Deed poll UK: how to create one for free and what it needs to say

Every deed poll contains three declarations:

1. I am abandoning my former name and will no longer use it.
2. I will use my new name at all times.
3. I require all persons and organisations to address me by my new name.

The exact wording used in standard deed polls has been confirmed by the courts as legally sufficient. You do not need to add anything or make it more formal.

A standard deed poll reads something like this (verify current GOV.UK wording before using):

"I [old full name] of [your address] have on the [date] day of [month] [year] abandoned the use of my former name [old name] and in place thereof I have assumed and intend henceforth on all occasions whatsoever to use the name [new full name]."

Use the GOV.UK template to ensure the wording matches what HMPO and HMRC currently accept: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Write or type the deed poll using standard wording. Include your old name, your new name, your date of birth, and your current address.

Step 2: Sign it with both your old name and your new name. Both signatures appear on the same document.

Step 3: Have two witnesses sign it. Your witnesses must be:

• Aged 18 or over
• Not related to you
• People who know you personally

Witnesses do not need to be professionals or officials. Any adult who knows you personally can witness a deed poll. Many people assume they need a solicitor or Justice of the Peace. They do not.

Each witness signs and prints their full name, their address, and their occupation.

Step 4: Date the document.

Step 5: Keep the original. Make several certified copies by printing additional copies, signing each one as "a true copy of the original," and dating them. Organisations will ask to keep copies — having enough ready avoids delays.

Each witness must sign the deed poll with their full name, address, and occupation. There is no need for a statement from the witness — they are simply confirming they witnessed you signing.

The witness is not verifying your identity or confirming anything about your entitlement to change your name. They are confirming they saw you sign the document. Any adult who knows you personally can do this.

Do not use someone who benefits from the deed poll, and do not use a close family member. Outside those restrictions, the choice of witness is straightforward.

An enrolled deed poll is registered at the Royal Courts of Justice and published in The London Gazette, which is the official government publication of public notices. This makes your name change a permanent public record.

You almost never need this. For all domestic UK purposes — passport, driving licence, HMRC, DWP, NHS, banks, employers — an unenrolled deed poll is accepted without question.

The situations where enrolled deed polls are sometimes required:

• Certain foreign government processes: some countries' embassies or visa authorities request an enrolled deed poll as proof of a legal name change when processing applications for citizenship, residency, or travel documents
• Returning to a former name after an extended period in some specific circumstances — verify with the relevant body whether enrolled enrolment is genuinely needed before going through the process

The cost to enrol a deed poll is currently £42.44 (verify at GOV.UK — the fee may change). Applications go to the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Verify the current process at: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/enrol-a-deed-poll

One important thing to note: an enrolled deed poll is published in The Gazette and is therefore a matter of public record. If you want your name change to remain private, do not enrol it.

Dozens of websites offer to produce a deed poll for fees ranging from £20 to £80 or more. What they do is produce the same document you can create yourself using the GOV.UK template, with identical legal standing.

These services are not more official, more valid, or more widely accepted than a self-prepared deed poll. HMPO, HMRC, the DVLA, and every bank in the UK accept a self-prepared deed poll.

The only advantage of a commercial service is that someone else does the typing for you. If you would rather not draft it yourself, that is a legitimate reason to use one. But do not use one because you believe it is legally necessary — it is not.