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Change my name after marriage
What usually matters in this situation, and the papers to keep ready before you meet an advocate or free legal aid (call 15100).
Make my own list — free, 2 minutesYour situation
- What do you need to change? My name (new name or spelling)
- Why is it needed? Marriage or divorce
Where you stand
- In your favour A surname change after marriage is often accepted with the marriage certificate alone.
Papers to gather
- Affidavit stating old and new name/detail, on stamp paper, notarised
First step for name change and most corrections. Where: Notary. - Your birth certificate or school leaving / 10th certificate
Other records are corrected to match it. Where: Municipal office; school; board. - All IDs showing the mismatch (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, certificates)
You will update each one. Where: DigiLocker. - Newspaper notice of the name change
Needed for gazette publication. Where: One local and one national newspaper. - Gazette notification of the new name
Accepted by passport, PAN and banks. Where: egazette.gov.in (central) or state gazette. - Marriage certificate or divorce decree
Often enough for a surname change. Where: Your records.
You may also need, depending on your answers
- Hospital birth record or other old evidence of birth — Needed for late registration or DOB correction.
What the law says
Name change for adults is usually done by an affidavit, a newspaper notice and publication in the Gazette (Department of Publication for central, or the state gazette). Birth records are corrected by the Registrar under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969; since 1 October 2023, a birth certificate is the single document to prove date of birth for births after that date, and delayed registration needs an order. Aadhaar allows name and date-of-birth changes only a limited number of times. A pending criminal case can lead to passport refusal, but a court can permit one.
General information, not legal advice.
Saboot will also ask
- Do you have a birth certificate?
- Is this for a child under 18?
Similar situations
- Wrong date of birth in my certificates
- No birth certificate — need one now
- Spelling mistake in my name in Aadhaar or PAN
- Passport application stuck or rejected
- Father’s name wrong in my documents
- Child’s name or details wrong in school records
Sources
- e-Gazette of India (name change notifications)
- Civil Registration System — births and deaths
- UIDAI — Aadhaar update
- Passport Seva
The full guide: Name change, or correcting date of birth / name in birth certificate, Aadhaar, passport or certificates · All situations