Changing your name · UK

Changing your name: who to tell, and what each one needs

You do not need a deed poll to take a spouse’s or civil partner’s surname: your certificate is the proof. Otherwise make a deed poll yourself from 16, or enrol one for £53.05. Then tell HM Passport Office (£102 online), DVLA for your licence (free) and log book, HMRC, the electoral register and your GP.

Last updated 16 Oct 2026 · Joel Lister, founder of Radar

Printable change of name checklist: tick boxes, one page, ready to print or save as a PDF.

Who this is for: anyone in the UK changing their name: taking a spouse’s or civil partner’s surname, going back to a previous one, or changing it by deed poll for any reason.

Who it is not for: a name change if you were born in Scotland, where the rules for the change itself are different, or a Gender Recognition Certificate, which has its own GOV.UK pages.

WhoWhat they needFeeSource
The proof: a deed pollNot needed after marriage or civil partnership. Otherwise make your own from 16, signed in front of 2 witnesses aged 18 or over, or enrol one with the High Court from 18.Enrolling: £53.05GOV.UK, GOV.UK
HM Passport OfficeA new passport in the new name, with your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or a deed poll and evidence you are using the new name.£102 online, £115.50 on a paper formGOV.UK, GOV.UK
DVLA: driving licenceForm D1 by post, with your licence and the original documents that confirm your new name. You can still drive while you wait.Free (£17 if you change the photo too)GOV.UK
DVLA: log book (V5C)The new name in section 3, and the whole log book sent with a letter explaining the change. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA.Usually freeGOV.UK
HMRCTell HMRC your name has changed, online or in the HMRC app. Your National Insurance number stays the same.—GOV.UK, GOV.UK
Electoral registerRegister to vote again in your new name. It usually takes about 5 minutes.—GOV.UK
Your GPTell your surgery directly to update your personal details.—NHS
Benefits, if you get anyChanging your name is a change of circumstances to report.—GOV.UK

After marriage or civil partnership

  • No deed poll needed. You do not need a deed poll to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname: send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to the organisations that hold your records (GOV.UK). A double-barrelled name works the same way for a passport (GOV.UK).
  • A passport before the ceremony. You can apply for a passport in your new name up to 3 months before the ceremony, with a “passports for newly weds and civil partners” form signed by the religious minister or registrar who will conduct it. The new passport is post-dated, so you cannot use it before the ceremony, and your old one is cancelled (GOV.UK).
  • Book travel in the name on your passport. The two must match. Do not book travel until you have the new passport, because it has a new number, and unexpired visas in the old one may become invalid when you change your name (GOV.UK).
  • Going back to a previous name after a divorce or the end of a civil partnership: you may be able to do it by showing your marriage certificate and decree absolute, or your civil partnership certificate and final order, but some organisations will not change it back without a deed poll (GOV.UK). For a passport you also send your birth certificate, a signed statement that you have gone back to a previous surname for all purposes, and a document showing you are using the name (GOV.UK).

Changing your name by deed poll

A deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. You can change any part of your name, add or remove names or hyphens, or change the spelling. The new name must be pronounceable, must not include symbols, numbers or punctuation (other than a hyphen or an established name like O’Hara), and must not be offensive. A deed poll cannot change capital letters or titles such as Mr, Mrs or Doctor (GOV.UK).

  • Make your own (unenrolled) from 16. It needs 2 witnesses aged 18 or over, and some organisations will not accept one where a witness lives at your address or is a close relative. You can use it straight away. A specialist agency or a solicitor can make one for you, and may charge a fee (GOV.UK).
  • Enrol it with the High Court from 18, to put the change on public record. It costs £53.05, online or by post, and can take several months. A public record of your name change and your address is published in The Gazette, and the sealed deed sent back to you is the proof (GOV.UK).
  • Ask before you choose. Some banks, mobile phone companies and energy providers may only accept an enrolled deed poll (GOV.UK).
  • For a passport, send the deed poll (or a statutory declaration or affidavit) with proof of any earlier name changes and evidence that you are using the new name, such as a payslip or a letter from your council (GOV.UK). So change it with your employer or council first, and keep the letter. Sign the application in the name you want printed; a name change needs no countersignature (GOV.UK).
  • A child’s name needs the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, or a court order. Enrolling costs £53.05; a court order costs £263, and you must try to reach an agreement first (GOV.UK).
  • On a register of sex, violent or terrorist offenders? You must tell the police within 3 days (GOV.UK).

Your driving licence and log book

  • Licence: fill in form D1 (from most Post Offices) and post it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN, with your licence and the original documents that confirm your new name. No photocopies or laminated certificates, and any certificate must be signed and dated. It does not cost anything; a new photo at the same time is £17, and a lost licence £20. A paper licence needs a recent printed passport-type photo. You can still drive while you wait, and Northern Ireland has a different process (GOV.UK).
  • Log book (V5C): write the new name in full in section 3, no initials, and send the whole log book to the DVLA address there with a letter explaining why. After marriage or divorce no proof is needed; for a legal change such as a deed poll, include it. The new log book can take up to 6 weeks (GOV.UK).
  • Moving at the same time? Changing the address on your licence and log book is its own update, and the moving house checklist has everyone else. Licence due anyway? See driving licence renewal.

HMRC, voting and benefits

  • HMRC. You need to tell HMRC if you have changed your name, online (you sign in) or in the HMRC app. If you send a Self Assessment return, your details there are updated once you have reported it (GOV.UK). Your National Insurance number remains the same for life (GOV.UK).
  • Register to vote again. You need to register again if you have changed your name (GOV.UK).
  • Benefits. Changing your name is on GOV.UK’s list of changes to report. If you do not report a change you might be paid too much and have to pay some back, and you might also have to pay a £50 penalty (GOV.UK).
  • Child Benefit. Tell HMRC if your child changes their name by deed poll (GOV.UK).

Everyone else

  • Your GP. Tell the surgery directly when your personal details need updating (NHS). Then your dentist and optician.
  • Money and work: your employer or payroll, bank, cards, mortgage lender or landlord, pensions, insurers and student loan.
  • The house: energy, water, broadband, phone, council tax and TV Licence.
  • The rest: professional bodies, airline and loyalty accounts, email and subscriptions, and your will. Renewing your passport for another reason? See passport renewal.

Printable change of name checklist

Print it, or save it as a PDF, and tick it off as you go.

First: the proof

  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate: the original, and copies to send
  • Or a deed poll, signed in front of 2 witnesses aged 18 or over
  • Enrolling it? £53.05 to the High Court, and it can take several months
  • Ask your bank whether it needs an enrolled deed poll
  • A payslip or council letter in the new name, for the passport

The official ones

  • HM Passport Office: a new passport in the new name
  • DVLA: driving licence, form D1 by post
  • DVLA: log book (V5C), the new name in section 3
  • HMRC: tell them your name has changed
  • Register to vote again in the new name
  • Benefits, if you get any: report the change
  • Child Benefit: tell HMRC if a child’s name changes by deed poll
  • Council tax: your council

Money and work

  • Your employer or payroll
  • Your bank, building society and cards
  • Your mortgage lender or landlord
  • Your pension providers
  • Insurers: car, home, travel and life
  • Student loan, if you are repaying one

Health and home

  • Your GP surgery
  • Your dentist and optician
  • Energy, water, broadband and phone
  • TV Licence

Travel and the rest

  • Bookings: the name must match the passport you travel on
  • Airline and loyalty accounts
  • Professional bodies and memberships
  • Email, social media and subscriptions
  • Your will and other important documents

Change of name checklist from putitonmyradar.com/change-of-name-checklist. The rules behind each line are on that page, with their official sources.

What Radar does with this

  • Life setup asks: “When do the passports in your household expire?” Some countries want months left on a passport when you travel. Radar reminds you nine months ahead. Radar reminds you 270 days ahead.
  • Life setup asks: “When does your driving licence photocard expire?” The photo needs renewing every 10 years. The date is in section 4b on the card. Radar reminds you 60 days ahead.
  • Life setup asks: “Would you like a reminder to review your will and important documents?” Worth a look every few years, or after a big life change. Radar reminds you 14 days ahead.
  • A passport in a new name is a new 10-year passport, and the time left on the old one is not added, so its expiry date changes: give Life setup the new date and Radar reminds you ahead of it. Put the day you start using your new name on your Radar too, so the changes above have a date to work towards.

Radar reads the calendars, task lists and CRM you connect, and the dates you give it. It writes back only when you press a button, and it never sends anything by itself.

Limitations and status

  • Radar does not change your name anywhere or tell anyone. It keeps the list and reminds you of the dates you give it.
  • Fees change: the GOV.UK page on the day you apply is the one that counts.
  • Born in Scotland, or with a Northern Ireland driving licence? Parts of the process are different: follow GOV.UK’s links for each.
  • Banks, employers and other companies each have their own process: this list says who to tell, not what each one asks for.
Put your passport and licence dates in your calendar — free, no accountLook at a sample radar — no login

Also free: Radar Lite, the habit tracker on its own, for you and anyone 13 or over in the family.

Questions

Do I need a deed poll to change my name after marriage?

No. You do not need a deed poll to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname: send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to the organisations that hold your records. (GOV.UK)

How much does it cost to change your name by deed poll?

You can make an unenrolled deed poll yourself from 16, signed in front of 2 witnesses aged 18 or over. Enrolling it with the High Court, to put it on public record, costs £53.05 and can take several months. A specialist agency or a solicitor may charge a fee to make one for you. (GOV.UK, GOV.UK)

How do I change my name on my driving licence?

Fill in form D1, from most Post Offices, and post it to DVLA with your licence and the original documents that confirm your new name. It does not cost anything, and you can still drive while you wait. Update your log book (V5C) as well. (GOV.UK)

How do I change the name on my passport?

Apply for a new passport in your new name: £102 online or £115.50 with a paper form. Send your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or a deed poll with evidence that you are using the new name. Time left on your old passport is not added to the new one. (GOV.UK, GOV.UK)

Who do I need to tell when I change my name?

HM Passport Office for your passport, DVLA for your driving licence and your log book, HMRC, and the electoral register, where you register again. Then your GP, and if you get benefits, the office that pays them. Then your bank, your employer and everyone else who holds your records. (GOV.UK, GOV.UK, GOV.UK, GOV.UK, GOV.UK, NHS)

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Written by Joel Lister, founder of Radar · first published 16 Oct 2026. Radar is made by Neos Technologies Ltd.