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Change of name

You can legally change your name so long as you are not doing so for criminal purposes such as committing fraud.

Institutions such as banks, the Passport Office and transport authorities require proof of identity so if you change your name you need to have proof of the change.

We can only change the name of people born:

in Queensland
overseas who resided in Queensland for the past 12 months.

If you were born in Australia, but outside Queensland, you can download the correct application form through one of these links.

It may be a good idea to talk to a solicitor about what it means to change your name, or you can call Legal Aid Queensland on 1300 65 11 88.

Can I change my child's name?

You can change a child's name in certain circumstances. Parents or guardians should contact us for further advice before downloading one of the relevant forms in our forms section.

How many times can I change a name?

For adults (people more than 18 years old) - you can only register a change of name once every 12 months unless a Queensland magistrates court approves the change because of exceptional circumstances.

For a child between one and 18 years old - you can register a change of name for a child's first name once between one and 18 years old and surname once every 12 months unless a Queensland magistrates court approves otherwise.

For a child less than one year old - you can register a change of name for a child's first name before the child turns one year old.

You can register a change for a child's surname once every 12 months unless a Queensland magistrates court approves otherwise.

To download change of name forms, please click here.

Change of name

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