Getting a copy of your deed poll

There is no register of name changes or deed polls in the U.K. (although we do have an archiving service).

Nevertheless we can always do a copy of your deed poll if you’ve lost it, or you need another copy.

How you get one depends on —

• whether we originally did your deed poll for you
• how long ago your name was changed
• whether you’ve archived your document in our SafeStorage™ service

If we did your deed poll

If we originally did your deed poll (or replacement document), you should check if these two cases apply to you:

When you’ll need to apply for a replacement document
(If we did not do your deed poll, and all other cases)

☞ You’ll need to apply for a replacement deed poll / statutory declaration if —

• you changed your name more than 2 months ago
• you did your original deed poll with another service (not us), or through a solicitor
• you changed your name some other way (e.g. by marriage, divorce, adoption, or a court order)
• you never had any formal document proving your change of name (a change of name by usage)
• there’s a different name (or a mistake) on your birth certificate, and you want to prove that it belongs to you

It costs £ 25 to make a replacement application online.  You’ll get a new, original replacement document.

This is the best possible proof of a past change of name, because it will show when your name was changed, as well as resolving any discrepancies in the names across your current documents and records.

We can also document —

• more than one change of name (by deed poll or otherwise)
• changes of title and/or gender
• any new change you want to make

 — all on the same document.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out when my name was changed?

You may not be able to find out the date when your name was changed, seeing as a change of name doesn’t have to be registered anywhere.  Your name may have been changed over a period of time (not on a single date).

To do a replacement deed poll / statutory declaration we don’t need to put the exact date for a past change of name.  It’s enough if you put a month and year, or even just a year.  If you’re not sure about the month or year, then please tell us the latest month / year that you think it could have been — to the best of your knowledge.

Does it matter how long ago my name was changed?

No.  It could have been 100 years ago, or just the other day.

We can always do a replacement document for you, proving your change of name, so long as you changed your name by becoming known by it for all purposes.

My name was never formally changed — does that matter?

That’s fine — we can still prove your change of name.  It’s possible to legally change your name by “usage”.  Your name, by law, is the name you’re generally called and known by.

So long as you became known by your new name for all purposes (e.g. on work records, medical records, bank accounts, your driving licence, and so on) — we can do a replacement document for you.

I’ve still got my original deed poll.  Can I get a replacement anyway?

Yes — you can apply for a replacement deed poll, and still keep (and use) your original document.  The replacement won’t invalidate your original document in any way.

What if I’ve changed my name again, since I did my deed poll?

If you’ve changed your name more than once, we’ll need to prepare a replacement deed poll / statutory declaration proving every change of name you’ve made, up till the present.

So you’ll need to provide details of every change of name, going back to the change of name that you really need to prove — including any change of name by marriage, divorce, deed poll, or otherwise.  There’s no extra charge for doing your document like this — the fee you pay is per person.

Fill in the application form with the details of your most recent change of name — so with your “current name” as it is now, and your “former name” as it was just before you changed it.

Then include details of any previous changes of names in the “additional comments” section at the end (we need to know each name in full, plus the date it was changed, to the best of your knowledge).

☞ You need to include details of change of name going back to the change of name that you really need to prove.

For example — suppose you needed to prove your change of name from Alex SMITH to Billy SMITH — but you’ve since changed your name from Billy SMITH to Charlie SMITH.  In that case you should —

• fill in your “former name” as Billy SMITH
• fill in your “current name” as Charlie SMITH
• then include the details of your change of name from Alex SMITH to Billy SMITH (and any other earlier changes of name) in the “additional comments” section (remember to include the date of the change of name, to the best of your knowledge)

Can I get a deed poll proving someone else’s change of name?

If you need to prove a child’s change of name, you can apply for a replacement document so long as you’ve got parental responsibility for the child.

If you need to prove anyone else’s change of name (e.g. an adult relative), bear in mind that the person you need it for must be able to sign the document.

We cannot prepare a replacement document for someone who —

• has died
• you don’t have contact details for
• refuses to sign the document
• doesn’t have the mental capacity to execute a deed poll / statutory declaration (unless someone else has a power of attorney or equivalent)

In general, you can fill in the application form on behalf of someone else — so long as they’ve given you permission, or someone else has a power of attorney (or equivalent).  (Bear in mind that under data protection law, a person’s personal details always belong to that person.)

If you’re filling in the form on someone else’s behalf (i.e. an adult), answer the questions as though it were them filling in the form.

If the person doesn’t have mental capacity please answer “yes” to the question “Are you unable to make your own decision about changing your name?” — and then indicate who has been authorised to make decisions on the person’s behalf.