Almost every name change in the UK uses an unenrolled deed poll. Here's what the difference actually is, what each one costs, and why enrolment is rarely worth it.
Get your deed poll from £9.99 →An unenrolled deed poll is a deed poll you sign in front of a witness and start using straight away. It's how the overwhelming majority of UK name changes are done, and it's accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, the NHS, banks and employers. It costs nothing to make yourself, or from £9.99 for a professionally printed version.
An enrolled deed poll is the same document, additionally registered with the Royal Courts of Justice. Enrolment costs £48.32 through gov.uk, involves extra paperwork, and puts your name change on public record, including publication in The Gazette. For most people it adds cost and delay without adding anything useful.
Enrolment places your deed poll on the official court record for the year, which creates a permanent public register entry. It doesn't make the name change "more legal". A properly worded, signed and witnessed unenrolled deed poll is already fully legally effective. Enrolment is simply an optional layer of public registration on top.
There's one notable drawback: enrolment is public. Your old name, new name and address details are published. If you're changing your name for privacy or safety reasons, or as part of a gender transition, enrolment is usually the last thing you'd want.
Genuine reasons are rare, but they exist. A small number of overseas authorities and embassies ask for an enrolled deed poll when updating foreign documents. Some people simply want the permanence of a court record. And in a handful of complex legal situations a solicitor may advise it. If none of those apply to you, an unenrolled deed poll does the job.
If you do need to enrol, the process runs through the Royal Courts of Justice and is explained on gov.uk. We don't offer enrolled deed polls ourselves.
Unless a specific organisation has told you in writing that it requires an enrolled deed poll, get an unenrolled one. You can create one now with our free deed poll generator, or order a professionally printed version on certificate paper with an embossed seal, which some banks and government counters are more receptive to.
All major UK institutions accept a correctly worded, signed and witnessed unenrolled deed poll, including HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, the NHS and high street banks. It is the standard way names are changed in the UK. If an organisation ever queries yours, it is almost always about presentation or wording, not the absence of enrolment.
The court fee is £48.32, paid to the Royal Courts of Justice, on top of preparing the deed itself. By comparison, an unenrolled deed poll is free to create with our generator, or £9.99 for a professionally printed version.
No. Legal validity comes from the deed being correctly worded, signed and witnessed. Enrolment only adds a public court record. Both versions change your name equally.
Yes. Enrolled deed polls are published in The Gazette and held on public record, showing your old name and new name. Unenrolled deed polls are entirely private, which matters to many people changing their name for personal or safety reasons.
Yes, an unenrolled deed poll can be enrolled afterwards if a genuine need arises, subject to the court's requirements. Most people never need to.
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.