What is the procedure to change the name legally in India ?

Note:  Information mentioned below is only based on my personal experience. I am not a legal advisor, hence it is advisable to consult a legal advisor for all legal procedure.

We require change of name to be done because of certain reasons like marriage, change of religion, passport, difference in the name of the spelling of important government documents etc. In all the situations the norms are generally common. Age factor also matters, if you are over 18 years then you can do it for yourself but if you are minor then your parents can do on your behalf.

Step 1: The very first step is to prepare the court affidavit for Change of Name which can be done at your local district court by any advocate. In the affidavit we should mention the present name and the new desired name with the brief reason for the change required. The affidavit should be on Non Judicial Stamp Paper of Rupees 10 or Rupees 20. Affidavit must be signed by the Magistrate or notary. Generally advocates use standard format for these purposes. (You can find one of such standard format appended below.)

Step 2: The second step is to publish the announcement advertisement in two newspapers, one in  English  newspaper and other one in any regional language newspaper (including Hindi). In certain cases you can publish the ad in one newspaper too, your advocate will advise you for the same.. For the advertisement publication you can go to any advertising agency or directly to the publication as per your convenience. Advertising agency can help you in formatting the advertisement content also. One of the standard format for advertisement is appended below for your reference. If you wish to get the advertisement published easily through an online agency advertisementindia.com is one of the good option.

Step 3: Now finally collect the advertisement published in the newspapers. Attach court affidavit and the other required documents issued by the respective authorities and submit it for the approval.

Format for Court Affidavit:

CHANGE OF NAME AFFIDAVIT

I, _____ S/O  ______ , R/O ______ do hereby declare as below :- 1- That my name ________ is mentioned in all the documents and in other relevant documents etc. 2- That now I have changed my name to  ______ in place of my existing name _____  3- That in future I will be known as ______ in future for all purposes. Deponent Verification:- Verified that the above contents are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Verified at ______ on ____  Deponent

 

 Format for Newspaper Advertisement for adults over 18 years age:

I ___________ R/o ___________________ have changed my name to ________________ for  all purposes.

 

Format for Newspaper Advertisement for minors below 18 years age:

I __________  S/o ____________  R/o ____________________ have changed my minor son’s (DOB: __/__/____) name ____________ to _________ for all purposes.