Is there an official fee for changing your name?#
No. Nobody charges you for the change of name itself: a deed poll takes effect when you sign it, and GOV.UK publishes wording you can use for nothing. The official fees in this table are for the records and documents you update afterwards, or for optional extras such as enrolment. Most people pay only one of them, the passport, at £102 online for an adult. For your own total, including a deed poll and certified copies, see how much it costs to change your name or the cost calculator.
Every official fee, checked 22 October 2026#
Passports
| Fee | Amount | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult passport in a new name, online | £102 | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| Adult passport, paper form | £115.50 | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| Child passport (under 16), online | £66.50 | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| Child passport, paper form | £80 | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| 1 week Fast Track, covers a change of name | £192 adult, £156.50 child | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| 1 day Online Premium, renewals only, not a change of name | £239.50 | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
| Secure return of your documents, such as a deed poll | £5, optional | HM Passport Office | GOV.UK |
There is no separate fee for a change of name: you pay for a new passport at the normal price. A 54-page passport costs more, and anyone born on or before 2 September 1929 pays nothing. Passport fees for a name change has the detail.
Courts
| Fee | Amount | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolling a deed poll with the High Court (optional) | £53.05 | HM Courts and Tribunals Service | GOV.UK |
| Court order about a child's name, form C100 or C1 | £270 | The family court | EX50 |
| Search of enrolled deeds by court staff | £11 | The High Court | SI 2026/642 |
| Copy of an enrolled deed | 50p | The High Court | SI 2026/642 |
| Copy of a family court document, such as a final order | £14 for up to 10 pages | The family court | EX50 |
GOV.UK gives £53.05 as the cost of enrolment. Behind it, the Enrolment of Deeds (Fees) Regulations 1994 set the court's fee for enrolling the deed itself at £11, in force since 1 May 2024; GOV.UK does not break the rest down. How to enrol a deed poll explains the rest.
Birth and marriage records
| Fee | Amount | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate, England and Wales | £12.50; £38.50 priority | General Register Office | GOV.UK |
| Changing a baby's first name within 12 months of registration, England and Wales | £44 | The register office | Fees Regulations 2016 |
| Correcting a mistake in a birth registration | £83 or £99 | The register office | GOV.UK |
| Recording a change of name, born or adopted in Scotland | £40, plus £10 for each extra family member | National Records of Scotland | NRS |
| Recording a change of name, born or adopted in Northern Ireland | £35, plus £16 for each extra family member | General Register Office for Northern Ireland | nidirect |
| Certificate showing the recorded change, Northern Ireland | £15 | General Register Office for Northern Ireland | nidirect |
GOV.UK adds £3.50 for each search if you order a General Register Office certificate without the index reference. National Records of Scotland does not send a new birth certificate automatically, and says it cannot record a change made because of marriage, divorce or a civil partnership.
Driving licence and vehicle
| Fee | Amount | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New name on a driving licence | Free | DVLA | GOV.UK |
| New photo at the same time | £17 | DVLA | GOV.UK |
| Old licence lost, stolen or destroyed | £20 | DVLA | GOV.UK |
| New name on the V5C log book | Usually free | DVLA | GOV.UK |
| Log book lost, with a change of name | £25 | DVLA | GOV.UK |
A name change on a licence is by post only. DVLA's fee table shows £14 for a new photo online, but that applies only to a photo or address change made online; with a new name the photo is £17, and there is no photo fee if you are over 70.
Using the deed abroad, and declarations
| Fee | Amount | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apostille on paper | £45, plus courier or postage | Legalisation Office | GOV.UK |
| e-Apostille | £35 | Legalisation Office | GOV.UK |
| Taking a statutory declaration, England and Wales | £5, plus £2 for each exhibit | A solicitor or commissioner for oaths | 1993 Order |
| Signing a declaration before a justice of the peace, Scotland | Free at present | Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service | SCTS |
A document usually needs certifying by a UK notary or solicitor before it can be apostilled, at their own rate; notaries are not covered by the 1993 Order. Using a UK deed poll abroad and statutory declarations explain when each applies.
What changed in 2026#
Two sets of fees in this table rose in 2026:
- 8 April 2026, passports. An adult passport rose from £94.50 to £102 online and from £107 to £115.50 on paper; a child's from £61.50 to £66.50 and from £74 to £80. The urgent services are the standard fee plus a premium, and the premiums rose the same day, to £90 for Fast Track and £137.50 for Online Premium, which gives £192 and £239.50 for an adult. Source: SI 2026/311, amending the Passport (Fees) Regulations 2022.
- 13 July 2026, courts. The fee for an application under the Children Act 1989, including form C100, rose from £263 to £270. A staff search of enrolled deeds went from £5 to £11 and a copy from 25p to 50p. Source: SI 2026/642, as moved to 13 July by SI 2026/665, and EX50.
GOV.UK's deed poll guide still gave the old £263 for a court order on 22 October 2026, and some other websites repeat it. The enrolment fee, £53.05, did not change. What changed in UK name change rules in 2026 covers the rules as well as the fees.
Fees this table cannot give you#
Some charges are set by the person doing the work, not by government: a notary's or solicitor's fee for certifying a document, a solicitor's fee for drafting a deed poll or declaration, and a translator's fee. A few private organisations charge for updating a name, such as some insurers. How much it costs to change your name covers those, with our own prices.
Questions people ask
Is there a fee to change your name by deed poll?
Not an official one. A deed poll you write from GOV.UK's wording costs nothing, and nobody has to approve it. The only government fee attached to a deed poll is enrolment with the High Court, £53.05, which is optional. A deed poll drafted by us is £18.50.
Is the court fee for changing a child's name £263 or £270?
£270. HMCTS's fee list (EX50) and the fees order both give £270 from 13 July 2026 for an application under the Children Act 1989, including a specific issue order on form C100. GOV.UK's deed poll guide still showed £263 on 22 October 2026. Using form C100.
Can I use the 1 day passport service after changing my name?
No. GOV.UK says the Online Premium service is only for renewing an adult passport, and HM Passport Office's guidance says it can be used only if you have not changed your personal details. The 1 week Fast Track service, £192 for an adult, does cover a change of name.
Can I get help paying court fees?
Possibly. GOV.UK says you may get help with court fees if you are on benefits or a low income, and the scheme covers the £270 application fee. Get help with court fees on GOV.UK checks eligibility.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
