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Changing your name is free. The websites charging £40 hope you don’t know.

Last verified 11 Jun 2026 · Source GOV.UK change-name-deed-poll + NRS Scotland · Publisher: SortedUK Ltd (filed 5 Jun 2026)

In England and Wales an unenrolled deed poll — a one-page document with the right wording, signed before two witnesses — legally changes your name for £0, and the Court of Appeal has confirmed it’s every bit as valid as the £53.05 court-enrolled version. Yet a whole industry of official-sounding websites charges £15–£60+ for the same piece of paper. Here’s the free route, the marriage and divorce shortcuts, and what to update after.

£0A DIY unenrolled deed poll — fully valid
2Independent witnesses — that’s the whole ritual
£53.05Optional court enrolment — NOT more valid
£55Scotland’s NRS route — updates the birth record
The free route Updating your passport after

The free deed poll — 30 minutes, two signatures

  1. Copy the official wording — GOV.UK publishes the exact text free at gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll. It declares that you renounce your former name, adopt the new one for all purposes, and require everyone to use it.
  2. Sign it with both names — your old signature and your new one — and date it.
  3. Two independent adult witnesses (not relatives; a neighbour, colleague or friend is fine) watch you sign and add their own names, addresses and signatures.
  4. Print several clean copies and have each executed, or get copies certified later — banks and government bodies will want to see one.
  • Accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, banks and employers when properly executed.
  • Adults 18+ can do this freely; 16–17-year-olds can too; for under-16s everyone with parental responsibility must consent, and the process differs — take advice first.
  • You can change first names, surnames, add or remove middle names — your name is yours.
The £40 trap Paid “deed poll office” websites — many with official-sounding names — charge £15–£60+ for printing the same free wording on nice paper. They are private companies, not government, and their documents carry no extra legal force. If you’ve already paid and the document was fine, you lost money but not validity; if a site pressures you to “register” or “renew” a name change for a fee, check it.
Enrolled deed polls — the £53.05 option almost nobody needs You can enrol a deed poll at the Royal Courts of Justice (18+, fee £53.05). It creates a public record — published in The Gazette — which some people want for formality and others actively avoid for privacy. The Court of Appeal has confirmed an enrolled deed is no more legally valid than an unenrolled one. Occasionally an institution dealing with old or complex records requests one; otherwise, the free version does everything.

Married? Divorced? You may not need a deed poll at all

SituationWhat you actually need
Taking a spouse’s surname after marriage / civil partnershipYour marriage or civil partnership certificate — banks, DVLA and the passport office accept it directly. Free (beyond certificate copies).
Going back to your previous name after divorce / dissolutionThe decree absolute / final order plus your birth certificate usually suffices. Some banks like a short signed statement too.
A new surname, changed first name, double-barrelling outside marriageThat’s deed poll territory — the free route above.

Scotland & Northern Ireland

  • Scotland (born or adopted there): record the change with National Records of Scotland for £55 — it annotates your birth record itself, so future birth-certificate copies show the new name. Arguably the tidiest system in the UK. Deed polls from elsewhere are also recognised.
  • Northern Ireland: a similar registration route via GRONI, alongside deeds of change of name.

After the deed — the update list

  • Passport — a new one at the standard fee (you can’t amend the old one).
  • Driving licence — free, by post with the supporting documents.
  • HMRC — via your personal tax account; your bank, employer and pensions — a certified copy each.
  • GP and NHS record, electoral roll, council — short calls or forms.
Do this now

Don’t pay anyone: copy the free wording from gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll, print three copies, and sign them tonight with two witnesses. That’s the legal part done.

Then work the update list above, one document at a time — the licence is free, so start there.

One honest caveat A name change doesn’t erase the past: credit history, qualifications and records link via your documents, and using a new name to deceive or avoid debts is fraud. For everyone else — a fresh start costs nothing.
Related guides Passport renewal Driving licence Order certificates (GRO) Your NI number Scam checker

Deed polls — common questions

How much does a deed poll cost?

Nothing — a DIY unenrolled deed poll with the free GOV.UK wording and two witnesses is legally complete. Court enrolment (£53.05) is optional and adds no validity; paid websites charge £15–£60+ for the same wording.

Will the passport office accept a free deed poll?

Yes — HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC and banks accept a properly executed unenrolled deed poll (signed in both names, dated, two independent witnesses with addresses).

I just got married/divorced — deed poll needed?

Usually not: the marriage certificate changes a surname directly, and the decree absolute plus birth certificate reverts one. Deed polls are for changes those documents don't cover.

What about Scotland?

If born or adopted in Scotland, record the change with National Records of Scotland (£55) — it updates your birth record itself, so future certificates show the new name.

Can I change a child's name?

Under-16s need the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, and the process (and any disputes) differ — get advice from Citizens Advice or a family solicitor before starting.

Sources Free unenrolled deed poll route, wording and witnessing · GOV.UK change your name by deed poll. Enrolment at the Royal Courts of Justice (£53.05, optional, Gazette publication; equal validity confirmed by the Court of Appeal in D v B) · GOV.UK enrolment guidance + case law. Scotland recorded name change £55 · National Records of Scotland. NI · GRONI. Marriage/divorce document shortcuts · GOV.UK + bank/HMPO acceptance practice. SortedUK is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed: 11 June 2026.
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