£0
Standard name change
There is no DVLA fee if you return the current licence and keep the same photo.
Changing your driving licence name is free, but it is a postal process
For a car or motorbike licence, collect a D1 form from most Post Offices. Complete it using your new details and post it with your current licence and the original document proving the change. DVLA sends a replacement licence, and you can normally continue driving while you wait.
D1
Cars and motorbikes
Use form D2 instead if you hold a lorry or bus licence.
4 weeks
Official postal allowance
DVLA currently says to allow 4 weeks for documents sent by post, though simple cases may be faster.
2 jobs
Licence and V5C
If you are a registered keeper, the vehicle log book must be updated separately.
A useful first update
Why changing the driving licence first can make the rest easier
A driving licence is one of the most useful pieces of photo identification to update early, particularly because the standard name change is free.
01
Useful photo ID in the new name
Once the new photocard arrives, you have government-issued photo identification showing the exact new name and your current address.
02
Can help with bank updates
Banks and other regulated organisations may ask for a passport or driving licence when completing identity and compliance checks. An updated photocard can therefore be useful evidence of your new name.
03
No passport fee
The DVLA name change is free. A passport name change means paying for a replacement passport, so the licence can be a sensible first major document.
Choose the right evidence
Do you need a deed poll for the DVLA?
The document depends on why the name changed. A deed poll is the usual route for a personal choice or any change that is not fully explained by another official certificate.
| Your situation | Deed poll? | Evidence DVLA can accept |
|---|---|---|
| New first name, middle name or completely new surname | Usually yes | An original, signed and dated deed poll or a statutory declaration, plus the current licence showing the previous name. |
| Taking a spouse's or civil partner's surname | Usually no | An official marriage or civil partnership certificate. An updated 9-digit GB passport number may also be used in the circumstances listed by GOV.UK. |
| More complex surname choice after marriage | Often useful | If the exact new name is not clearly evidenced by the certificate, a deed poll creates a direct link between the old and new names. |
| Returning to a previous name after divorce or dissolution | Not always | A divorce or dissolution document with a birth, adoption or naturalisation certificate, or a deed poll. |
| Changing name and gender identity | Common route | A deed poll, statutory declaration or Gender Recognition Certificate, plus the licence or identity document showing the previous details. |
| Changing only a non-hereditary title | No evidence | Use the same postal application. Evidence is not normally required unless the title is hereditary. |
Original means original. For the driving licence application, GOV.UK says not to send a photocopy, laminated certificate or certified copy. This includes copies certified through the Post Office document certification service.
Two valid ways to start
Choose a printed deed poll or make one free
Both routes can create a legally valid unenrolled deed poll. The paid service is the primary option for anyone who wants a clear, durable document prepared for posting to DVLA.
Printed, checked and posted
We prepare the document using your details, print it on certificate paper, add an embossed seal and send it with clear signing instructions.
- No home printer or ink-quality worries
- Clear layout and complete wording
- Durable document for postal handling
- Optional additional copies for other updates while documents are away
Free UK delivery. The presentation helps avoid preventable queries, but does not create extra legal status or guarantee acceptance.
Create and print it yourself
Generate the same core legal wording free, print it clearly on white A4 paper, then sign it correctly in front of an independent adult witness.
- No payment or account needed
- Ready in minutes
- Legally valid when correctly executed
- You are responsible for print quality and signing
Use black ink, print single-sided and keep the signed original safe.
The complete postal process
How to change your driving licence name step by step
This is the standard Great Britain process for a full or provisional licence. Northern Ireland uses a different form and authority.
Prepare the document that proves the change
Use an original deed poll, marriage or civil partnership certificate, divorce or dissolution evidence, statutory declaration or gender evidence, depending on your circumstances. Check that names, dates and signatures are clear and consistent.
Collect the correct paper form
Use a D1 form for a car or motorbike licence, including a provisional licence. Use D2 for a lorry or bus licence. D1 forms are stocked by most Post Offices and come with an INF1D guidance leaflet.
Complete the form using the new details
Enter the new name exactly as it should appear, provide the previous name where requested, add a new address at the same time if necessary, and sign in the new name. Follow the version of the guidance leaflet supplied with the current form.
Add the current licence and original evidence
Include your photocard or paper licence. Add the original name-change document required for your route. If you use a valid UK passport number as identity evidence, GOV.UK says there is no need to post the physical UK passport.
Post the application to DVLA
Car and motorbike applications go to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN. Lorry and bus applications go to SA99 1BR. Keep a photograph of the licence and documents for your records, then use suitable postage for valuable originals.
Wait for the licence and documents separately
DVLA issues a new licence and returns identity documents separately. Allow 4 weeks for a postal application under the current DVLA service update. You can normally continue driving while you wait.
Do not send the V5C in the same envelope. The driving licence and vehicle log book are separate DVLA processes, with different instructions and return times.
Evidence by circumstance
Documents needed for each type of driving licence name change
Send only what your route requires. DVLA can delay an application if the evidence does not clearly link the previous and new details.
Changing name by deed poll
The usual route for a new first name, middle name or surname chosen for personal reasons.
- Completed D1 or D2 form
- Current photocard or paper licence
- Original signed and dated deed poll
- Any identity evidence required by the form
Taking a partner's surname
A deed poll is usually unnecessary when the official certificate clearly supports the surname requested.
- Completed D1 or D2 form
- Current licence
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Updated 9-digit GB passport number where applicable
Returning to a previous name
GOV.UK lists a document ending the marriage or partnership plus a document confirming the earlier identity.
- Decree nisi, decree absolute, conditional order or final order
- Birth or adoption certificate, or UK naturalisation certificate
- Current licence
- Alternatively, an original deed poll
Changing name and gender details
The same postal route applies to a full or provisional licence.
- Deed poll, statutory declaration or Gender Recognition Certificate
- Current licence or identity document showing the previous details
- D1 or D2 form completed with the new details
- New photo only if required or requested
Exchanging a paper licence
If you still have an old paper licence, the name change is free, but a photograph is required for the new photocard.
- Paper driving licence
- Recent printed passport-style photo
- D1 or D2 form
- Original name-change evidence
When the old licence cannot be sent
You can still change the name and replace the missing licence in one postal application.
- Explain what happened on the form
- Include the original name-change evidence
- Add a cheque or postal order for £20 payable to DVLA
- Do not send a damaged or altered cheque
Get the original document right before posting it
The printed service removes home-printing uncertainty and gives you a durable deed poll with clear signing instructions. A correct free version remains legally valid.
Getting and completing the form
The D1 form: what it is and where to get it
The D1 is the paper application for car and motorbike licences. It is also used for provisional licences and for changing a name and address together.
No home-printable D1
Collect the official pack from a Post Office
GOV.UK currently tells applicants to obtain the D1 from most Post Offices. It is not offered as a standard PDF that you can download and print at home. Many smaller local branches stock it, but checking the branch finder first avoids a wasted trip.
The pack includes the current INF1D notes. Use those notes rather than relying on old screenshots or instructions online, because form sections can change.
Find a Post Office branchD1Cars, motorbikes and provisional licences.
D2Lorry and bus licences.
New and previous namesCopy spellings carefully and use the exact new name you want on the photocard.
Address at the same timeYou can include a current address change in the same postal application at no extra cost.
Sign in the new nameMake the signature consistent with the identity you are asking DVLA to record.
Protecting valuable originals
How to post the application and get documents back safely
Your current licence and name-change evidence can be difficult or inconvenient to replace, so keep records and choose postage deliberately.
01
Keep copies for your records
Photograph or scan the completed D1, both sides of the licence and every document before sealing the envelope. These copies are for your records only, not substitutes for the originals DVLA requires.
02
Use suitable outgoing postage
Use a tracked Royal Mail service appropriate to the value and urgency of the documents enclosed, such as Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery. Keep the receipt and tracking reference.
03
Plan for separate returns
DVLA normally returns identity documents by second class post and may send them separately from the new licence. Include a stamped, self-addressed Special Delivery or Signed For envelope if you want the return posting tracked.
Additional copies can keep other updates moving. While the original deed poll is with DVLA, extra physical copies can be useful for organisations that accept them. The driving licence application itself must still contain an original document, not an ordinary photocopy or certified photocopy.
A separate DVLA job
Changing the name on your V5C vehicle log book
Updating the driving licence does not update the registered keeper record. If a vehicle is registered to you, complete the V5C process separately.
The V5C must be posted separately
For a new-style log book with multi-coloured numbered blocks, write the new name in full in section 3. For an older-style log book, use section 6, sign it and do not tick the new keeper box. Send the whole V5C to the address printed in the relevant section.
Include an explanatory letter
GOV.UK says to include a letter explaining why the name needs to change. If you are legally changing your name, include proof such as a deed poll. Proof is not required for a name change caused by marriage, divorce or a spelling correction.
Do not confuse name and keeper changes
You remain the same registered keeper. You are changing the keeper's name, not transferring ownership of the vehicle to a new person.
Allow longer than the driving licence
GOV.UK says a new V5C can take up to 6 weeks. Contact DVLA if it has not arrived after 4 weeks, and make sure you report a missing log book before 6 weeks to avoid paying for a replacement.
Up to £1,000 fine: GOV.UK warns that you can be fined if you do not tell DVLA when the registered keeper's name changes.
Getting accepted first time
Why a professionally printed original can reduce DVLA problems
DVLA does not require premium certificate paper or a gold seal. The legal value comes from the correct wording and the properly executed signatures. What DVLA does require is an original document that is clear, genuine, signed and dated.
Our printed service is more likely to avoid a preventable rejection because the wording is prepared for you, the document is durable, the layout clearly shows where to sign, and there is no risk of a faint or streaky home print. It cannot guarantee acceptance, and it is not more legally valid than a correctly completed free deed poll.
Get a prepared originalOriginal documentDo not replace it with a scan, photocopy, laminated certificate or ordinary certified copy.
Correct signaturesSign exactly as the deed poll instructs, in wet ink, with the required independent witness.
Signed and dated certificatesDVLA states that certificates must be signed and dated where applicable.
Matching spellingsThe new name on the form, deed poll and any identity evidence should be identical.
Complete identity trailInclude the current licence or identity document that shows the previous name or gender details.
Fees and turnaround
Driving licence and V5C name change costs and timings
The official fees and service information below were checked on 31 July 2026. Postage and any optional deed poll service are separate.
| Change | Current fee | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Name, title or gender with current licence and same photo | Free | D1 or D2 by post |
| Name and address together | Free | D1 or D2 by post |
| Update photo at the same time | £17 | Photo plus cheque or postal order |
| Old licence lost, stolen or destroyed | £20 | Explain on the form and pay by cheque or postal order |
| Change name on an existing V5C | Usually free | Complete and post the log book separately |
| Replace a lost V5C | £25 | V62, letter and payment |
Allow up to
4 weeks
DVLA says not to call within the first 4 weeks for a postal application. Medical or identity checks can take longer. The V5C page separately says a replacement log book can take up to 6 weeks.
Plan for separate post: DVLA may return the replacement licence and supporting documents separately, so do not assume both will arrive together.
Common variations
Photo changes, paper licences, address changes and other practical cases
Changing the photo
Include a recent printed passport-style photo and £17 by cheque or postal order. There is no photo fee for drivers aged 70 or over or those with a medical short-period licence.
Old paper licence
Include a recent printed passport-style photo. DVLA will issue a photocard licence in the new name.
Provisional licence
The same D1 form, documents, fee rules and postal process apply to a provisional licence.
Name and address together
Apply by post using the same D1 or D2 form. The address can be updated at no extra cost, but the V5C address and name still need their own update.
Lost or stolen licence
Explain what happened and include the £20 replacement fee. The name change itself remains free.
Northern Ireland
The Driver and Vehicle Agency uses a DL1 form and a different process. Follow the Northern Ireland route linked from the GOV.UK page.
Before sealing the envelope
Common reasons a DVLA name change is delayed
Most avoidable problems come from the document standard, inconsistent details or sending the wrong evidence.
Sending a photocopy
The driving licence application requires original documents. Certified or Post Office-certified copies are not accepted as replacements.
Laminating a certificate
GOV.UK specifically says not to send laminated certificates.
Missing signature or date
Check every required signature, witness detail and date before posting.
Different spellings
Make sure the D1, deed poll and other evidence all use the exact same order, spelling and punctuation of the new name.
Wrong form or address
D1 and D2 applications use different postcodes, and the V5C must go to the address printed on the log book.
Forgetting the old licence
Send the current photocard or paper licence, or explain why it cannot be provided and include the replacement fee.
Detailed answers
Driving licence name change FAQs
Clear answers to the questions people most often ask about D1 forms, deed polls, DVLA documents and V5C updates.
Get a D1 form from most Post Offices if you have a car or motorbike licence, or a D2 form for a lorry or bus licence. Complete it in your new name, then post it to DVLA with your current licence and the original document confirming the change, such as a signed deed poll or marriage certificate.
No. GOV.UK currently requires name, title and gender changes to be made by post. Address-only changes can usually be made online, but a name change needs a D1 or D2 paper form and supporting documents.
You can collect a D1 application pack from most Post Office branches. GOV.UK directs applicants to Post Offices rather than providing a D1 PDF to download and print at home. The INF1D guidance leaflet supplied with the form explains how to complete it.
The name change itself is free if you return your current licence and keep the same photo. A new photo costs £17 by post. If the old licence is lost, stolen or destroyed, the replacement fee is £20.
DVLA's current service update says to allow 4 weeks for documents sent by post. Straightforward applications can be quicker, but identity or medical checks may take longer. The replacement licence and supporting documents may be returned separately.
GOV.UK says you can still drive while waiting for the replacement licence. Your entitlement must remain valid, and you must not be disqualified, medically unfit or otherwise told not to drive.
Depending on the reason, accepted evidence can include a deed poll, statutory declaration, marriage or civil partnership certificate, or divorce or dissolution document with a birth, adoption or naturalisation certificate. Certificates must be signed and dated where applicable.
Yes. GOV.UK lists a deed poll as accepted evidence and does not require it to be enrolled for an ordinary driving licence name change. It should be an original, properly completed document with the required signatures and date.
For the driving licence application, GOV.UK says you must send original documents and cannot use photocopies, laminated certificates or certified copies, including copies certified through the Post Office document certification service.
No. Premium paper and a seal are not legal requirements. DVLA focuses on an original document that is genuine, clear, signed and dated. A professionally prepared printed deed poll can still reduce avoidable problems caused by faint printing, incomplete wording or signing mistakes.
Not usually if you are simply changing your surname and the marriage or civil partnership certificate clearly supports the new name. A deed poll can be useful for a new first name, a completely different surname, or a more complex surname choice not clearly evidenced by the certificate.
GOV.UK accepts a divorce or end of civil partnership document together with a birth or adoption certificate, or a UK naturalisation certificate. A deed poll is another clear route, particularly if you are choosing a different name rather than simply returning to the birth name.
Yes. The postal process is the same. GOV.UK lists a deed poll, statutory declaration or Gender Recognition Certificate as evidence for a gender identity change. Include the driving licence or identity document that shows the previous details.
Yes. The same postal process applies. You do not normally need evidence for a title such as Ms or Dr unless it is a hereditary title.
Yes. Put the new name and new address on the D1 or D2 form and apply by post. Both changes are free if no chargeable photo or replacement is required. Updating the driving licence does not update the V5C log book automatically.
Yes. A provisional car or motorcycle licence uses the same D1 form, evidence requirements and postal route as a full licence.
Not if you have a current photocard and are only changing the name. If you have an old paper licence, GOV.UK says to include a recent printed passport-style photo. You can also choose to update the photo for £17.
You can still apply. Explain what happened on the form and include a cheque or postal order for £20 payable to DVLA.
Not necessarily. GOV.UK says the licence and identity documents are returned separately. Identity documents are normally sent by second class post unless you include a stamped, self-addressed Special Delivery or Signed For envelope.
Yes, if you are the registered keeper. A driving licence update does not change the V5C. Complete the name section on the log book, include the required letter and evidence, and post it to the address printed on the V5C. GOV.UK warns of a fine of up to £1,000 for not updating the V5C after a name change.
GOV.UK says a replacement V5C can take up to 6 weeks. Contact DVLA if it has not arrived after 4 weeks, and report it before 6 weeks to avoid having to pay for a replacement.
No. Northern Ireland licences are handled by the Driver and Vehicle Agency, not DVLA, and use a DL1 form. Follow the Northern Ireland route linked from the GOV.UK driving licence name-change page.
Official reference points
GOV.UK driving licence name change guidance
Every reference to the DVLA rules below is official government guidance. The separate Post Office link is included only to help you locate a D1 form.
Official pages used to review this guide
Requirements can change. The current D1 or D2 notes and live GOV.UK pages take priority over any general guide.
- Change the name or gender on your driving licence
- Identity documents needed for a driving licence application
- Current DVLA service and postal turnaround updates
- Change your name on the V5C vehicle log book
- Change name and address on the V5C together
- Change the address on a driving licence
- Change your name by deed poll
- Contact DVLA about a driving licence application
Get your DVLA evidence ready
Start with a deed poll made for real-world use
Choose the printed service for a prepared original delivered to your door, or use the free generator and print it yourself.