UK Deed Poll in minutes

What is a Deed Poll?

A Deed Poll is a legal document used in the UK to formally change your name. In it you renounce your former name, commit to using your new name at all times, and ask everyone to address you by it.

Once signed and witnessed, a Deed Poll is the document most UK organisations, including HM Passport Office, the DVLA, banks, and employers, accept as evidence of your new name.

When do you need one?

You need a Deed Poll whenever you want your new name recognised on official records. Common situations include:

• Taking a completely new name of your choice
• Changing your name after marriage, civil partnership, or divorce when certificates alone are not enough
• Adopting a new name that reflects your gender identity
• Anglicising a name or changing its spelling
• Taking a double-barrelled surname or dropping part of your name
• Changing a child's name (with the consent of everyone with parental responsibility)

What to include

A Deed Poll is short, but the wording matters. The accepted format contains three core declarations plus the identifying details:

• Your former name and your new name, written out in full
• Your address and the date the deed is made
• A declaration that you absolutely renounce and abandon your former name
• A commitment to use your new name at all times
• A request that all persons address you by your new name
• Your signature in both the former and the new name, plus the witness section

Signing and witnessing

A Deed Poll takes effect once you sign it as a deed in front of a witness. You sign twice, once in your former name and once in your new name, and the witness signs below with their name and address.

The witness must be an independent adult, not a close relative or someone who lives with you. Many organisations expect this independence, so choose a friend, colleague, or neighbour aged 18 or over.

After you sign: updating your records

Your name changes the moment the deed is signed and witnessed, but records do not update themselves. Send or show your Deed Poll to each organisation that holds your old name:

• HM Passport Office for a new passport
• The DVLA for your driving licence and vehicle records
• Your bank, building society, and credit card providers
• HMRC, your employer, and your pension providers
• Your GP, dentist, utility companies, and the electoral register

Keep the original deed safe and use copies where accepted. Some people also choose to enrol the deed at the Royal Courts of Justice, which makes it a public record, but enrolment is optional.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving out one of the three standard declarations, which can get the deed rejected
• Using a witness who is a relative or lives at your address
• Signing with only your new name and forgetting the former-name signature
• Misspelling a name or using initials instead of full names
• Forgetting to update key records such as your passport, driving licence, and bank