Why the register matters#
The Land Register is the record of who owns registered land and property in England and Wales, and it is checked every time a property is sold, remortgaged or borrowed against. HM Land Registry's own guidance says one of the biggest causes of delay when dealing with property is a name that differs from the name recorded in the register, and that lenders commonly refuse to lend unless your details exactly match it. Changing the register is not urgent the day you change your name, but it is worth doing before you next remortgage or sell.
You can check what the register says first. GOV.UK's search for property information service gives you a copy of a title register for £7.
What to send#
GOV.UK's guidance on updating the register says that when you change your name you must send original or certified copies of documents that link your new name to the name currently on the register, and that you do not have to pay anything to do this. Use form AP1, "Change the register", and send it with one of:
- your marriage or civil partnership certificate, if you have changed your surname that way;
- a copy of a deed poll;
- a statement of truth;
- a statutory declaration sworn before a magistrate, a solicitor or a commissioner of oaths.
If you are not using a solicitor or conveyancer, GOV.UK says you must also send a filled-in confirmation of identity form in your new name, form ID1 if someone checks your identity in person, or form ID3 if an authorised professional checks it remotely, plus a copy of an official document in your former name, such as a passport, driving licence or utility bill. That is how HM Land Registry satisfies itself that the person asking to change the name is the owner.
HM Land Registry returns your original documents after the register has been updated if you applied yourself. If a conveyancer applies for you, GOV.UK says to check with them whether they will return your documents. A certified copy of the deed poll saves the original from going in the post at all.
Where to send it#
The AP1 guidance for the public gives the address: HM Land Registry Citizen Centre, PO Box 7806, Bilston WV1 9QR. GOV.UK's AP1 page carries a warning that land registration is designed to protect legal and financial interests, that errors can have significant consequences, and that you should consider the benefits of using a conveyancer before applying without one. For a change of name alone the form is short; the guidance on completing form AP1 says which panels to fill in.
If you have changed your name for your affirmed gender#
GOV.UK says you can use either form AP1 or form CNG to change your name on the register, and both update it in the same way. Use AP1 if you are sending standard documents such as a deed poll, statement of truth or statutory declaration, and form CNG if you want to send more sensitive documents that show your name has changed. Changing your name when you transition covers the other organisations.
After marriage#
The most common reason for changing a name in the register, HM Land Registry says, is marriage or civil partnership, and it has a separate guidance page for that: the same AP1 form, sent with your certificate, and again no fee. Changing your name after marriage puts the register in order with everything else.
