Quick answer: For a name change in Uttar Pradesh you need: a notarised affidavit, the complete pages of both newspaper ads, the typed proforma signed by you and two witnesses, a signed declaration, the BharatKosh fee receipt, one photo ID copy, address proof, passport size photographs, and your reason document such as a marriage certificate. Everything must be under one year old, and nothing is returned.
In this process, the documents are not attachments to an application; they are the application. The Department of Publication decides your case entirely by reading the file you post, with no interview and no counter visit. That is why one missing or stale paper costs a full round trip to Delhi and back. This checklist covers every paper for the 7-step name change process, the rule attached to each, and the papers you do not need at all.
The Document File at a Glance
| Adult checklist | 9 items, listed below |
| Minor checklist | Same file, executed by a parent or guardian, plus the birth certificate |
| Freshness rule | Affidavit and ads must be under one year old at submission |
| Signatures | In the OLD name, by you and both witnesses |
| Attestation | Self-attest the photocopies; notary only for the affidavit |
| Return policy | Nothing is returned, ever. Keep copies of everything |
| Where it all goes | By post to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054 |
Key Takeaways
- The file is read, not you. There is no interview, so the papers must answer every question by themselves.
- The one-year rule bites silently: an affidavit or ad older than one year on the day of submission gets the whole file returned.
- Nothing you send comes back, including the original newspaper pages. Photocopy or photograph every single page before posting.
- Every signature on every paper goes in the old name, including both witnesses' signatures.
- You need less than most websites claim: no birth certificate for adults, no school certificates, no police verification, no court order, and no CD.
Documents Required: Quick Facts
| The gazette file | Affidavit, both original newspapers, typed proforma with two witnesses, CD and signed printout |
| Identity papers | Photo ID, address proof and recent photographs, under six months old |
| The payment proof | BharatKosh receipt for Rs 1,100 (adult) or Rs 1,700 (minor) |
| Case-specific additions | Marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption order or guardianship proof |
| Common rejection causes | Handwritten proforma, unsigned CD, old photograph, mismatched wording |
| Where it is sent | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, New Delhi |
Table of Contents
- Five jobs, not fifty documents
- The adult checklist: 9 items
- Each document and its rule
- The minor checklist
- Case add-ons: marriage, divorce, NRI, government
- The three rules that reject files
- Documents you do NOT need
- The keep-copies habit
- What other websites get wrong
- Key terms
- Related guides
- Central Gazette: step by step
- Areas we serve
- Why choose our office
- FAQs
Five Jobs, Not Fifty Documents
Before the checklist, the thing that makes every other list on the internet make sense. Different offices ask for different papers because they are asking different questions, and once you can see the question, an unfamiliar list stops being intimidating.
A registrar asking for a cancelled cheque is not adding a sixth category. It is asking where money should go, which is a separate question from your name.
Six Offices, Six Questions
| Office | What it is really asking | So it wants |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Is this identity settled and public? | Gazette and newspapers |
| Electoral roll | Do you live here? | Little; a local visit decides it |
| RTO | Whose face is on this permission? | You, in person |
| Tehsil | Is this fact about you true? | Marksheet and a local enquiry |
| Share registrar | Which PAN does this belong to? | PAN, above all |
| Insurer | Who will we pay later? | Reason document and the policy |
Six offices, six questions, six different lists, none of them arbitrary. When a counter asks for something unexpected, work out which of the five jobs it is doing rather than arguing about the list.
The One Almost Everybody Underrates
Where the marksheet carries the error, our UP Board correction page covers that route, and it belongs before everything else.
The Question That Halves This List
Which one applies to you, and the wording to use at a counter, is on our correction versus change page.
The Adult Checklist: 9 Items
- Notarised affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper, stating the old name, new name, address and reason. The full guide, with a free format, is on the name change affidavit page.
- Both newspaper pages, complete and original, one Hindi and one English daily, masthead and date visible. Never clippings. The wording and paper choices are on the newspaper advertisement page.
- The typed proforma (deed change form), filled with your details and signed by you and two adult witnesses, everyone signing in the old name, with the witnesses' names and addresses.
- A signed declaration that the contents of the file are true, with your old and new names and your father's or husband's name and address.
- The BharatKosh payment receipt for the government fee: Rs 1,100 for an adult, paid online on bharatkosh.gov.in, receipt printed.
- One photo ID copy, self-attested: Aadhaar, PAN, passport or voter ID, showing the old name.
- Address proof copy, self-attested, matching the address written in the affidavit and the ads.
- Passport size photographs, recent, as asked in the proforma.
- The reason document, if your case has one: marriage certificate, divorce decree, or adoption order, as a self-attested copy.
Each Document and the Rule Attached to It
| Document | The rule that trips people |
|---|---|
| Affidavit | Spelling must match your ID exactly; becomes the master copy; under one year old |
| Newspaper pages | Complete original sheets, not clippings; wording must match the affidavit |
| Proforma | Typed, not handwritten; three signatures, all in the old name |
| Declaration | Must carry both names and the parentage and address, signed |
| BharatKosh receipt | Online payment only; right purpose head; print and enclose |
| ID proof | Shows the OLD name; self-attested photocopy |
| Address proof | Same address as the affidavit and ads, or the mismatch flags the file |
| Photographs | Recent passport size, per the proforma's ask |
| Reason document | Only if applicable; self-attested copy, not the original |
The Minor Checklist: What Changes
For a child under 18, the file is the same shape with four differences:
- A parent or legal guardian executes everything: the affidavit, the proforma and the declaration are in the guardian's voice, declaring the child's name change.
- The child's birth certificate joins the file as a self-attested copy.
- The guardian's photo ID is enclosed alongside.
- The government fee is Rs 1,700 on BharatKosh instead of Rs 1,100.
No court order is needed for an ordinary minor name change, and the witnesses requirement stays the same.
Case Add-Ons: Marriage, Divorce, NRI, Government Employees
- After marriage: add the marriage certificate copy. If the marriage is not yet registered, that registration (igrsup.gov.in in UP) usually comes first.
- After divorce: add the divorce decree copy for reverting to the maiden name.
- Religious conversion: add the conversion certificate where one exists.
- NRIs from UP: the same file with the deed usually attested at the Indian embassy or consulate, and the fee at Rs 3,500.
- Central government employees: a different file entirely. Under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt. dated 12 March 1987, the affidavit is replaced by a deed attested by a Gazetted Officer, and the service book entry closes the loop.
The Three Rules That Reject Files
- The one-year rule: the affidavit and the newspaper ads must be under one year old on the date the file reaches Delhi. A stale paper means a fresh affidavit, fresh ads, and a fresh start.
- The never-returned rule: submitted documents, including your original newspaper pages, are not sent back. Photocopy or photograph every page before posting; those copies are your only record.
- The old-name rule: every signature in the file, yours and both witnesses', goes in the old name, because the new name has no legal existence until publication.
Documents You Do NOT Need
Half the panic in this process comes from lists padded with papers nobody asks for. For an ordinary adult name change through the Central Gazette, you do not need:
- A birth certificate (adults prove identity with any one photo ID; the birth certificate joins only a minor's file)
- School or board certificates (they get updated after the gazette, they do not feed it)
- A police verification or character certificate
- A court order (ordinary name changes never see a courtroom)
- A CD or soft copy disc (older guideline copies still float around the internet mentioning CDs and demand drafts; in current filing practice, payment is online on BharatKosh and the paper file is what travels)
- Any purchased application form (the proforma is a free format to type, not a form anyone sells)
The Keep-Copies Habit
Before the envelope closes: photocopy or photograph every page of the file, including both full newspaper sheets, the notarised affidavit and the signed proforma. Nothing comes back, and months later, when an office wants to see "what you submitted", these copies are the only answer you will have. Keep them with the courier receipt and the BharatKosh receipt in one folder until every document update is done.
What Other Websites Get Wrong About the Documents
- Wrong: attach newspaper clippings. Right: the complete original pages, masthead and date visible. Clippings are a standard reason files come back.
- Wrong: include a CD with your application in MS Word. Right: that requirement belongs to older guideline copies still circulating online. In current practice the fee is online on BharatKosh and the paper file is what counts.
- Wrong: you can go personally and submit at the gazette office. Right: the route is postal, in your own name, and agents are barred. There is no counter waiting for walk-ins.
- Wrong: your originals are returned after publication. Right: nothing is returned, ever. Copy everything first.
- Wrong: adults must attach their birth certificate. Right: any one government photo ID does the job; the birth certificate belongs in a minor's file.
Key Terms on This Page
Plain definitions for the words that come up at the counter:
- Service book
- A government employee's official career record. A name change has to be entered in it.
- Self-attestation
- Signing your own photocopy to confirm it matches the original, which many offices now accept.
- Decree
- The court's final order in a case. In a divorce it fixes the date from which the marriage ended.
- Guardian
- The adult who signs on a child's behalf. A child under eighteen signs nothing in these processes.
- Stamp paper
- Government-issued paper carrying a duty value, used for affidavits and similar declarations.
- Gazette of India, Part IV
- The section of the official government journal where personal name change notifications are published and stay permanently searchable.
Related Guides on This Site
Every guide here is part of one connected map, so whichever counter your case lands at next, the page for it already exists:
- the gazette name change pillar: routes, rejections, tracking and download.
- the online route explained: what you can do from home and what you cannot.
- about our office: Vipin Chauhan and five years of Department filings.
- talk to us: Lucknow office, phone and WhatsApp.
- the complete service list: every name change service we handle.
- the gazette envelope specifically: what goes to Civil Lines, item by item.
- documents after marriage: the core set and what each counter keeps.
- a divorce decree as proof: what it establishes, and what to pair it with.
- affidavit, newspaper or gazette: which of the three a counter actually wants.
- voter list documents: a short list, because the visit is the proof.
The Route This Checklist Feeds
Our core service: Every item on the list below is asked for because of one of these six steps:
Swear the affidavit
Notarised on stamp paper with the old name, the new name, your address and the reason. Rs 100 to 500, and its exact wording rules everything that follows.
Publish two newspaper advertisements
One Hindi daily of your district (Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala or Hindustan) and one English paper, complete original pages preserved.
Prepare the proforma and CD
The typed “I hitherto known as” declaration signed by you and two witnesses, plus the CD in the prescribed format with a signed printout.
Pay the fee on BharatKosh
Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor through a guardian, Rs 250 more for an alias line, with the e-receipt saved.
Courier the file to the Department of Publication
Civil Lines, New Delhi, with photo ID, address proof and photographs. No office visit exists anywhere in this process.
Download from Part IV and update
Publication in 25 to 45 days, free from egazette.gov.in, then Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport and the certificate family in that order.
The full route, Central versus State, rejection causes and tracking, sits on our gazette pillar.
Areas We Serve in Uttar Pradesh
The checklist on this page does not change by district: the same file leaves Saharanpur and Sonbhadra. We work with clients in all 75 districts, and these are the ones we file from most often:
| Rohilkhand and Bundelkhand | Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Shahjahanpur, Budaun, Pilibhit, Bijnor, Amroha, Jhansi, Banda, Mahoba, Chitrakoot |
| Awadh and central UP | Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao, Raebareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Barabanki, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Amethi, Bahraich |
| Purvanchal and eastern UP | Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ballia, Deoria, Mirzapur, Basti, Ghazipur, Mau, Sonbhadra |
| Western UP and NCR | Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Hapur, Firozabad |
What changes is only how long the courier takes to reach Civil Lines. Our chamber is at Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Sector 5, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow 226010, and the city guide sits on our Lucknow page. Call 9540003316 or WhatsApp 9540005002 from any district.
Why Files Prepared Here Publish First Time
This checklist is public; the difference is having every item verified against the Department's practice before the courier leaves.
- Case-specific additions caught early: Marriage certificate, decree, guardianship proof or adoption order, added before the file travels rather than after it returns.
- The clerical trio checked: Typed proforma, two witnesses with details, CD with a signed printout: the items that return files most often.
- Photograph and fee head verified: Under six months old and the correct BharatKosh category, both checked before payment.
- Tracked to publication: Courier receipt kept, Part IV monitored, notification emailed when it appears.
Associate office at Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow, serving all 75 districts, Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6:30 PM. Call 9540003316 or WhatsApp 9540005002.
Get Your Personal Checklist, Checked Before You Print
Uttar Pradesh Name Change
Associate Office: Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Sector 5, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010
Head Office: Metro Pillar 337, Hardev Nagar, Street 1, Shop No 1 (Shri Sham Documentation)
Call: 9540003316
WhatsApp: 9540005002
Email: info@uttarpradeshnamechange.com
Hours: Mon to Sat, 10 AM to 6:30 PM
Send your documents' photos on WhatsApp. We match every spelling, flag what is missing, and your file goes to Delhi complete, the first time.
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Documents for Name Change in UP: FAQs
What documents are required for a name change in Uttar Pradesh?
Nine items for an adult: the notarised affidavit, both complete newspaper pages, the typed proforma signed by you and two witnesses, a signed declaration, the BharatKosh fee receipt, one self-attested photo ID copy, address proof, passport size photographs, and the reason document such as a marriage certificate where applicable.
Which ID proof works for the gazette file?
Any one government photo ID showing your old name: Aadhaar, PAN, passport or voter ID, as a self-attested photocopy. You do not need all of them, and adults do not need a birth certificate.
How old can my documents be?
The affidavit and the newspaper ads must be under one year old on the date of submission. Cross that line and the file is returned for fresh papers, ads included.
Are my original documents returned after publication?
No. Nothing in the file comes back, including the original newspaper pages. Photocopy or photograph everything before posting; those copies are your permanent record.
Do I need a CD or soft copy with the file?
No. The CD requirement lives on in older guideline copies that websites keep republishing. In current filing practice the fee is paid online on BharatKosh and the posted paper file is what is processed.
What extra documents does a minor's file need?
The child's birth certificate and the guardian's photo ID, with the affidavit, proforma and declaration executed by the parent or guardian. The fee rises to Rs 1,700. No court order is needed.
Which documents do I need after marriage?
The standard nine items plus your marriage certificate copy. If the marriage is not registered yet, that registration usually comes first, through igrsup.gov.in in UP.
Do the witnesses need to give documents too?
The proforma carries their names, addresses and signatures in your old name. Keep their ID details handy while filling it; they do not travel to Delhi and nothing more is demanded of them.
Who attests the photocopies?
You do. Self-attestation is enough for the photocopies in the file. The only notarised paper is the affidavit itself, and no magistrate is needed anywhere in the file.
Where is the complete file sent?
By post or courier to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, in your own name. There is no office in UP that accepts it and no online upload that replaces it.
Is there really no single document list?
No, and the reason is structural. A passport office, a Tehsil and a share registrar are verifying different things, so their lists differ by design rather than by accident.
Which single document should I find first?
The Class 10 marksheet. It decides more of these than Aadhaar does, and if it is itself wrong that is the thing to fix before anything else.
Official Sources
- egazette.gov.in, where the notification your file leads to is published and downloaded free.
- bharatkosh.gov.in, the only payment route for the government fee in the file.
- Department of Publication guidelines for change of name (adult and minor proformas), which define the file's contents.
- MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt. dated 12 March 1987, for the separate file central government employees prepare.
Facts on this page are checked against these sources and our own filing experience. Where older guideline copies conflict with current practice, we say so instead of guessing.
The Short Version
Nine papers make an adult's file: notarised affidavit, both full newspaper pages, the typed proforma with two witnesses, a signed declaration, the BharatKosh receipt, one self-attested photo ID, address proof, photographs, and the reason document if your case has one. A minor's file adds the birth certificate and guardian's ID, at Rs 1,700. Everything under one year old, every signature in the old name, nothing ever returned, so copy every page first. No CD, no birth certificate for adults, no court order, no purchased form. Send your papers on WhatsApp 9540005002 and get your checklist verified free.