Change your name
You can only change your name at the Registry if you were born in Queensland or if you were born overseas and have resided in Queensland for the past 12 months.
If you were born in another Australian state or territory, you will need to apply to the registering authority to legally change your name.
The requirements of a change of name application are complex. We suggest you contact us if you have any questions regarding the completion of your application.
Certification of photocopies of proof of identity documents
Contacting us about your application
Applying to change your name
To apply to change your name, you must:
- complete the Change of name (adult over 18 yrs) application (Form 4a) (PDF, 821.6 KB), (view the Change of name (adult over 18 yrs) application (Form 4a) - Guidelines (PDF, 123.2 KB)) or
- complete the Change of name (child under 18 yrs) application (PDF, 374.2 KB)
- provide proof of your identity
- provide additional required documents
- pay the scheduled fee (PDF, 117.7 KB) (payment includes a change of name or amended birth certificate)
Your application is a legal document. We cannot accept it if changes have been made by using correction fluid or tape. If you make a mistake, put a single line through it and sign your initials next to the changes.
Priority processing
Change of name applications will only be processed urgently to meet passport or visa requirements. In these cases, evidence of travel, such as a travel itinerary or photocopies of fully paid airline tickets, must be submitted with your completed change of name application.
You will be required to pay the priority processing fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB). Priority requests for changes of name will be processed within five working days of the receipt of a correct application.
Lodging your form
You can lodge your form by post or in person at our Brisbane Registry.
Applications can not be faxed or emailed.
Payment options
If you are lodging your form in person, you may pay by cash, cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
If you are posting your form, you may pay by cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
Make cheques or money orders payable to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Proving your identity
Before a certificate, information or source document is released, an applicant’s entitlement to the document must be established and proof of identity produced in accordance with the eligibility criteria.
Photocopies must be certified by a qualified witness as being "a correct copy of the document".
Applicants are required to provide:
- One form of identification from each list (at least one containing a signature); or
- Two forms of identification from List 2 and one form of identification from List 3 (at least one containing a signature), if unable to provide identification from List 1.
| List 1: Linkage between identity and person | List 2: Evidence of identity operating in the community | List 3: Evidence of residential address |
|---|---|---|
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Proof of identity documents are to be in the English language, otherwise these must be translated by an accredited translator. The official translation document is to accompany the original documents.
The Registrar-General's discretion in deciding acceptable proof of identity documents is not exhausted by the above lists. Decisions may be made by the Registrar-General on any unusual case that may fall outside the requirements of the above table.
Certification of photocopies of proof of identity documents
As part of establishing proof of identity, copies of documents submitted to the Registry in support of an application must be certified as a true and correct copy by a qualified witness.
The following persons are considered to be qualified witnesses and are able to certify photocopies of documents as being “a correct copy of the document”:
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner for Declarations
- Barrister/Solicitor
- Notary Public.
If you are submitting your application at the Brisbane Registry, a Magistrates Court or a Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office, client service officers are able to sight original proof of identity documents submitted in support of your application. Contact us for further information on certification.
Other required documents
Certified copies of documents relating to any previous name changes so we can establish a clear link between your current identification and the name on your birth registration. Documents may include:
- marriage certificates (relating to either yourself or your parents, if applicable)
- formal documentation relating to a previous legal change of name (for example, a deed poll or change of name certificate)
- a statutory declaration, providing details about previous changes of name, may be acceptable if no other legal document exists.
Further requirements for adults and children born overseas:
- A certified copy of your birth certificate. If you do not have a copy of your birth certificate, you will need to obtain one from your country of birth. Refer to Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Index of Foreign Embassies in Australia .
- Evidence you have lived in Queensland for at least the past 12 months. This may be in the form of one of the following:
- a letter of confirmation of enrolment from the Australian Electoral Commission, if you have been enrolled to vote in Queensland at your current address for at least the past 12 months
- a letter from a medical practitioner who has treated you for at least the past 12 months. It must be on letterhead, signed and dated within one week of lodging your application.
- a letter from each of your employers from the previous twelve months
- a letter from an educational institution you have attended for the past twelve months.
Evidence provided must state how long the person has known you and list the dates that they have known you to be living in Queensland.
If you cannot meet one or more of these requirements, contact us for further information before lodging your application.
As is the case with proof of identity documents, all additional documents must be certified as a true copy by a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations, barrister, solicitor or a notary public.
If any document is not in English, a certified translation will also be required. For interpreting services, contact the Australian Government - Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) - Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) .
Contacting us about your application
If you need to contact us, please make sure you have:
- copies of any previous correspondence
- any file or reference numbers you have been given
- the date you forwarded your application to us
- how you paid (cheque, money order, credit card or cash).