Impressed at how rapid and cheap. Would definitely recommend
Child Deed Poll · £18.50
Change a child’s name by Deed Poll
For a child under 16, applied for by a parent. Hand-drafted by our paralegals and accepted by schools, HM Passport Office, the DVLA and everyone else who holds their records.
About five minutes · no solicitor needed · posted the same working day
- Guaranteed acceptance
- Posted today
- 4.95 from 7,678 reviews
The one thing that decides whether this works
Everyone with parental responsibility for the child has to agree. That is the whole of it, and it is where most refused child Deed Polls go wrong. Tell us who holds it when you apply and our paralegals draft the documents accordingly. If you are not sure, ask us before you pay.
Working to a deadline? Order today and Tracked post should reach you by .
Parental responsibility
Who has to agree
To change a child's name by Deed Poll you need parental responsibility, and so does everyone else who holds it. If two people hold it, both must agree. A child's Deed Poll made without that agreement is not valid.
- A mother has parental responsibility automatically
- A married father has it too, and keeps it after a divorce or separation
- An unmarried father has it if he is named on the birth certificate, later marries the mother, signs a parental responsibility agreement, is granted a parental responsibility or residence order by a court, or becomes the child's legal guardian
- A legal guardian or special guardian holds it in the same way
You tell us who holds parental responsibility during the application, and the deed and cover letter are drafted to match.
What you are ordering
What a Child Deed Poll is
A legally binding document recording that your child's name has changed, and that you had the parental responsibility to change it. Schools, doctors, HM Passport Office and the DVLA all accept it as proof.
- For under-16s – at 16 a young person changes their own name with an Adult Deed Poll
- Name and title – forename, surname or both, spelled the way you want them
- A parental cover letter is included, written for schools and record holders
- Certified copies from £6 for two, so the school and the GP can be told at once
What it costs
£18.50, the same as an adult one
No account, no subscription, no hidden fees. Everything below is chosen by you at the checkout.
What you will pay
No account, no subscription and no hidden fees. Everything below is chosen by you at the checkout.
- Your Deed Pollhand-drafted, guaranteed to be accepted
- £18.50
- Royal Mail delivery2nd class, 1st class, tracked or international
- from £2.99
- Certified copies optionalone for each organisation you need to tell
- from £6 for 2, up to £25 for 20
- Board-backed envelope optionalkeeps your documents flat in the post
- £1.99
A typical order is £23.49, £18.50 plus £4.99 first class. Nothing else to pay.
Changing your own name instead? Adult Deed Poll. Replacing a lost one? Replacement Deed Poll.
How it works
Four steps, and the school can be told this week
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Apply online
About five minutes. The child's old and new name, and who holds parental responsibility. Pay by card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Klarna.
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Drafted and checked
A paralegal hand-drafts the deed, the parental cover letter and any certified copies, then quality control checks all of it before it is posted.
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Sign it with two witnesses
The parent applying signs on the child's behalf in front of two independent adult witnesses, each over 18, not related to you and not living at your address.
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Tell the school and everyone else
Start with the school and the GP, then work down the checklist. The parental cover letter goes with each one, and certified copies save posting the original around.
Order today and it should reach you:Royal Mail working days, chosen at the checkout
What arrives
What lands on your doormat
One envelope with everything in it, posted the working day you order. Nothing is emailed as a PDF, because a printout is not what schools and record holders accept.
- Your child’s Deed Poll on bespoke certificate paper, hand-drafted and checked
- A parental cover letter written for schools, GPs and record holders
- Any certified copies you ordered, so the school and the surgery can be told at once
- Plain-English guides on signing, witnessing and who to tell
- A board-backed envelope if you added one, so nothing arrives creased
Certified copies
How many copies will you need?
Children usually have fewer records than adults, so fewer copies are needed. Tick the ones that apply and we will suggest a bundle. HM Passport Office and the DVLA ask for the original itself, but many other organisations that will not accept a photocopy will accept a certified copy in place of the original.
How many certified copies will you need?
A certified copy is one we draft and certify alongside your Deed Poll, so you can deal with several organisations at once instead of one after another. Tick what you have, and say how many of each: two banks needs two copies. These are the 14 that normally keep what you send. HM Passport Office and the DVLA ask for the original itself, and most other places look at it and hand it back.
Money
Home and property
Work, health and study
Accepted by every organisation you will need to tell
UK Government
HM Passport Office
DVLA
HM Revenue & Customs
Banks & building societies
Schools & universities
HM Land Registry
Insurers & employers
If a Deed Poll we have drafted is ever refused, we refund you in full. See who you need to notify
Customer reviews
Read all our reviews
What our customers say
Excellent
4.95 out of 5 from 7,678 reviews
Read all our reviews
Very fast and cheap compared to other options. Fully accepted everywhere (I used Deed Polls Online to change the name on my license)
Needed a name change and these guys made the whole process seamless. I can definitely recommend them.
Questions & answers
Changing a child’s name
Who has parental responsibility?
A mother has it automatically. A married father has it, and keeps it after a divorce. An unmarried father has it if he is named on the birth certificate, later marries the mother, signs a parental responsibility agreement, is granted a parental responsibility or residence order by a court, or becomes the child's legal guardian.
Does everyone with parental responsibility have to agree?
Yes. If more than one person holds parental responsibility, all of them must agree to the change. A child's Deed Poll made without that agreement is not valid, which is why we ask you to tell us who holds it when you apply.
What if the other parent will not agree?
Then the change cannot go ahead on a Deed Poll alone, and the route is an application to the court for a specific issue order. We cannot do that for you, and we would rather say so than take your money. Ask us and we will tell you honestly where you stand.
How old does a child have to be?
This service is for children under 16. At 16 a young person can change their own name, so from that birthday the Adult Deed Poll is the right one, and they apply for it themselves.
Can I change the name on my child's birth certificate?
In almost all cases no. A birth certificate is a historical record of the birth and is not reissued because a name has changed. The Deed Poll is what you show alongside it, and organisations are used to seeing the two together.
Who signs and witnesses it?
The parent or guardian applying signs on the child's behalf, in front of two independent adult witnesses who sign it too. Each must be over 18, not related to you and not living at your address.
Who will need to be told?
The school first, then the GP, HM Passport Office if the child has a passport, and anyone else holding records, such as the dentist, clubs and child benefit. Our checklist covers them and marks which ones normally keep a certified copy.
What does it cost in total?
£18.50 for the Deed Poll, the same as an adult one. Royal Mail delivery from £2.99 is chosen at the checkout, so a typical order is £23.49 with first class. Certified copies and a board-backed envelope are optional.
Something else? Ask a paralegal and we will answer, usually the same working day.
Ready to change your child's name?
Apply online in about five minutes. The Deed Poll is drafted, checked and posted the same working day, and guaranteed to be accepted.
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