Changing your name
Coronavirus response
To minimise exposure to COVID-19 for our customers and staff, we will not be holding any change of name interview bookings until June 2020.
If you have an application to submit, please send it to us by post only.
You can change your legal name in Queensland once every 12 months, if you are 18 or older. You can apply to change your name if you were:
- born or adopted in Queensland
- born or adopted overseas and have lived in Queensland for the past 12 months (and currently live in Queensland).
If you were born or adopted in another Australian state or territory, you need to apply to the registry office interstate.
If your application is approved, we will send the standard certificate you choose and you will need to change your name everywhere you do business in the community.
In most cases, you do not need to apply to change your name if you are changing your name through marriage.
Rules for changing your name
To change your name, you must:
- choose a name that is not a prohibited name
- not have changed your name in the past 12 months
- give a detailed reason for your name change.
If you are in the custody of corrective services, you must get written approval from the Chief Executive before applying to change your name. Failing to do so is a criminal offence.
Documents you will need to provide
Queensland born or adopted applicant
You must provide:
- certified proof of ID
- evidence explaining the reason if your current name is different to your name on your birth certificate, such as a
- marriage certificate
- family deed poll document
- birth certificate
- change of name document.
Overseas born or adopted applicant
You must provide:
- certified proof of ID
- a copy of your birth certificate—if you can’t get one, you must provide an evidence of birth document, such as
- a citizenship certificate
- an Australian visa
- a travel document
- a passport issued by your country of birth with a letter from the consulate confirming your details.
- evidence explaining the reason if your current name is different to your name on your evidence of birth document, such as a
- marriage certificate
- family deed poll document
- change of name document.
- a copy of your Australian citizenship certificate, if you are a citizen.
If original documents are not in English, please have them translated into English by an accredited translators and provide a certified copy of the original document with the original translation.
You will also need to provide evidence that you are currently living and have lived in Queensland for the past 12 months, such as a letter. The letter should:
- be dated and signed by
- your current employer
- your doctor
- your educational institution
- the Australian Electoral Commission
- your accountant
- your financial institution or bank manager
- your real estate agent
- state how long you have lived in Queensland
- state how long the person or organisation has known you
- be written on their letterhead.
How to apply
To apply to change your name, you need to:
- Read and understand the rules above.
- Complete, download and print the change of name application form.
- Attach your certified proof of ID and the correct supporting documents, as required.
- Get another adult (18 or over) to witness your signature on the declaration section of the application form.
- Pay the fee.
- Submit your application form, supporting documents to and payment to us by post.
By post
Post your completed application form with your certified documents and payment to:
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 15188
CITY EAST QLD 4002
Pay the fee
You will need to work out the total cost of your order and make sure to pay the correct amount. You can pay:
- at the customer service centre
- by EFTPOS or credit card
- with a business account cheque
- with a bank cheque
- with a money order
- through the mail
- by credit card
- with a business account cheque
- with a bank cheque
- with a money order.
Make cheques and money orders payable to 'Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages'.
We do not accept personal cheques or cash.
Fill in the change of name application form
Application fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Change of name (includes 1 standard birth or change of name certificate) | $187.50 |
| Additional standard birth or change of name certificate | $49.50 |
Urgent application fee
We process compliant change of name applications in 7 business days.
You can pay an additional $98.50 fee to get your application processed urgently—within 3 working days.
If an urgent application is not compliant, meaning we have to ask you for more information or documentation, it has been reviewed before others. When we receive the requested information or documentation, it will continue to be processed urgently.
Postage fees
Standard postage is included in the price when you order a certificate to be sent by mail.
You can request to have your certificate posted by express or registered post for a fee.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Express post | $6.70 |
| Registered mail | $5.20 |
| International registered post | $16.10 |
Certified and translated identity documents
If you are not applying in person, you must have your supporting documents certified by a qualified Justice of the Peace or another authorised person before you post them to us.
For original documents that are not in English, you must provide a translation from a translator accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).