UK deed poll · adult or child · free to use
Make your deed poll for free
Fill in a few details, then print it or download the PDF. Sign it in front of two witnesses and you can start using your new name that day. No account, no card details, no catch.
Your deed poll is ready
Check every name is spelt correctly, then download the PDF or print it.
We’ll send it once, with the PDF attached. No newsletters, no follow-ups.
Before you sign
- Print it on plain white A4. If you’ll send it to a few places at once, print two or three: each signed and witnessed copy is an original.
- Ask two adults who aren’t related to you and don’t live with you to be your witnesses.
- While they watch, sign where it shows each name. The witnesses then sign and add their own details.
Prefer it checked, printed and posted to you? changeyourname.co.uk does that as a paid service.
Three steps and you’re done
Make it
Use the form above. Check the spelling, then print it on plain white A4 paper.
Sign it
Sign in your new name and your old one while two adult witnesses watch. Choose people who aren’t family and don’t live with you. How to sign it
Use it
Show the signed original to your bank, your employer, the Passport Office and anyone else who needs to know. Who to tell
What you’re making
A deed poll is a short legal document in which you give up your old name and take a new one. As an adult you don’t need anyone’s permission to change your name, and you don’t need a solicitor. Organisations just want proof that you’ve done it properly, and a signed, witnessed deed poll is that proof.
The one you make here is an unenrolled deed poll, which is the kind most people use. Unenrolled simply means it isn’t registered with a court. It’s what the Passport Office and DVLA expect to see, and most banks and employers accept it too. Who accepts it, and when enrolling is worth it
Anyone aged 16 or over can make their own. For a child under 16, use the child deed poll, which is made and signed by the people with parental responsibility.
The wording follows the guidance for England and Wales. If you were born in Scotland, or you live permanently outside the UK, different rules apply, so check GOV.UK first.
Straight answers
Is a free deed poll actually legal?
Yes. Nothing in the law says you have to pay for one. What makes a deed poll valid is what it says and how it’s signed: dated, signed with your old name and your new one, with witnesses watching. Once you’ve signed one from this site, it does all of that. More on whether it’ll be accepted
Will the Passport Office accept it?
Yes. HM Passport Office accepts deed polls that people make themselves, as long as it’s dated, signed by hand in both names, witnessed, and you send the signed original rather than a copy. They’ll also want one recent document that shows you’re already using the new name, such as a bank statement or a payslip.
Who can be a witness?
Any adult who isn’t a close relative and doesn’t live with you is a safe choice: a friend, a neighbour, someone you work with. They watch you sign, then sign it themselves and print their name and address. They don’t need a special job or qualification. How to sign it
Can I use it straight away?
Yes. As soon as it’s signed and witnessed you can start using your new name. There’s nothing to send off or register first.
What if somewhere won’t accept it?
It doesn’t happen often, and when it does there’s usually a simple reason, like a missing signature or a photocopy instead of the original. What to do if it’s rejected
Why is it free?
Because changing your name doesn’t need to cost anything. You don’t need a solicitor or a paid service, just the right wording and a clean document to sign, and that’s what this site gives you. It’s run by changeyourname.co.uk, which also offers a paid printed version for people who’d rather not do it themselves. Using this site doesn’t commit you to anything. About this site