Changing your name
Coronavirus response
To minimise exposure to COVID-19 for our customers and staff, we will not be accepting these applications in person.
If you have an application to submit, please send it to us by post.
You can change your legal name in Queensland once every 12 months if you are 18 or older.
You don’t usually need to apply to change your name if you are changing it after marriage, separation or divorce. Organisations will have different requirements for what proof they need and how you tell them, so you should contact them directly.
You can apply to change your name with us if you were:
- born or adopted in Queensland
- born or adopted overseas and have resided in Queensland for the past 12 months (and currently live here).
If you were born or adopted in another Australian state or territory, you need to apply to the interstate registry office.
If your application is approved, we will send the official certificate you have chosen and you will need to change your name with every organisation you have a personal account with.
Certificate options
If you were born in Queensland, you will be able to choose either an updated birth certificate or a change of name certificate (or both). If you were born elsewhere, you may only get a change of name certificate.
The application fee includes 1 free certificate. Additional certificates attract an extra cost.
Change of name certificates only provide some birth information, the new name and any previous change of name registered in Queensland by us—not including a change of name through marriage. They are not proof of birth details.
Documents you will need to provide
If born or adopted in Queensland
You must provide:
- certified proof of ID
- evidence explaining the reason if your current name is different to the name on your birth certificate, such as
- marriage certificate
- family deed poll document
- change of name document.
Your application will not be approved if:
- you have not provided enough documentation to establish your identity
- the change of name appears to be for a fraudulent or other improper purpose
- the name you've chosen is a prohibited name.
Detailed rules and requirements are outlined in our change of name and prohibited names policies.
If born or adopted overseas
You must provide:
- certified proof of ID
- a copy of your birth certificate—if you can’t get one, we may accept another evidence of birth document (more about this below)
- evidence explaining why if your current name is different to the name on your birth certificate, such as
- marriage certificate
- family deed poll document
- change of name document.
- a copy of your Australian citizenship certificate if you are a citizen.
If you can’t provide a birth certificate, we may accept one of these instead (however, you will also need to provide a statutory declaration explaining why the certificate isn’t available, and including your name at birth, as well as your date and place of birth):
- an Australian visa
- a travel document
- a passport issued by your country of birth with a letter from the consulate confirming your details.
If any of the original documents are not in English, you must have them translated into English by an accredited translator and provide a certified copy of the original document with the original translation.
You also need to show that you currently live and have lived in Queensland for the past 12 months, such as:
- rental agreement
- rates notice
- utility bills
- a letter that
- is dated and signed on letterhead by either
- your current employer
- your doctor
- your educational institution
- the Australian Electoral Commission
- your accountant
- your financial institution or bank manager
- your real estate agent
- states how long you have lived in Queensland
- states how long the person or organisation has known you.
- is dated and signed on letterhead by either
Your application will not be approved if:
- you have not been able to provide enough
- documentation to establish your identity
- evidence that you normally live in Queensland
- the change of name appears to be for a fraudulent or other improper purpose
- the name you’ve chosen is a prohibited name.
Detailed rules and requirements are outlined in our change of name and prohibited name policies.
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 of Corrective Services or the Police Commissioner before applying to change your name. Failing to do so is a criminal offence.
How to apply
To apply to change your name, you need to:
- Read and understand the rules above.
- Choose how you would like to pay the fee.
- Review your details.
- Read the email we send you to find out how to finalise your application.
- Have your proof of ID and supporting documents certified by a Justice of the Peace or another authorised person.
- Have another adult (18 or older) witness your signature on the declaration section of the application form.
- Submit your signed application form, supporting documents and payment (if you chose not to pay online) by post.
Fill in the change of name application form
Submit by post
Post your completed application form with your certified documents and payment (if you didn't pay online) to:
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 15188
CITY EAST QLD 4002
We will begin to process your application when we receive it along with your documents.
Pay the fee
When applying, the total cost is calculated as you fill in the application form online.
You can pay:
- online
- by credit card (Visa or MasterCard)
- 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.
We will accept cash at the customer service centre, but prefer contactless payments, such as EFTPOS or credit card.
Make cheques and money orders payable to 'Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages'.
We do not accept personal cheques.
Fill in the change of name application form
Application fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Change of name (includes 1 official birth or change of name certificate) | $194.20 |
| Additional official birth or change of name certificate | $51.30 |
| Urgent application | $102.00 |
Processing timeframe
Our processing timeframes apply to correctly filled out applications that have been submitted with all the required proof of ID and supporting documents (as required).
They apply once we receive applications submitted by post.
If an urgent application does not comply, so we have to ask for more information or documentation, you can be assured it has already been reviewed before others. When your application becomes compliant, we will continue to be process it urgently.
| Priority | Number of business days |
|---|---|
| Non-urgent applications (average processing time—no additional fee) | 7 |
| Urgent applications ($102.00) | 3 |
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 | $7.35 |
| Registered post | $5.40 |
| International registered mail | $17.70 |
We value identity protection, so we recommend that you choose registered post so the delivery of your certificate can be tracked and delivered to you more securely within Australia.
Certified and translated identity documents
When applying by post, 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).