Change of name

On this page

Change your surname after marriage

If you were married in Australia, you can take the surname of your partner for free, without going through the formal name change application process. Learn how to change your surname after marriage in Australia.

Apply for a change of name for an adult online

The quickest way to apply for a change of name is online.

You can apply to change your name if you are over the age of 18 and:

your birth is registered in NSW, or
you were born overseas and have been a resident in NSW for 3 consecutive years when you apply, or
your birth is not registered in NSW and a protection order has been made to protect you and/or your children from domestic violence
you can provide proof of identity and residency
you can disclose any criminal records.

Change the name of a child

To register a change of name for your child (under 18 years) both parents must complete the application.

One parent can apply alone if:

they are the only parent named on the child’s birth certificate, or
they have sole parental responsibility under a final parenting order made under the Family Law Act 1975 of the Commonwealth to make decisions about:
- major long-term issues within the meaning of the Family Law Act, or
- the child's name, or
the other parent is deceased, or
a court has specifically approved the new name for the child.

Change of Name (Child) online

Other ways to apply for a change of name

Apply by post

Download and complete either:

You must enclose copies of your identity documents.

Apply in person

Download and complete one of the below forms:

Bring your original identity documents with you to a Service NSW centre.

Returning original certificates

You must return all of your original certificates with your application including any:

NSW birth certificates and extracts, and
NSW change of name certificates and extracts.

Proof of identity

The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages will need to verify your identity before processing the change of name application.

Please refer to the relevant application form for Proof of Identity requirements.

Fees and processing times

Registration of change of name (includes standard certificate)	Standard service $222	Priority service $283
Online application	up to 8 weeks	up to 4 weeks
By post	up to 9 weeks	up to 4 weeks
Registry agents (Service NSW)	up to 9 weeks	up to 4 weeks

^{All prices include $11 postage and handling. Add $9 for international post.}

Common questions about changing your name

Who can't apply for a change of name

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) restricts certain classes of persons from changing their name without the permission of a supervising authority. It also restricts people from making a change of name on behalf of a restricted person.

A restricted person is:

an inmate
a person on remand
a parolee
a periodic detainee
a person who is subject to a supervision order
a forensic patient, or
correctional patient.

You must obtain permission from the relevant authority to apply for a change of name if you are under the supervision of the:

Making an application without approval is an offence under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995.

Exemptions

If you are a restricted person, you may be able to apply to change your name if you meet any of the following requirements for exemption.

Persons who have been convicted of an offence under a law of the Commonwealth, or
Persons who are a former serious offender because of the commission or alleged commission of an offence under a law of the Commonwealth, or
You are being held under the:

If unsure of your status, contact:

For more information about who can apply, see the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995.

Is there a limit to how many times you can change your name

In NSW, you can only change your name once in a 12-month period and 3 times in your lifetime.

If you change your name or use an additional or other name with the intention of breaking the law in any way, you could face criminal charges.

When a change of name is completed, we amend the birth registration if you were born in NSW:

for a child to include the change of name, but we do not change the names of the parents
for an adult to show details of previously registered names and former names used.

Note that once the change of name has been registered and a certificate issued:

The change of name certificate cannot be used to amend any details of a registered life event that occurred before the registration date of the change of name.
Some organisations may not accept certificates if they are laminated.

Can I choose any name

Most names can be registered, but not all. We cannot register a name that:

is offensive
is too long
includes numbers and symbols such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Jnr, Snr
could be confused with a title or rank such as colonel, judge, saint, queen, prince.

Learn more about the rules for choosing a name.

What if I was not born in Australia

Proof of residency in NSW

You must provide a document that shows your residential address:

for the current year (issued in the last 3 months), and
one for each of the previous 3 years.

For example, if you are applying in 2020, you must have lived in NSW in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (a total of 4 documents).

Why has my application been delayed

Processing may be delayed if your application is incomplete, does not include valid identification, or you do not pay the fee.

Note we will only refund the certificate fee for incomplete or non-compliant applications.

Other things to take into account when calculating processing times are:

Certificates are delivered by registered post. Processing times do not include delivery. Please see Australia Post website for current delivery times within Australia.
Customers who have selected an international delivery may experience postage delays.

Related information

Last updated: 5 September 2024