A professional register is how patients, clients and employers check that you are entitled to practise, so regulators care about the name you work under. Some need to know about a new name only if you will practise in it: the GPhC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland say so, and Social Work England says you must tell it if you are practising under a new name. Others set deadlines. Reporting a change of name within 7 days is a condition of an SIA licence, the Education Workforce Council's rules allow one month, and the GPhC asks for one month. The General Chiropractic Council says you may keep practising under your old name while it is the registered one, but also that its rules require any change of name to be notified within 30 days.
Most regulators take the change in your online account or on a form sent by email or post. Most want a copy or a scan rather than the original: the GPhC asks you not to send originals, the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland wants a copy certified by a solicitor, and the GDC accepts certified copies and destroys any documents it is not asked to return. The NMC may also ask another registrant to confirm the change. Every regulator that lists documents includes a deed poll or change of name deed, though the GPhC and the GCC give an enrolled deed poll as their example.
Registers differ in what they show afterwards. The FCA register publishes the name and any previous names of certified and assessed persons. Who can see my former name? looks at the wider question, and our guide for employers and payroll covers work records.
Our guides#
Changing your name with the General Medical Council 
Changing your name with the HCPC 
Changing your name with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Health professions#
| Regulator | How to tell them | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical Council (GMC) | Our guide sets out the GMC's process | Our guide lists the evidence the GMC asks for |
| Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) | Your MyNMC account | A copy of an official document such as a deed poll, and a registered referee if asked |
| Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) | A request in your online account, not by email | Uploaded evidence, such as a marriage certificate or deed poll |
| General Dental Council | Its change of name form, by post | A marriage certificate, decree absolute or deed poll (a deed poll for a new first name), plus a passport or licence in the new name unless the change came from a marriage or civil partnership; certified copies accepted |
| General Pharmaceutical Council | Its registered details form, by email, within one month if you will practise in the new name | A scan or photo of an official document, such as a marriage certificate or a copy of an enrolled deed poll; no originals |
| General Optical Council | Your MyGOC account, where it says you update your details | No published process for a change of name |
| General Osteopathic Council | No published process; registration is managed in its o zone | No published process |
| General Chiropractic Council | Its change of name form, from the email address it holds, within 30 days | Evidence of both names, such as a marriage certificate, an enrolled deed poll or old and new passports; it can consider other evidence |
| Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland | An application in its online portal, then the certified copy by post | A solicitor-certified copy of the deed poll or certificate, and any paper registration certificate |
Social work and social care#
| Regulator | How to tell them | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work England | 'About you' in your online account | Evidence such as a deed poll, passport, or marriage or civil partnership certificate |
| Scottish Social Services Council | Your MySSSC account; its help centre shows employers endorsing name changes | No documents listed |
| Social Care Wales | 'My Profile' in your SCWonline account, as soon as possible | No documents listed |
| Northern Ireland Social Care Council | The change of name option in My Portal | A document upload may be needed; none is listed |
Teaching#
| Regulator | How to tell them | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Regulation Agency and DfE, England | The Access your teaching qualifications service, which GOV.UK says can change the name on your certificates | Not stated before you sign in |
| Education Workforce Council, Wales | Within one month, under its Registration Rules 2024 | Documentary proof, which the rules say it may ask for |
| General Teaching Council for Scotland | The change of name form in MyGTCS | A marriage, civil partnership or divorce certificate, or a change of name deed |
| General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland | Its Teachers' Portal, where its FAQs say details are changed | No published process for a change of name |
Legal professions#
| Regulator | How to tell them | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitors Regulation Authority | Edit your name in your mySRA profile | An uploaded document such as a marriage certificate, decree nisi or deed poll |
| Bar Standards Board | MyBar, where barristers must promptly update details given at authorisation to practise | No published process for a change of name |
| CILEx Regulation | No published process | No published process |
| Law Society of Scotland | Contact the Society | Check with the Society |
| Law Society of Northern Ireland | Its practising certificate guidance is in the members' area | No published process |
Security and financial services#
| Regulator | How to tell them | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Security Industry Authority | Your SIA online account, within 7 days; it is a licence condition | No documents listed |
| Financial Conduct Authority register | Your firm tells the FCA: Form D for approved persons, or a Directory Persons amendment within 7 business days | Handled by the firm; the register shows certified and assessed persons' previous names |
Questions people ask
Do I have to change my name on the register?
Not always. The GPhC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland need to know only if you want to practise under the new name. The SIA and the Education Workforce Council require every change to be reported, and the General Chiropractic Council, though it lets you keep practising under your registered name, says its rules require a change of name to be notified within 30 days.
Is an unenrolled deed poll accepted?
Most regulators name a deed poll without mentioning enrolment, including the NMC, HCPC, SRA, GDC, Social Work England and GTC Scotland. The GPhC and the GCC give an enrolled deed poll as their example, but the GPhC's list is only examples and the GCC says it can consider other evidence, such as old and new passports. Enrolled and unenrolled deed polls explains the difference.
Will my former name appear on the register?
On some. The FCA publishes the name and any previous names of certified and assessed persons. After a change of gender, the GCC keeps the entry in the old name off the public register and gives the new entry a different number. Who can see my former name? looks at the wider question.
Does my employer have to be involved?
For some registers. The SSSC's help centre shows employers endorsing name change requests, and in financial services it is the firm that tells the FCA. Telling your employer covers payroll and HR.
How long does a change of name take?
Few regulators say. The GPhC makes the change within 28 days of receiving your form and documents, and the NMC gives your referee 28 days to confirm. Until the register changes, the GCC's guidance is to practise under the name it shows.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
