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Couples who aren’t married
Taking your partner’s surname without marrying
You don’t need to be married to share a surname. A deed poll lets you take your partner’s surname, or a double-barrelled mix of both, whenever you like. It’s the document the Passport Office and DVLA accept for any change of name, and it works the day you sign it.
Yes, you can take your partner’s surname without getting married. Married people can use their marriage certificate, but without one you need a deed poll. It’s the document HM Passport Office, the DVLA, banks and everyone else accept as proof of a change of name, and you can use it the day you sign it.
Only the person changing their name needs a deed poll, and your partner doesn’t have to sign anything. Our printed deed poll is £14.95 with free tracked delivery.
The basics
Why you need a deed poll if you’re not married
GOV.UK says you don’t need a deed poll to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname, because your certificate shows the link between your names. Without that certificate, nothing shows an organisation why your surname has changed. A deed poll fills that gap. GOV.UK: change your name by deed poll
HM Passport Office asks for a change of name document, such as a deed poll, and evidence that you’re using your new name. Its guidance tells staff to accept an unenrolled deed poll that’s signed in your old and new names, dated and witnessed. HM Passport Office: evidence to change a name
Your situation
What you need
Married or in a civil partnership
Your certificate covers taking your spouse’s surname
Living together, engaged or in a relationship
A deed poll
Both your surnames, double-barrelled, without marrying
A deed poll
A new surname you’ll both share
A deed poll each
Step by step
How to take your partner’s surname
Decide on the exact name
Your partner’s surname on its own, or both surnames with or without a hyphen. Pick the exact form now, because it’s the one that goes on your passport.
Order your deed poll
Fill in our form in about five minutes. We prepare it, check it and post it free, with same-day processing when you order by 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Sign it in front of two witnesses
Two adults who aren’t close relatives and don’t live with you. Ask friends, neighbours or colleagues rather than your partner.
Update your ID, then everyone else
Driving licence first, then your passport, then your bank, employer and the rest. Our free checklist keeps track.
Passport. Send your deed poll with evidence that you’re using your new name, such as a payslip or a letter from your council. A driving licence issued after your deed poll counts, which is why it’s worth doing first. GOV.UK: other name changes on a passport
Bank. Banks set their own rules, and most list a deed poll. Our bank by bank guide shows what yours asks for.
Get your new surname on your ID sooner
Order by 6pm, Monday to Friday, and we process your deed poll the same day. Add extra copies to update your licence and passport at the same time.
If you’re marrying soon and only want your spouse’s surname, your marriage certificate will cover it after the wedding, and the Passport Office can even issue a passport in your new name before the day. Our guide to your passport before the wedding explains how.
Plenty of couples don’t want to wait, or aren’t planning a wedding at all. A deed poll lets you take the name now, and if you marry later, nothing needs undoing. Thinking of a name you’ll both share? Our guide to combining surnames covers double-barrelled and blended names.
Worth knowing
Children, and if things change
Your children’s surnames. A deed poll for you doesn’t change your children’s names. Changing a child’s surname needs the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, and our child name change guide explains how.
Your partner doesn’t sign anything. No law says you need your partner’s permission to take their surname.
If you split up, you can keep the name or change it again with a new deed poll. There’s no limit on how many times you can change your name.
It doesn’t change your legal status. A deed poll changes your name and nothing else. It doesn’t give you the rights of a married couple or civil partners.
Your questions answered
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You need a deed poll, because without a marriage or civil partnership certificate there’s no other document showing the link between your old and new names.
No. Only you sign it, in your old and new names, in front of two witnesses. It’s best to ask friends, neighbours or colleagues to witness rather than your partner.
Yes, with a deed poll each. Married couples can use their marriage certificate for a double-barrelled name on a passport, but if you’re not married you’ll need a deed poll.
Yes. HM Passport Office accepts a deed poll as a change of name document. Send it with evidence that you’re using your new name, such as a payslip or a letter from your council.
No. A deed poll changes your name and nothing else. It doesn’t give you the rights of a married couple or civil partners.
Yes. You can keep the name or change it again with a new deed poll. There’s no limit on how many times you can change your name.
Check the detail
Sources for this guide
Guidance and reference pages
The official rules this guide is based on, checked in October 2026.