Who Can Change Their Name by Deed Poll?

From your 16th birthday you are treated as an adult for name-change purposes. You need no consent from parents, a spouse or anyone else, and you never have to give a reason. Fill in the three-minute form, print, and sign in front of two independent witnesses. That is the entire eligibility test: age plus the capacity to understand what you are signing.

A parent or guardian applies on the child’s behalf, and everyone with parental responsibility must agree — usually both parents named on the birth certificate. If one holder refuses, the only route is a Specific Issue Order from the family court (form C100). Our child deed poll includes consent letters for every PR holder to sign, and our form will not sell you a document that would not be valid. See parental responsibility explained and does the father have to agree?

A deed poll is a document of England & Wales practice, used across the UK. You do not need British citizenship — you need to live here and use the name here. Foreign nationals can change the name they use for UK records, though their home country controls its own passports. Scotland has its own additional registration option through National Records of Scotland. Finally, you must have mental capacity: someone who cannot understand the change cannot execute a deed poll, and a deputy or attorney cannot normally do it for them without court approval.