Eligibility for Adult Name Change
Any Indian citizen who has completed 18 years of age is legally entitled to change their name for personal, professional, marital, or numerological reasons, provided the change is not intended to evade legal obligations, defraud creditors, or impersonate another individual.
Step-by-Step Procedure for Adults
- Affidavit Execution: Draft a name change affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper (₹10 or ₹100 depending on state rules) declaring your old name, proposed new name, father's/spouse's name, permanent residential address, and swearing that there is no criminal intent. Attest it before a Notary Public or Executive Magistrate.
- Newspaper Publication: Publish a classified advertisement in one English national daily and one regional vernacular daily of the state where you permanently reside.
- Gazette Proforma & CD: Fill out the prescribed proforma supplied by the Department of Publication, type it into MS Word, burn it onto a CD-R with the CD certificate, and have two adult witnesses sign the proforma.
- Bharatkosh Fee Payment: Pay the non-refundable gazette publication fee online on the official Bharatkosh portal under the Controller of Publications accounting head.
- Submission to New Delhi: Submit the complete dossier in person or via Speed Post to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the Department of Publication accepts physical dossiers sent via Speed Post or Registered Post with acknowledgment due from any part of India.
Yes. An individual who has attained majority (18 years) does not require parental consent to execute a name change.