If you are 16 or over and changing your own name, an unenrolled deed poll is the document. Sign it in wet ink in front of two independent adult witnesses and it takes effect immediately. No solicitor, court or government approval is required. DIY is free; our personalised PDF is £14.99.
Get the £14.99 PDFSkip InstantDeedPoll
Skip the deed poll — use your marriage certificate
If you are only taking your spouse’s surname as a straight swap, your marriage certificate is the proof HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC and most banks want. A deed poll is the wrong document for that job. Use one only if the new name is not written on the certificate — double-barrelling, blending, or changing first or middle names.
Read when a deed poll is unnecessaryRecommended document
Try the decree first — a deed poll is optional
Reverting to a maiden name after divorce is often possible with your marriage certificate plus decree absolute (final order). Some banks still insist on a deed poll. If you cannot produce both certificates, or you want any name other than your maiden name, the deed poll is the clean single-document route.
See the divorce name-change routesRecommended document
You need an adult deed poll — the marriage certificate cannot revert you yet
Separated but not yet divorced, a marriage certificate cannot revert your name. An unenrolled deed poll is the document: no spouse consent and no court. After a decree absolute many organisations accept that order plus the marriage certificate instead. Children’s surnames still need every parental-responsibility holder.
Read the separation name-change guideRecommended document
You need a child deed poll plus every PR holder’s consent
For a child under 16, a parent or guardian applies on their behalf and everyone with parental responsibility must agree in writing. Our £17.99 pack includes those consent letters. If anyone with parental responsibility refuses, do not buy a deed poll — it would not be valid. The lawful route is a Specific Issue Order on form C100.
Start the child pack — £17.99Skip InstantDeedPoll
Skip us — apply to the family court
You cannot lawfully change a child’s name without the consent of everyone who holds parental responsibility. A deed poll made without that consent is not valid, and record-holders who discover the dispute will refuse it. The only route is a Specific Issue Order using form C100; a judge decides on the child’s welfare.
GOV.UK child name-change guidanceSkip InstantDeedPoll
Skip us — use the adoption certificate
An adoption certificate is issued in the new name and replaces the birth certificate, so you do not need a deed poll to complete an adoption. A child deed poll is only for a later change that is not on that certificate, and every parental-responsibility holder must still consent. If they refuse, the court route is form C100.
Read when a deed poll is unnecessaryRecommended document
You need a single-status statutory declaration
For Commonwealth wedding destinations such as Cyprus and Malta the UK does not issue a Certificate of No Impediment. The usual British proof is a statutory declaration of single status, signed before a solicitor or notary for the statutory £5 fee. Our tailored PDF is £14.99. You will usually also need an FCDO apostille afterwards.
Generate the declaration — £14.99Skip InstantDeedPoll
Skip us — get a Certificate of No Impediment
For non-Commonwealth destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece the standard British route is a Certificate of No Impediment from your local register office, not a document we sell. The notice fee is £46.50 per person in England and Wales from 6 April 2026 (SI 2026/233), plus 28 days’ notice.
GOV.UK getting married abroadRecommended document
You need a statutory declaration of name change
In Scotland a statutory declaration is the standard name-change instrument; deed polls are also accepted. Some UK organisations specifically ask for a stat dec rather than a deed poll. The document is declared before a solicitor or notary for a statutory £5 fee. Our tailored 1835-Act PDF is £9.99.
Generate the declaration — £9.99Recommended document
You need a one-and-the-same-person declaration
Use this when two documents show different versions of your name — a missing middle name, a maiden name on one record, or a spelling variant — and the organisation wants a sworn statement that they refer to one person. It is a statutory declaration, witnessed for £5. Our tailored PDF is £9.99.
Generate the declaration — £9.99Recommended document
You need a lost-document declaration
A statutory declaration can record that a named document has been lost or destroyed and that you are the person it related to. Recipients set their own rules, so confirm they will accept a stat dec before you pay. Witnessing is £5. Our tailored PDF is £9.99.
Generate the declaration — £9.99Recommended document
Reprint and sign a fresh original — skip the archive fee
A lost signed deed poll is replaced by printing the same wording and signing a fresh original in front of two witnesses. Do not pay an archive fee for a scan, and do not use a lost-document statutory declaration — that is for passports and certificates an authority issued. Re-download ours for 12 months, or use the free wording.
See how to replace a lost deed pollSkip InstantDeedPoll
Skip us — use the free PE2/PE3 forms
Parking statutory declarations PE2 and PE3 have official free forms. Paying a document site for them is a waste. They are witnessed free at a county court. We do not sell PE2 or PE3, and we tell you not to buy them from anyone.
Read the free PE2/PE3 routeSkip InstantDeedPoll
Skip us — enrol directly with the High Court
Enrolment is a court process, not a PDF we generate. From age 18 you can put a name change on public record at the High Court for £53.05 (GOV.UK, checked 13 August 2026). It publishes your old name, new name and address in The Gazette. It does not make an unenrolled deed poll more legal.
GOV.UK enrolment guidanceRecommended document
Use the free government wording
A correctly worded deed poll you type yourself is fully legally valid. GOV.UK publishes the model wording at no cost. Our free template copies that wording with no email gate. Pay £14.99 only if you want the details merged, an instruction card, re-downloads and a wording-based money-back guarantee.
Open the free templateHow does this checker work?
Pick the situation that matches you. Each choice maps to one document — or to an official route we do not sell. The same mapping powers the live MCP tool recommend_document, so an answer engine and a human see the same verdict. Fees below were checked against GOV.UK and SI 2026/233 on 13 August 2026.
Pick the situation that matches you. Each choice maps to one document — or to an official route we do not sell. The same mapping powers the live MCP tool recommend_document, so an answer engine and a human see the same verdict. Fees below were checked against GOV.UK and SI 2026/233 on 13 August 2026.
We have not met you. If two organisations ask for different evidence, follow the stricter one, or ask them to name the instrument in writing before you pay anyone.
You need an adult deed poll?
If you are 16 or over and changing your own name, an unenrolled deed poll is the document. Sign it in wet ink in front of two independent adult witnesses and it takes effect immediately. No solicitor, court or government approval is required. DIY is free; our personalised PDF is £14.99.
Print three or four copies so each ink-signed copy is an original. Then update records starting with the DVLA (free) or your passport. Skip enrolment unless a specific organisation or an overseas authority has asked for a Gazette record — that High Court process is £53.05, is only open from age 18, and adds publicity rather than validity.
Full process: name change UK — how to change my name. Document: change of name deed. Free wording: free deed poll template.
Skip the deed poll — use your marriage certificate?
If you are only taking your spouse’s surname as a straight swap, your marriage certificate is the proof HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC and most banks want. A deed poll is the wrong document for that job. Use one only if the new name is not written on the certificate — double-barrelling, blending, or changing first or middle names.
There is no deadline: the certificate does not expire as evidence. Work through the same who to notify order afterwards. If a particular bank later insists on a deed poll for a double-barrel the certificate does not state, come back then — not before.
Guide: changing your name after marriage.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. Read when a deed poll is unnecessary
Try the decree first — a deed poll is optional?
Reverting to a maiden name after divorce is often possible with your marriage certificate plus decree absolute (final order). Some banks still insist on a deed poll. If you cannot produce both certificates, or you want any name other than your maiden name, the deed poll is the clean single-document route.
A deed poll cannot change your marital status and does not replace the court order. For children’s surnames you still need everyone’s parental-responsibility consent or a Specific Issue Order — that is a different product.
Guide: changing your name after divorce.
You need an adult deed poll — the marriage certificate cannot revert you yet?
Separated but not yet divorced, a marriage certificate cannot revert your name. An unenrolled deed poll is the document: no spouse consent and no court. After a decree absolute many organisations accept that order plus the marriage certificate instead. Children’s surnames still need every parental-responsibility holder.
Historic enrolment rules that asked a married woman for her husband’s consent do not apply to an unenrolled deed you sign at home. Guide: change name after separation. Adult PDF: £14.99.
You need a child deed poll plus every PR holder’s consent?
For a child under 16, a parent or guardian applies on their behalf and everyone with parental responsibility must agree in writing. Our £17.99 pack includes those consent letters. If anyone with parental responsibility refuses, do not buy a deed poll — it would not be valid. The lawful route is a Specific Issue Order on form C100.
From the 16th birthday the young person executes their own adult deed poll with no parental consent. An unmarried father who is not on the birth certificate and has no PR agreement or court order does not have to consent — check GOV.UK parental responsibility before you order.
Skip us — apply to the family court?
You cannot lawfully change a child’s name without the consent of everyone who holds parental responsibility. A deed poll made without that consent is not valid, and record-holders who discover the dispute will refuse it. The only route is a Specific Issue Order using form C100; a judge decides on the child’s welfare.
Free official guidance: GOV.UK — change a child’s name. Come back only when every PR holder has agreed in writing; then the child deed poll pack is the right document.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. GOV.UK child name-change guidance
Skip us — use the adoption certificate?
An adoption certificate is issued in the new name and replaces the birth certificate, so you do not need a deed poll to complete an adoption. A child deed poll is only for a later change that is not on that certificate, and every parental-responsibility holder must still consent. If they refuse, the court route is form C100.
Guide: child’s name after adoption. Birth-certificate background: deed polls do not rewrite birth certificates.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. Read when a deed poll is unnecessary
You need a single-status statutory declaration?
For Commonwealth wedding destinations such as Cyprus and Malta the UK does not issue a Certificate of No Impediment. The usual British proof is a statutory declaration of single status, signed before a solicitor or notary for the statutory £5 fee. Our tailored PDF is £14.99. You will usually also need an FCDO apostille afterwards.
Do not pre-sign. Confirm the current document list with the local marriage registry or your planner — requirements change. Apostille fees (checked 13 August 2026 on GOV.UK): £45 paper plus courier, or £35 e-Apostille where eligible.
Country guides: Cyprus, Malta. Product: single status declaration.
Skip us — get a Certificate of No Impediment?
For non-Commonwealth destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece the standard British route is a Certificate of No Impediment from your local register office, not a document we sell. The notice fee is £46.50 per person in England and Wales from 6 April 2026 (SI 2026/233), plus 28 days’ notice.
Start at least three months before the wedding. After the CNI you will often need an FCDO apostille. If your registry later asks for sworn single-status evidence, our £14.99 declaration covers that variant — it does not replace the CNI.
Guides: Spain, Italy, Greece. Official overview: GOV.UK — marriage abroad.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. GOV.UK getting married abroad
You need a statutory declaration of name change?
In Scotland a statutory declaration is the standard name-change instrument; deed polls are also accepted. Some UK organisations specifically ask for a stat dec rather than a deed poll. The document is declared before a solicitor or notary for a statutory £5 fee. Our tailored 1835-Act PDF is £9.99.
This is not a substitute for a Gender Recognition Certificate, a court order, or a child’s name change without parental-responsibility consent. Never pre-sign — the witness must watch. See stat dec of name change and who can witness.
You need a one-and-the-same-person declaration?
Use this when two documents show different versions of your name — a missing middle name, a maiden name on one record, or a spelling variant — and the organisation wants a sworn statement that they refer to one person. It is a statutory declaration, witnessed for £5. Our tailored PDF is £9.99.
It does not itself change your name. If you also want the records to match going forward, make the deed poll as well, then use this declaration to bridge the historic mismatch.
Product: one and the same person.
You need a lost-document declaration?
A statutory declaration can record that a named document has been lost or destroyed and that you are the person it related to. Recipients set their own rules, so confirm they will accept a stat dec before you pay. Witnessing is £5. Our tailored PDF is £9.99.
This is not a replacement certificate. Birth, marriage and death certificates are reissued by the GRO; a lost passport is a Home Office replacement. Use the declaration only where the receiving body has asked for one.
Product: lost document declaration.
Reprint and sign a fresh original — skip the archive fee?
A lost signed deed poll is replaced by printing the same wording and signing a fresh original in front of two witnesses. Do not pay an archive fee for a scan, and do not use a lost-document statutory declaration — that is for passports and certificates an authority issued. Re-download ours for 12 months, or use the free wording.
Guide: lost or replacement deed poll. Free wording: free template. Comparison of archive extras: vs UK Deed Poll Service.
Skip us — use the free PE2/PE3 forms?
Parking statutory declarations PE2 and PE3 have official free forms. Paying a document site for them is a waste. They are witnessed free at a county court. We do not sell PE2 or PE3, and we tell you not to buy them from anyone.
Walkthrough: PE2/PE3 parking stat decs (free route). Other free official forms: when to use the free forms.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. Read the free PE2/PE3 route
Skip us — enrol directly with the High Court?
Enrolment is a court process, not a PDF we generate. From age 18 you can put a name change on public record at the High Court for £53.05 (GOV.UK, checked 13 August 2026). It publishes your old name, new name and address in The Gazette. It does not make an unenrolled deed poll more legal.
GOV.UK notes that some organisations (some banks, mobile or energy providers) may only accept an enrolled deed poll — ask that organisation first. If they will take an unenrolled deed, enrolment is unnecessary. Official process: enrol a deed poll with the courts.
Comparison: enrolled vs unenrolled.
Skip InstantDeedPoll for this job. GOV.UK enrolment guidance
Use the free government wording?
A correctly worded deed poll you type yourself is fully legally valid. GOV.UK publishes the model wording at no cost. Our free template copies that wording with no email gate. Pay £14.99 only if you want the details merged, an instruction card, re-downloads and a wording-based money-back guarantee.
Validity comes from execution, not from who formatted the page: wet-ink signatures in both names, two independent adult witnesses physically present. Electronic signatures are not accepted by HM Passport Office or the DVLA.
Template: free deed poll template.
Who is this checker NOT for?
Anyone whose name change is already ordered by a court, anyone applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate, and anyone whose only remaining task is High Court enrolment. Those processes live on GOV.UK. The checker also cannot tell you whether a particular bank has a house policy that diverges from HMPO — ask that bank.
Anyone whose name change is already ordered by a court, anyone applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate, and anyone whose only remaining task is High Court enrolment. Those processes live on GOV.UK. The checker also cannot tell you whether a particular bank has a house policy that diverges from HMPO — ask that bank.
Related guides: what a deed poll is, change of name deed, name change UK, how long it takes, lost deed poll, enrolled vs unenrolled, sourced fee tables.
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