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Change of name deed for an adult (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English
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Made for use in Northern Ireland
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For an adult in Northern Ireland changing their first name, surname or both — after marriage, divorce or simply by choice — who needs proof for their bank, employer, HM Passport Office or DVLA. A deed poll you make yourself: it renounces the old name, adopts the new one and is signed in both names, in ink, before two adult witnesses. Enrolling it in the Central Office of the High Court in Northern Ireland is optional, and most people never need to.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You want to change your first name or surname in Northern Ireland and need proof for the bank.
- You are going back to your previous surname after a divorce and your passport needs updating.
- You have used a different name for years and want a document that records it.
- You want to make your own deed poll for a change of name.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- First name(s) and surname after the change
- Your address (house and street)
- Town or city
- Your postcode
- Former name
Common questions
- Do I have to enrol my deed poll at the High Court in Northern Ireland?
- No. A deed poll you make yourself and sign as a deed before witnesses records your change of name, and most banks, employers and HM Passport Office accept it. Enrolling it in the Central Office of the High Court in Northern Ireland is optional: it puts the change on public record, with a notice in The Gazette, follows the court’s own procedure and costs a fee. A few organisations ask for an enrolled deed.
- Who should witness a change of name deed signed in Northern Ireland, and why on paper?
- Two adults aged 18 or over who watch you sign, then sign in ink themselves and add their names and addresses; choose people who are not related to you and do not live with you. The deed is signed on paper because a Northern Irish deed is executed under article 3 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, and practice there is wet ink. Sign in both your new and your former name.
- Will my birth record in Northern Ireland show my new name?
- Your birth certificate keeps the name registered at birth; the deed poll is the proof of the change. If you were born in Northern Ireland, the General Register Office for Northern Ireland can tell you whether it can note a change of name against your birth registration, and the fee. After a marriage or civil partnership, the certificate is usually enough proof of a new surname without any deed poll; someone under 18 uses the child’s deed, with their own consent.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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