How to Change Name Legally in India? Name is the most important identity that validates your existence in India or any other country. Indeed, having a proper name on the legal document will help you access different services.
How to change name Legally in India?
So, if you have to change your name legally in India, it is necessary to go through the Centralized Gazette Notification.
Being an official document,
Gazette Notification is a public document issued by the Government of India. Its purpose is to announce public notices, name changes, and new laws, in fact, this has been identified as the legalized proof oof your administrative records.
Types of Gazette Notifications:
Most commonly, gazette notification is used for legalizing your name change, correction in spelling, religion conversions, and date of birth adjustments. It is available in two options:
- State-Operated
- Central-Operated
The state notifications are restricted to handling regional affairs or changing name on the documents meant to validated for state-based tasks. While, the central notification is applicable nationwide.
It means that your documents carrying the changed name through this process is valid all over the country.
Why Central Gazette notification for name change is better?
Well, centralized gazette notification is valid throughout the country as compared to the state option. So, if you want a apply for opening a bank account, get passport, or get admission in any university, the state gazette is sometimes not accepted. You are asked to present Centralized Gazette.
Moreover, people getting the state gazette will not be able to change their name on central level. It is because the central gazette requires documents with old name as a part of gazette file.
Now that your old name does not exist anymore on the state-level, getting a centralized gazette will not be possible.
Fees for the Gazette Notification of India:
The fees of the state-based gazette depend on the particular state that you are applying from. But it is always better to get the centralized one to apply for important documents.
The fee for the adult is Rs. 1100, while for the minor, it is Rs. 1700.
It should be noted that the fees have to be either paid online through BharatKosh, or be paid at the counter of the Publication Department, before submitting the gazette file.
Time for Publication of Name change Gazette Notification:
If you have sent your gazette file through registered post, it is recommended to wait for about 46 to 60 days. On the other hand, applicants submitting the gazette file personally at the Department of Publication will have to wait for 4 to 5 weeks.
There is no tracking option available by the government and you have to keep checking on their website every week. The reason is that gazette is published weekly on the official website of the Publication Department.
Documents Required for Central Gazette of India:
When the matter is about changing the name on a legal document, it is necessary to go through the mandatory Gazette Notification. Make sure to take assistance from a well-experienced lawyer.
Along with this, you have to prepare specified documents that authorize your name change in all other documents on the national and international level. These documents act as supportive mandates.
- Affidavit for Name Change
- Advertisement in Local Newspaper
- Gazette Notification File
- Name Change Request Letter
- Photo IDs of Two Witness
- Compact Disc (CD) stating same details as on affidavit
- CD Certificate for authentication of matter present in CD
Legal Gazette Notification for Name Change Process
The gazette notification of India process enables applicants to change their name and make it legally valid throughout the country. As a structured process, it requires you to follow the system carefully.
1. Affidavit for Name Change
Initially, it is important to get a name change affidavit drafted with your details like your old name, reason behind name change, and complete address. After getting your affidavit ready, attestation by the First-Class Magistrate is mandatory.
2. Name Change Newspaper Ad
How to change name Legally in India? The next step is to give an advertisement in any local newspaper about your reason for changing the name. This advertisement should contain your old name, new name, and full address.
The main motto of giving a name change advertisement in the newspaper is to inform general public that your old name is no longer valid.
3. Gazette File Drafting
To get your gazette notification file prepared, an applicant requires expert guidance from an experienced lawyer. The gazette file includes following documents:
- Name Change Request letter: This letter contains a request made to the authorities for changing and legalizing the new name. It should contain details of your previous name, reason for name change, new name and address.
- Two Witnesses: You need to get sign of two witnesses from you locality on your name change matter.
- CD (Compact Disc): It contains MS word document that has the exact matter required to be published in Gazette of India. Through this CD, the authorities will update the details on their system.
- CD Certificate: This certifies that the documented matter present in CD and the affidavit signed are same and there is no mismatch. If any kind of mismatch is found, the applicant could be held accountable.
By adopting a legalized pathway to change name, and with the assistance of expert lawyer, you will safeguard yourself from any frauds occurring in the name of helping people in this matter.
Certainly, an experienced lawyer will help you through a step by step process in the Gazette Notification.
Updating new names in Public Documents
Once your gazette notification is published, you can download it from eGazette. After downloading the gazette, you need to print it’s first page and the page where your name/notification is visible.
Now visit to your nearest Aadhar enrollment centre and apply for name change in Aadhar Card. Once application submitted in the correct format, your Aadhar card will be updated with new name name in 1-2 weeks.
After updating your changed name in Aadhar card, next step is to get your name changed in PAN card, Voter Card, Passport and other documents as well.