Change name in birth certificate: People born in India receive birth certificates from the government. Everyone should have this document since it proves one’s existence, and without it, a court of law may reject one’s existence, so it’s very important. Everyone should ensure that the document is error-free since mistakes could lead to future difficulties, so everyone should ensure that all mistakes have been corrected. And yes, anybody can change name in birth certificate.

Reasons to change name in birth certificate

The following are the reasons why people change their names on the birth certificate:-

The person doesn’t like their name and acquires a modern name for themselves to adapt to the environment.
It might be due to Numerological and astrological reasons.
People may change name in the birth certificate due to a gender change and also because of religious reasons.

Procedure to change name in birth certificate

People can change their names in offline and online processes and choose which type is easier for them:-

For many people online procedure is easy as people can do it by sitting at home, they just want a stable network to do it. But only those could change their name whose state’s municipality provides such online services and if their state doesn’t provide such service then they have to do it traditionally which is mentioned further in the article. So below are the steps everybody should follow to change name in birth certificate.

Step 1- First, the candidate has to form an affidavit in which they have to mention their old name, new name, and the reason why they are changing their name. This affidavit should be made on a non-judicial stamp paper.

Step 2- After the affidavit, the applicant has to fill out a form and for that, they have to officially visit the website of the municipal corporation and click on the services option that find the change or update name in the birth certificate fill in all the details, and submit it.

Step 3- After this, the candidate has to get the affidavit notarized and for that, they have to publish two newspaper articles one in regional language and the other in English. In both the articles the applicant has to mention the old name and new name change that was on the birth certificate and double check it for any spelling errors then make it publish them.

Step 4- After this the applicant need to have the signature of the Magistrate in the court on the online form and the affidavit.

Step 5- At last, the applicant has to publish a Gazette notification to the official Gazette of India. The candidate has to visit the department and fill out a form mentioning all the important details and pay a fixed amount. After this, a copy of the gazette will be sent to the applicant’s email for confirmation of their process.

If a person couldn’t understand the process of online change name in birth certificate or their state doesn’t provide such a service then they could physically do it by following the below steps.

Step 1- The applicant should obtain a birth certificate correction form from the municipal corporation.

Step 2- After this, the applicant should visit a local notary office in which the form will be filled by the officer and you should tell them your new name. The affidavit should be made on a non-judicial stamp paper of Rs.100

Step 3- After completing the form and the affidavit both of them should be submitted to the Magistrate in a District court.

Step 4- After the advertisements are published in two newspapers and published your name is change in the official Gazette of India.

Documents required to change name in birth certificate

Below are the documents that are compulsory for the people to submit:-

A document for ID proof and address proof like AADHAR card, PAN card, or any other legal document.
A letter from the Gazette that has all the information with the reason for changing the name.
Copy of the newspaper articles and the form that is signed by the magistrate.
Two passport-size photos.

Importance of a birth certificate

A birth certificate is a very important document as it makes certain things easier for people and helps them achieve many benefits from the government. Some of the benefits that a person can get are mentioned below:-

The birth certificate helps to establish an age for insurance
It also helps in verifying age for employment and marriage.
The birth certificate helps students to get admission to schools and colleges.
A birth certificate also helps in getting a green card and other immigration requirements.

When changing a name on a birth certificate there are a few things that everybody should keep in their mind. First of all, you cannot change the name in birth certificate an infinite number of times, it will be changed only once so the procedure should be properly checked. Every state has a slightly different procedure to change name in birth certificate so those who are changing their name should read the details about their state. The applicant has to pay a certain amount to make corrections to their birth certificate. The applicant should keep a copy of all the documents they have published for future reference and last to get a copy of the new certificate the applicant has to pay a normal fee from the Registrar of Births and Death.

Conclusion

We hope the article has been of some help to all those who want to change name on their birth certificate, they should be very careful while submitting their documents and forms as they didn’t make any mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the processing time of change name in birth certificate?

The whole process of name change on the birth certificate could take a month and the gazette notification and the newspaper articles will take around 14 days to be published.

What are the fees required for a name change in birth certificate?

The cost of changing the name in birth certificate is Rs. 1000, the newspaper articles will charge differently according to their price but it might be around Rs. 2000 and the gazette notification will be Rs. 700 to Rs. 800. The non-judicial stamp will cost around Rs. 100 but not more than this.

Can a person change their name to be hidden from financial debts?

No a person cannot change their name to be safe from finances as it is not morally right all the documents will be checked and the government will not permit them to change someone’s name to avoid their debts, they will immediately reject their application.

If a person obtains a new certificate then what will happen to their new certificate?

When a person has obtained a new birth certificate the government will seal their old birth certificate so that no one can misuse it and without a legal order of the court one could use it.

Who verifies the documents and the form of change of name in birth certificate?

The notary office will verify all the documents submitted by the applicant and the municipal corporation might verify the documents.

Is an affidavit required for a name change in birth certificate?

Yes, the affidavit is an essentially needed document that is required for a name change in birth certificate. An affidavit is a type of legal document that shows the seriousness of a person.