Both can prove a name change, but they're not equally useful. Here's how each works, what they cost, and which one UK organisations actually expect to see.
Get your deed poll from £9.99 →A deed poll is a legal declaration that you renounce your old name and will use your new name at all times. You sign it in front of an independent witness and it's effective immediately. No solicitor is involved, and it's the document virtually every UK organisation asks for when you change your name.
A statutory declaration of name change is a sworn statement confirming you've adopted a new name. Unlike a deed poll, it must be sworn before a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or magistrate, who typically charges £5 to £15 for the swearing alone, on top of having the document drafted.
The deed poll is the standard. HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, the NHS and banks all list a deed poll as accepted evidence of a name change. A statutory declaration is also legally recognised, but staff encounter it far less often, which in practice means more questions at the counter and occasional pushback from organisations whose checklists simply say "deed poll".
If your goal is to update your documents with minimum friction, the deed poll wins on familiarity alone.
A deed poll can be made at home for free using our free deed poll generator, witnessed by any independent adult such as a friend or colleague. A professionally printed version on certificate paper costs £9.99. There's no appointment, no fee to a solicitor, and no waiting.
A statutory declaration requires finding a solicitor or commissioner for oaths, paying the swearing fee, and attending in person. For a routine name change, that's extra cost and hassle for a document fewer organisations recognise on sight.
Occasionally an organisation, usually overseas or in a specific legal context, will specifically request a statutory declaration. If that happens, provide what they've asked for. Statutory declarations are also sometimes used to confirm historic name usage, for example where someone has used a name informally for years and needs to document it retrospectively. Outside those situations, a deed poll is the simpler, cheaper and more widely accepted route.
Yes, though it's rarely necessary. Your deed poll covers day-to-day UK organisations, and if a specific body later asks for a statutory declaration, you can have one sworn at that point. There's no need to buy both up front.
Usually not. The swearing fee alone is typically £5 to £15, plus the cost of drafting the document. A deed poll can be made for free with our generator or bought professionally printed for £9.99, with no solicitor involved.
HM Passport Office lists a deed poll as its standard evidence of name change. Statutory declarations may be considered but are less routinely handled, so if a new passport is your goal, a deed poll is the safer and smoother option.
No. A deed poll needs no solicitor at any stage. It simply needs to be correctly worded, signed in your old and new names, and witnessed by an independent adult who is not a family member.
No. Both documents are legally recognised ways to evidence a name change in the UK. Neither is more binding than the other; the practical difference is cost, convenience and how readily organisations recognise them.
Provide what they have asked for. You can have a statutory declaration sworn at most high street solicitors for a small fee. Your deed poll remains valid for every other organisation.
Important note: We are an independent document provider specialising in unenrolled deed polls. We are not affiliated with HM Government. We do not offer Enrolled Deed Polls. If you need an Enrolled Deed Poll, visit the UK Government website. This page is general information, not legal advice.