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Free template

Free change of name letter template

Tell your bank, employer, council and everyone else about your new name with one letter. Fill in your details, copy it and paste it into an email or a document. Then send it with your deed poll or marriage certificate, which is the proof they need.

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What to send with your letter is checked against DVLA and HM Passport Office guidance. Sources are listed at the end.

Updated: 30 October 2026
On this pageQuick answerThe templateWhat to send with itWho to send it toPost or emailFAQs

The quick answer

A change of name letter tells an organisation your old name, your new name and your account number, and asks it to update its records. On its own it isn’t proof. Send it with your deed poll, or your marriage certificate if you’ve taken your spouse’s surname, because that document is what lets the organisation make the change.

Our template below is free. Fill in your details, copy the letter and paste it into an email or a document. If you still need your deed poll, we prepare, print and post it for £14.95, and you can add extra copies so several organisations can update at once.

Free template

Fill in your change of name letter

Type your details and the letter fills itself in. Copy it, paste it into an email or a document, and add your address, the date and the organisation’s details where the brackets are.

[Your address] [Your postcode] [Date] [Organisation name] [Organisation address] Dear Sir or Madam, Change of name I am writing to tell you that I have changed my name from [Your previous name] to [Your new name]. Please update your records and use my new name on everything you send me from now on. I enclose my deed poll as evidence of the change. Please return it to me at the address above once you have updated my records. Previous name: [Your previous name] New name: [Your new name] Date of birth: [Your date of birth] Account or reference number: [Your account or reference number] Thank you for your help. Yours faithfully, [Your signature] [Your new name]

The letter is put together in your browser. Nothing you type here is sent to us.

The proof

What to send with your letter

Your letter says what’s changed. Your deed poll proves it. Most organisations want to see an original document, and the biggest ones are strict about it.

Who you’re tellingWhat they ask for
DVLA, for your driving licenceForm D1 with your original deed poll or marriage certificate. No photocopies or laminated certificates, and no letter needed
HM Passport OfficeA passport application with your original deed poll and evidence you’re using your new name. No letter needed
Banks and building societiesUsually your original document in branch, or their own form by post. Our bank by bank guide has the detail
Employer, council, GP, utilities and the restThis letter, with whatever proof they ask for. Some take a scan or photocopy, others want to see an original

Waiting for one original to come back before you post the next is what makes a name change drag on. That’s why most of our customers add five extra copies when they order. Each one is signed and witnessed like the original, so you can update your passport, driving licence, bank, employer and GP at the same time. Our guide to how many copies you need helps you choose. GOV.UK: change the name on your driving licence

Need the deed poll to go with it?

We prepare it, check it and post it free for £14.95. Add extra copies when you order and update everyone at once.

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Your list

Who to send your letter to

Start with your photo ID, because it makes everything else easier. The DVLA and the Passport Office have their own forms, so they don’t need this letter. Then work through everyone else:

  • Banks, building societies, credit cards and loans
  • Your employer, payroll and pension providers
  • Your council, for council tax and the electoral register
  • Your GP, dentist and optician
  • Gas, electricity, water, broadband and your mobile network
  • Car, home and travel insurance
  • Your landlord or mortgage lender
  • University, professional bodies, gyms and memberships

Our free name change checklist lists them all in a sensible order and saves your progress as you tick them off.

Sending it

Post, email or online?

  • Look for an online route first. Many banks, utilities and phone networks let you change your name in their app or upload your document.
  • Post originals with tracking, and keep a note of what you sent where and when.
  • Ask for your document back. Our template already does, but it’s worth checking they’ve noted it.
  • Sign in your new name. It’s the name you’re asking them to use from now on.
  • Keep a copy of every letter, so you can chase anyone who hasn’t updated you within a few weeks.
Your questions answered

Frequently asked questions

Not always. The DVLA and HM Passport Office use their own forms, and many banks and utilities let you update your name online or in branch. For everyone else, a short letter with your deed poll is the easiest way.

Your old name, your new name, your account or reference number, the document you’ve enclosed and a request to update your records and send your document back. Our free template includes all of that.

No. The letter explains the change, but the proof is your deed poll, or your marriage or civil partnership certificate. Always send one of those with it.

Your new name. It’s the name you’re asking the organisation to use from now on.

Some organisations accept one, but the DVLA and HM Passport Office want originals, and plenty of others do too. Extra copies of your deed poll, each signed and witnessed, let you send originals to several places at once.

No. The letter is put together in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us.

Check the detail

Sources for this guide

Guidance and reference pages

The official rules this guide is based on, checked in October 2026.

Continue your name change

Related guides

Your complete name change checklist

Every organisation to tell, in a sensible order.

How many certified copies do I need?

Update several organisations at once.

How to change your name, step by step

The quickest order, from deed poll to done.

Ready when you are

The letter’s free. The deed poll is £14.95.

Prepared from your details, checked by a person and posted free with Royal Mail tracking, so every letter you send has the proof it needs.

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