Not by law. A signature can be any mark you choose, so you can keep the one you have. But you sign your deed poll in both your old and new names, and banks compare signatures, so most people settle on a new one that suits their new name. Here’s how to do it without tripping up.
Checked against HM Passport Office’s caseworker guidance, GOV.UK and the banks’ own guidance. Sources are listed at the end.
You don’t have to change your signature. There’s no rule about what a signature looks like, and it doesn’t have to spell out your name. What matters is that you use it consistently, because banks and others compare signatures.
Your deed poll is the one place you need both. GOV.UK’s wording has you sign as your old name and your new name, and HM Passport Office only accepts an unenrolled deed poll signed in both. Practise your new signature before signing day, then use it from then on. Ours is £14.95, printed and posted ready to sign.
There’s no set form a signature has to take. It can be your full name, your initials or a squiggle, as long as you use it as your signature. Our guide to how to sign a deed poll says the same: your new signature doesn’t have to spell out your new name.
Your deed poll is different, because it has to show both. GOV.UK’s wording for an unenrolled deed poll has space for your new signature and your old one, and HM Passport Office’s caseworkers accept a deed poll when it’s signed in the old and new names, witnessed and signed in ink. GOV.UK: make an unenrolled deed poll HM Passport Office: evidence to change a name
| Where | Which signature | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your deed poll | Both: your old one and your new one | HM Passport Office only accepts one signed in both names |
| Everything you sign from then on | Your new one | So your signature goes with your new name and your new documents |
| Documents you signed before | Leave them as they are | They stay valid in your old name |
| Your bank | Whatever it asks for | Some banks want examples of both |
Settle on a signature you can repeat easily. You’ll first use it on your deed poll in front of your witnesses, so be confident with it.
Something you can do the same way every time, on paper and on a screen.
Your old signature in the space for your old name, and your new one in the space for your new name.
On your passport and driving licence applications, at the bank and at work.
Your deed poll arrives printed with spaces for both signatures. Same-day processing when you order by 6pm, Monday to Friday, and free tracked delivery.
Banks compare signatures, so tell yours when your name changes. The Co-operative Bank, for example, asks for your old and new signatures alongside your proof of name change. The Co-operative Bank: update your contact details
Other banks deal with it when they update your name and send a new card. If the card has a signature strip, sign it with your new signature. Our bank by bank guide shows what each bank asks for.
Contracts, wills and other documents you signed in your old name stay valid, and you don’t need to sign them again. When you deal with them in future, your deed poll shows the link between your names.
Made a slip when signing your deed poll? Don’t cross it out. Sign a fresh copy instead, and see a mistake on your deed poll for how we help.
Updating several organisations at once? Extra copies of your deed poll, each signed and witnessed, mean you only practise your new signature once and use it everywhere. See how many copies you need.
No. A signature can be any mark you choose, so you can keep your old one. Most people change it to suit their new name and use it consistently from then on.
Yes. A signature can be initials, your full name or any mark, as long as you use it consistently. Banks and others compare signatures, so stick with one.
Both. GOV.UK’s wording has space for your new signature and your old one, and HM Passport Office only accepts a deed poll signed in both names.
No. Documents you signed in your old name stay valid. Your deed poll shows the link between your names if anyone asks.
Some will. The Co-operative Bank, for example, asks for your old and new signatures with your proof of name change. Others simply update your name and send a new card.
From the day you sign your deed poll. Use it on your passport and driving licence applications, at the bank and at work.
The official rules this guide is based on, checked in October 2026.
A deed poll printed with spaces for both signatures, checked by a person and posted free. £14.95, all in.
ChangeYourName.co.uk is an independent UK deed poll provider.
Printed deed poll
£14.95, free delivery