Adults: from 16, for any reason#
GOV.UK says that if you are 16 or over you can make a deed poll yourself and start using a new name. Nobody has to agree, no reason is asked for, and none is recorded on the deed. There is no upper age limit, and no requirement to be a British citizen: a deed poll is a UK document that evidences a change of name, and what you can do with it abroad depends on the country concerned. Can I change my name by deed poll? checks the exceptions in two or three questions.
If you hold a passport issued by another country, only that country can change the name in it. A UK deed poll is still valid in the UK, but ask the embassy or consulate what it will accept before relying on it for their documents.
Children under 16#
A child cannot make a deed poll. A parent or guardian makes one on the child's behalf, and GOV.UK requires either the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or a court order, adding that you must try to reach an agreement before you seek an order. A mother has parental responsibility automatically; a father has it if married to the mother, if registered on the birth certificate, or by agreement or court order; step-parents do not have it automatically. A child's deed made without everyone's agreement is not valid, and changing a child's name explains what happens when a parent will not agree.
Who has parental responsibility? explains whose agreement is needed, including a step-parent's (changing a stepchild's surname).
Sixteen and seventeen#
A young person of 16 or 17 changes their own name with their own deed poll, without a parent's agreement. GOV.UK treats a 16 or 17 year old who is or has been married or in a civil partnership as an adult for enrolment as well.
Changing your name at 16 or 17 is written for young people themselves, and does my child need a new deed poll at 18? for their parents.
People with a duty to report#
A registered sex, violent or terrorist offender can change their name, but must tell the police within 3 days at their prescribed police station, and GOV.UK says failing to do so is a criminal offence. Anyone subject to a court order, bail or licence conditions, or an immigration condition should check that it allows the change.
Can I change my name if I have a criminal record? covers the police, licence and probation rules in full.
Living outside the UK#
GOV.UK says that if you are a permanent resident overseas, you cannot change your name by deed poll. Changing your name if you live outside the UK covers what that means for British citizens abroad and for foreign nationals in the UK.
Someone who cannot decide for themselves#
A deed poll is a personal act, and it is the person changing their name who signs it. Where someone lacks the capacity to make the decision, an attorney or a deputy should take advice before assuming a deed poll can be signed on that person's behalf; we do not draft one in those circumstances without being told first.
