Quick answer: A name change affidavit in Uttar Pradesh is made on non-judicial stamp paper, states your old name, new name, address and reason, and declares that both names belong to one person. A notary attestation is enough for the Central Gazette route. Total cost is usually Rs 100 to Rs 500, it takes 1 to 2 days, and it stays valid for one year.
A name change affidavit is a sworn written statement in which you declare, before a notary, that you are giving up your old name and adopting a new one. It is the first paper in the document file and the legal seed of the entire name change process in Uttar Pradesh: the newspaper ad quotes it, the gazette proforma is checked against it, and its spelling becomes the master copy that every later document must match, letter by letter.
Name Change Affidavit in UP at a Glance
| Paper | Non-judicial stamp paper; Rs 100 is the safe standard for this route |
| Attestation | Notary is enough for the Central Gazette; no magistrate needed |
| Total cost | About Rs 100 to Rs 500, stamp paper plus notary |
| Time | 1 to 2 days |
| Validity | One year from the date of the affidavit |
| Who signs | You, in your OLD name; a guardian signs for a minor |
| What it cannot do | An affidavit alone does not complete a name change |
Key Takeaways
- The affidavit's spelling becomes the master copy. One letter of difference from your Aadhaar, and the whole gazette file can come back weeks later.
- You sign in your old name, because until the gazette publishes, the old name is your only legal name.
- Notary attestation is enough for the Central Gazette route. Websites insisting on an SDM or magistrate affidavit are describing other processes.
- The affidavit expires for gazette purposes after one year. An old affidavit means starting over.
- An affidavit alone changes nothing in government records. It is step one of seven, not the whole journey.
Name Change Affidavit: Quick Facts
| What it is | A notarised declaration of the old name, the new name, address and reason |
| Cost | Rs 100 to 500 all-in at the notary, stamp paper included |
| Where it is used | The gazette file, and as the one-and-the-same-person bridge at verifications |
| Who signs | The applicant; a guardian for minors; the father or mother for parents'-name cases |
| What it cannot do | Change a register by itself, or change recorded parentage |
| The rule that matters | Its wording must match the advertisements and proforma exactly |
Table of Contents
- The 7 clauses it must contain
- A clean format you can follow
- Stamp paper and cost in UP
- Notary, Oath Commissioner or SDM?
- How to get it made, step by step
- Affidavit wording by case
- The rules that reject files
- What the affidavit alone cannot do
- What other websites get wrong
- Key terms
- Related guides
- Central Gazette: step by step
- Areas we serve
- Why choose our office
- FAQs
The 7 Clauses Every Name Change Affidavit Must Contain
- Deponent details: your current (old) name, parentage, age and full address, exactly as on your ID.
- The old name: stated plainly as the name you have been known by till date.
- The new name: spelled out letter by letter, the way you want it on every future document.
- The reason: marriage, divorce, personal preference, numerology, religion, or correction of long-standing use. One honest sentence is enough.
- The one-person declaration: that the old name and the new name refer to one and the same person, you.
- The adoption statement: that from now on you will be known, and will sign, by the new name for all purposes.
- Verification: the standard closing that the contents are true to your knowledge, with place and date.
Below the verification come your signature in the old name, and the notary's seal, stamp and register entry.
A Clean Format You Can Follow
AFFIDAVIT
I, [Old Name], [son/daughter/wife] of [Father's/Husband's Name], aged [XX] years, resident of [full address as per ID], do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as follows:
1. That I am a citizen of India and the deponent herein.
2. That my name has been recorded as [Old Name] in my documents till date.
3. That I have decided to change my name from [Old Name] to [New Name] due to [reason].
4. That [Old Name] and [New Name] refer to one and the same person, that is, myself.
5. That henceforth I shall be known as [New Name] for all purposes and shall sign accordingly.
6. That this affidavit is made to declare the said change of name before all concerned authorities.
Verification: Verified at [city] on this [date] that the contents of this affidavit are true and correct to my knowledge.
Deponent: [signature in the OLD name]
Type it, fill your details, and have it attested; never submit a blank-template printout. Want this as a ready file with your details checked against your Aadhaar before printing? That is exactly what the form below and WhatsApp 9540005002 are for; the format is free.
Stamp Paper and Cost in Uttar Pradesh
The affidavit goes on non-judicial stamp paper. Values seen in practice range from Rs 10 upward, but Rs 100 is the safe standard for the gazette route, and it is what banks and most institutional formats also ask for. Add the notary's attestation charge, and the realistic total in UP is Rs 100 to Rs 500, a little more in big-city court compounds than in tehsil towns. Stamp paper is bought from licensed vendors, usually found around every court and tehsil, and e-stamping is also available in UP through authorised centres.
Do not buy the stamp paper first. Get the wording finalised, checked letter by letter against your ID, and only then print on the paper. The most expensive affidavit is the one made twice.
Notary, Oath Commissioner or SDM: Who Should Attest It?
Attestation Options Compared
| Attested by | Enough for the Central Gazette? | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Notary Public | Yes. This is the standard | Almost every personal name change in UP |
| Oath Commissioner | Generally used for court filings | Court-related affidavits, not needed here |
| SDM / Magistrate | Not required for this route | Some other departments ask for it for their own forms |
| Gazetted Officer (deed attestation) | Different document entirely | Central government employees under the 1987 O.M. |
For the Central Gazette route that UP residents use, a notary is enough. If a website tells you a magistrate's affidavit is compulsory, it is mixing this process up with something else.
How to Get the Affidavit Made, Step by Step
Freeze both names, letter by letter
Write the old name exactly as on your Aadhaar and the new name exactly as you want it everywhere, forever. This spelling decision is the most permanent thing on the page.
Draft the wording
Use the 7 clauses above, or take our free format on WhatsApp. Fill real details; never leave template brackets in.
Print on stamp paper
Buy Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper from a licensed vendor, or use an authorised e-stamp centre, and print the finalised text on it.
Sign before the notary, in your old name
The notary attests, seals and enters it in the register. Collect the original; photocopies do not work for the gazette file.
Move to the next steps within the year
The affidavit feeds the newspaper advertisements and the gazette proforma. The full journey is on our 7-step process guide.
Affidavit Wording by Case
- After marriage: the reason clause cites the marriage, and the marriage certificate is annexed as the reason document. Many women change only the surname; the affidavit still states both full names.
- After divorce: the reason cites the decree, annexed with the file, for reverting to the maiden name.
- For a minor: the parent or legal guardian is the deponent, declaring the change of the child's name, with the child's birth certificate annexed. The guardian signs.
- Central government employees: not an affidavit at all. Under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt. dated 12 March 1987, they execute a deed attested by a Gazetted Officer instead.
- NRIs from UP: the same declaration, usually executed abroad with embassy attestation, with the government fee at Rs 3,500.
The Three Rules That Reject Gazette Files
- The master-copy rule: the affidavit spelling must match your ID exactly, and every later document must match the affidavit. One letter off restarts the clock.
- The old-name signature rule: you sign the affidavit, and later the proforma, in your old name. The new name has no legal existence yet.
- The one-year rule: for the gazette file, the affidavit must be under one year old on the date of submission. Older means a fresh affidavit, fresh ads, fresh start.
What the Affidavit Alone Cannot Do
This is the most expensive misunderstanding in this field. An affidavit is a declaration, not a change of record. With only an affidavit in hand, the passport office will not reissue your passport, UIDAI will not update your Aadhaar for a full name change, and banks will not rename your account. The affidavit's job is to start the chain: it feeds the newspaper ads, which feed the gazette file, and the gazette notification is what offices accept. If someone sold you "a name change" and handed you only a notarised affidavit, the job is one-seventh done.
What Other Websites Get Wrong About the Affidavit
- Wrong: attach newspaper clippings and a CD with your affidavit file. Right: the Department of Publication wants complete original newspaper pages, and the CD requirement is dead. Payment is online on BharatKosh, and the file is paper by post.
- Wrong: a Rs 20 e-stamp is the standard for this affidavit. Right: stamp values are state-specific and that figure is copied from other states' blogs. In UP practice, Rs 100 non-judicial is the safe standard for the gazette route.
- Wrong: the affidavit must be attested by an SDM or magistrate. Right: a notary is enough for the Central Gazette route.
- Wrong: notarise the affidavit and your name change is complete. Right: it is step one of seven. The gazette notification is what offices accept.
- Wrong: sign the affidavit in your stylish new name. Right: old name, always, until the gazette publishes.
Key Terms on This Page
Plain definitions for the words that come up at the counter:
- Deponent
- The person swearing an affidavit. In a child's case the parent or guardian is the deponent and the child signs nothing.
- One and the same person
- The wording used when two documents show different versions of one person's name and you need to link them formally.
- 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.
- Attestation
- Confirming that a copy matches an original, or that a signature was made in front of the person confirming it.
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 Registrar route: CRS, e-Nagarsewa and the registration unit rule.
- the father's-name pillar: three cases, one settled spelling.
- the Central Gazette guide: routes, rejections, tracking and download.
- mother's name corrections: the maiden-married bridge and the family ledger.
- name change after marriage: the full bride's sequence across eight registers.
- the full cost breakdown: government fees and service fees, line by line.
- the Aadhaar guide: limits, proofs and the Seva Kendra visit.
- the caste certificate route: fresh-beats-fix and the three-name rule.
- domicile certificate guide: the e-KYC rule and the exam stakes.
- name spelling corrections: correction or change, and who actually decides.
- name change in Lucknow: notaries, newspapers and why no gazette office exists here.
- which gazette to choose: the destination-wise decision table and honest costs.
- gazette rejection reasons: why wording consistency decides the file.
- what is genuinely online: which steps are on a screen and which are postal.
- PAN name change: online correction with the updated Aadhaar.
- passport name change: reissue categories, documents and the PSK file.
- the UP State Gazette process: the Directorate, the presses and the fit test.
- documents for the gazette file: the eight items and what each one prevents.
- the gazette office address: Civil Lines Delhi and how to courier from any district.
- the proforma format: the specimen, witness block and CD version.
- the BharatKosh payment guide: the exact path, codes and receipt rule.
- driving licence name change: Parivahan Sarathi and your own RTO.
- education records correction: school, DIOS and the regional office chain.
- LIC policy endorsement: the bond endorsement and nominee records.
- ration card guide: fcs.up.gov.in, additions and deletions.
- EWS certificate guide: the annual clock and the Rs 8 lakh family test.
- OBC certificate guide: central NCL versus state, and creamy layer decoded.
- property records guide: Khatauni, house tax and UPPCL.
- shares and demat guide: physical folios, RTA route and fund records.
- date of birth correction: the UP Board three-year wall and the court routes.
- name change after divorce: three lawful choices and the children question.
- the marriage affidavit: joint, sole and the no-certificate version.
- marksheet and Aadhaar mismatch: deciding which document is wrong.
- correction versus gazette: two different jobs, and which your case needs.
- correction versus change: the four tests and what each route costs.
- transliteration mismatch: why both spellings are right and how to standardise.
- affidavit drafts for spelling cases: four formats and the clause they turn on.
- father's name affidavit formats: four drafts and who swears each.
- mother's name affidavit formats: four drafts with the bridge clause.
- date of birth affidavit formats: four drafts that point rather than assert.
- surname affidavit formats: the verb that decides whether you need a gazette.
- minor affidavit formats: the parent swears it, never the child.
- going back to a maiden name: most records never stopped carrying it.
- 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.
- the bank request letter: six drafts, four lines each.
- EWS at a verification: no register sits behind that certificate.
- licence documents and fees: three reasons, three lists.
- a notary in Lucknow: any of them is valid, so it is about adjacency.
- forty questions answered: ordered by how much the answer changes.
Where the Affidavit Sits in the Gazette Route
Our core service: Your affidavit is step one of six. Seeing the rest explains why its wording matters so much:
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
Notaries work in every tehsil and district court complex in the state, so the affidavit step never requires travel. We work with clients in all 75 districts, and these are the ones we file from most often:
| 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 |
| 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 |
The wording is the same in Ballia as in Noida; only the stamp vendor changes. 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 the Affidavit Is Worth Drafting Properly
The affidavit is a Rs 200 document that decides a Rs 1,100 filing, because every later paper must repeat it exactly.
- Wording drafted for your case: Marriage, divorce, minor, one-and-the-same-person and correction affidavits are different documents, not one template.
- Spelling frozen once: The version sworn here is the version the advertisements, the gazette and every counter will carry for life.
- Notary guidance in your district: Stamp value, who signs and what to carry, so a second trip is not needed.
- Honest limits: An affidavit alone does not change a register, and we say where it will and will not be enough.
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 the Free Format, Checked Against Your ID
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 Aadhaar photo and the new name on WhatsApp. We check every letter, fill the format, and you print it once, correctly.
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Name Change Affidavit in Uttar Pradesh: FAQs
What is the cost of a name change affidavit in Uttar Pradesh?
Usually Rs 100 to Rs 500 in total: the non-judicial stamp paper (Rs 100 is the safe standard for the gazette route) plus the notary's attestation charge. Big-city court compounds cost a little more than tehsil towns.
Which stamp paper is used for a name change affidavit in UP?
Non-judicial stamp paper. Rs 100 is the value used in practice for the gazette route and is also what most banks and institutions specify in their own formats. E-stamping through authorised centres works too.
Is a notarised affidavit enough, or do I need a magistrate?
For the Central Gazette route that UP residents use, a notary is enough. Magistrate or SDM affidavits belong to other departments' internal processes, not to this one.
Do I sign the affidavit in my old name or new name?
Old name. Until the gazette publishes, the old name is your only legal name, and a new-name signature is one of the most common reasons gazette files come back.
How long is the affidavit valid?
For the gazette file, one year from its date. If your file reaches the Department of Publication with an affidavit older than that, it is rejected and everything restarts, ads included.
Can I change my name with only an affidavit?
No. The affidavit is a declaration, not a change of record. The passport office, UIDAI and banks accept the gazette notification, which the affidavit merely begins. It is step one of the 7-step process.
Who makes the affidavit for a minor?
A parent or legal guardian is the deponent, declares the child's name change, annexes the birth certificate, and signs. The government fee for the minor's gazette is Rs 1,700.
Can the affidavit be in Hindi?
Hindi affidavits are common in UP and legally valid. For the Central Gazette file processed in Delhi, we draft in English in practice, so every later document quotes one consistent version.
Where do I get a name change affidavit made in Lucknow or my city?
Any licensed stamp vendor plus any notary, usually clustered around courts and tehsils, or fully from home: we send the checked format, you print and visit only the notary.
What details must never be wrong in the affidavit?
The two names. The old name must match your ID exactly, and the new name must be spelled exactly as you want it on every document for the rest of your life. Everything downstream copies this page.
Official Sources
- egazette.gov.in, where the notification your affidavit leads to is published and downloaded free.
- bharatkosh.gov.in, the only payment route for the gazette fee the affidavit file carries.
- Department of Publication guidelines for change of name (adult and minor proformas).
- MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt. dated 12 March 1987, for the deed route used by central government employees.
Facts on this page are checked against these sources and our own filing experience. Where sources conflict, we say so instead of guessing.
The Short Version
Type the 7 clauses, print on Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper, sign before a notary in your OLD name, and keep the total around Rs 100 to 500. The spelling becomes the master copy for everything that follows, the affidavit stays valid one year, and on its own it changes nothing; it starts the 7-step process that ends with your gazette notification. Get the free format checked against your ID on WhatsApp 9540005002 before you print anything.