Name Change Ontario: How to Legally Change Your Name (2026)

Last updated: October 8, 2026

Name Change Ontario: How to Legally Change Your Name (2026)

Quick answer: A legal name change in Ontario goes through ServiceOntario's Application to Change an Adult's Name (Form 11155). You must be 16 or older and have lived in Ontario for the past 12 months. The package needs a guarantor, notice to your spouse if you have one, your birth or immigration documents, a statutory declaration sworn before a commissioner or notary, and the $137 fee. It is mailed to the Office of the Registrar General, and in 2026 it can take up to 24 weeks. If you only want to take your spouse's last name after marriage, you don't need the form: ServiceOntario does that for free with your marriage certificate.

Before you download the name change form, check whether you need it at all. Many people who look up a name change in Ontario have just married, and Ontario lets you take your spouse's last name on your Ontario ID without a legal change. Form 11155, the fee, the guarantor and the sworn declaration are for everything else: a new first name, a new last name that isn't your spouse's, a cultural or religious name, a name that matches your gender identity, or going back to a name after a marriage ends.

This guide walks through the full process as ServiceOntario publishes it in 2026, from Ottawa, Ontario, where we commission the declaration that sits at the end of the form. It covers who can apply, what goes in the envelope, who can act as your guarantor, how long it takes, and the order to update your documents once your certificate arrives. If your form is ready, you can book an appointment or call (613) 434-5555.

Caption: A marriage certificate is enough to take a spouse's last name on Ontario ID. Any other name change in Ontario needs the full ServiceOntario application.

Key Takeaways

Do You Need a Legal Name Change in Ontario?

Ontario has more than one way to change a name, and the right one depends on what you are changing and why. Picking the wrong route is the most common way people lose time and money.

Taking your spouse's last name after marriage

ServiceOntario's page on changing your last name says you can assume your spouse's last name on your health card, driver's licence and Ontario Photo Card at no cost. You visit a ServiceOntario centre with:

• your marriage certificate. This is not the Record of Solemnization of Marriage that your officiant gave you on the day. The certificate is issued by ServiceOntario, and you must apply for it because it isn't sent automatically;
• your current photo health card (or three original documents proving citizenship and Ontario residence if you have a red and white card);
• your driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card.

Two details catch people. First, you must use your spouse's full last name as it appears on the marriage certificate, hyphens included. If you want only part of a hyphenated name, that is a legal name change. Second, assuming a name does not change your Ontario birth registration or birth certificate. Your birth name stays your legal name in those records, and other organizations decide for themselves what they will accept. Most will ask to see the marriage certificate.

Going back to a former name

If you assumed your spouse's last name and never filed a legal change, your birth registration still shows your original name. ServiceOntario's health card page lists a divorce certificate among the documents it accepts for a last name change, so ask each organization what it needs to switch you back.

If you used Ontario's old Election to Change Surname service, which has been discontinued for new applicants, the way back is the Election to Resume Former Surname, Form 2. It costs $25, and you request the form from the Office of the Registrar General at 1-800-461-2156. A complete application is mailed back with a change of name certificate, and a new birth certificate if you were born in Ontario, within 6 to 8 weeks of receipt.

For any other change, including a different first name or a last name that isn't your spouse's, you need the full application below.

Who Can Apply for an Adult Name Change

ServiceOntario's change of name page and section 4 of the Change of Name Act set the adult rules:

• Age. You must be 16 or older.
• Residency. You must have lived in Ontario for the 12 months right before you apply. This applies even if you were born in Ontario and moved back.
• Registry status. You can't apply if you have a reporting obligation under Christopher's Law, Ontario's sex offender registry.
• Ages 16 and 17. You need written consent from everyone with lawful custody of you, unless you are married.
• Spouse or partner. If you are married, or you signed a joint declaration of conjugal relationship, you must give your spouse or partner notice of the application. The Act allows notice by registered mail at least 30 days before you file, or a written acknowledgment signed by your spouse or partner.

Children under 16 are applied for by a parent or a person with lawful custody, and a child 12 or older must consent. That process has its own rules about who must agree. Our guide to changing a child's name in Ontario covers it.

How to Change Your Name in Ontario: Step by Step

Here is the order that works for most applicants. Each step is explained in more detail below.

1. Confirm you need a legal change. Use the table above. If you are taking your spouse's surname, stop here and go to ServiceOntario with your marriage certificate.
2. Get the form. Start on ServiceOntario's change of name page. You can fill in the online form or download the paper Form 11155. Both end the same way: you print the completed application and submit it on paper. You can also fill it in on our site through the Form 11155 template and download a ready-to-sign PDF.
3. Fill in everything except the signatures. Your current name, new name, birth details, years in Ontario, marital status, parents' names as shown on your birth registration, your reasons, and the questions about court proceedings, debts, judgments and bankruptcy.
4. Give notice to your spouse or partner, if that applies to you.
5. Ask your guarantor to complete the guarantor statement.
6. Gather your supporting documents, with translations if any are not in English or French.
7. Get a police record check if your answers to the court and offence questions require one.
8. Swear the statutory declaration in front of a commissioner for taking affidavits or a notary public. Do not sign it before the appointment.
9. Pay the fee and submit. Mail the package to the Office of the Registrar General in Thunder Bay or hand it in at the Toronto office.
10. Wait for the certificate, then update your records in the order set out later in this guide.

What Is Inside the Name Change Form

The Application to Change an Adult's Name is a long form, and much of it is personal history. Knowing what each part asks for makes it easier to prepare in one sitting.

Information about you. Your current legal name, mailing address, phone number, how long you have lived in Ontario, and your date and place of birth.

Your new name. First, middle and last name exactly as you want them to appear. Check the spelling, accents and hyphens carefully, because the certificate will match what you write.

Marital and relationship status. Whether you are married, your spouse's name, and when and where you married. There is a separate section if you signed a joint declaration of conjugal relationship, and whether it was later revoked.

Your parents. The parents listed on your birth registration, including any single names.

Your reasons and past name changes. Why you are changing your name, and details of any earlier legal name change.

Court, debt and bankruptcy questions. Whether you are involved in court proceedings, whether there are judgments, writs or registered security interests against you, and whether you have been bankrupt. These answers help the Registrar General make sure a name change isn't being used to avoid a debt or a court process. A "yes" doesn't automatically disqualify you, but it can mean extra documents.

Notice to spouse. A notice form you send or give to your spouse or partner, if one is required.

Guarantor statement. Completed by the person who vouches for your residence and identity.

Statutory declaration. Your solemn declaration that everything in the application is true, signed in front of a commissioner. This is the part a notary handles.

If you make a correction anywhere on the printed form, ServiceOntario expects you to bracket and initial it, and the commissioner initials it too. A clean, complete print is easier for everyone.

The Guarantor for an Ontario Name Change

Every adult applicant needs a guarantor. Section 6 of the Change of Name Act calls it an "accompanying statement", and its job is to confirm who you are and that you have lived in Ontario for at least 12 months.

Ontario's regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 68, lists the people who qualify. Your guarantor must know you and belong to one of these groups:

• provincial judges;
• justices of the peace;
• chiefs of bands (First Nations) located in Ontario;
• people authorized under the Marriage Act to perform marriages;
• legally qualified medical practitioners (doctors);
• members of the Law Society of Ontario;
• heads of municipal councils in Ontario (mayors and reeves);
• clerks of Ontario municipalities;
• principals of elementary and secondary schools;
• managers or signing officers of Ontario branches of banks, loan corporations, trust corporations, credit unions and caisses populaires.

If nobody in those groups knows you, the form allows a person who is not related to you and has known you for at least five years to sign instead.

Two points are worth saying plainly. The guarantor and the commissioner are different roles. The guarantor vouches for you from personal knowledge. The commissioner takes your oath or affirmation on the declaration. Also, a notary public who isn't a lawyer is not on the guarantor list. At Minute Notary we commission your declaration, but we don't act as your guarantor.

Supporting Documents for a Name Change in Ontario

What you include depends mostly on where you were born. Regulation 68 sets the list, and the form repeats it.

Translations

If any document is not in English or French, include a complete photocopy of the document, a complete photocopy of the translation, and an original translator's declaration stating that the translator understands both languages and that the translation is complete and correct. A professional translator signs a declaration that shows their professional status, and it doesn't need to be sworn. A translator who isn't a professional, such as a bilingual friend, must swear the declaration before a commissioner. If the declaration is written on the translation itself, send the translation in its original form, not a photocopy.

That sworn translator's declaration is something we commission too. Our guide to affidavits of translation explains how it works.

Police Record Checks and Refusals

A police record check is not automatic for every adult. The form requires one if you answer yes to certain questions about criminal offences and court proceedings, and it explains what kind of check to get on ServiceOntario's sheet, Requirements for a Police Record Check for a Change of Name. In Ottawa, that means contacting the Ottawa Police Service or the police service where you live.

A 2026 amendment to Regulation 68 (O. Reg. 199/26) also lets the Registrar General ask for a Certified Criminal Record Check, a fingerprint-based check certified by the RCMP, when the Ministry of the Solicitor General can't confirm an applicant's registry status from the usual screening. If that happens, the application waits until the check comes back.

The Registrar General must refuse a name change if there are reasonable grounds to believe it is being sought for an improper purpose, such as avoiding creditors or a court process. Giving false information on the application is an offence under section 12 of the Act. The statutory declaration is where you confirm that your answers are true, which is why it is sworn.

Name Change Fees and Processing Time in 2026

ServiceOntario does not take cash for this application. Pay by cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance, or by credit card using the payment section of the form.

Plan for the long figure. The 6 to 8 weeks on the change of name page is the normal published time for a complete application. In 2026 the Office of the Registrar General has posted a notice that change of name applications are taking up to 24 weeks. If you have a passport renewal, a wedding abroad or an immigration step coming up, work back from 24 weeks.

Urgent requests. ServiceOntario lists some situations where it can process a change of name faster, such as an adoption, a graduation, a correction of sex designation, or an immigration matter. If one applies to you, contact the Office of the Registrar General before you mail the package and ask how to request it.

Returned applications take longer. An application that is missing a document, a signature or the fee is sent back as incomplete. When you resubmit, the wait starts again.

The Ontario Gazette and Name Changes

Section 8 of the Change of Name Act says the Registrar General publishes a notice of each legal name change in The Ontario Gazette, which is published online.

You can ask that the change not be published. Regulation 68 requires the Registrar General not to publish it if you send a written request, addressed to the Registrar General, stating that the person whose name is changing is transgender at the time of the application, or is First Nations, Inuit or Métis. The Attorney General can also certify that a change shouldn't be published for safety reasons. ServiceOntario has a request form for non-publication.

Assuming your spouse's last name at ServiceOntario is not a legal change of name, so it is not published.

Getting the Name Change Declaration Commissioned

The statutory declaration at the end of the form must be signed in the presence of a commissioner for taking affidavits. ServiceOntario names the people who can do it, including members of provincial parliament, municipal clerks, Ontario lawyers and paralegals, judges, justices of the peace, and notaries public. A notary public in Ontario has all the powers of a commissioner for taking affidavits, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General's information for notaries public.

Caption: The notary confirms your identity, takes your solemn declaration, watches you sign, and completes the commissioner's section.

In person or online

You can swear the declaration with us in two ways.

In person on a mobile visit, where the notary comes to you anywhere in Ontario. You have the printed form ready, sign in front of the notary, and keep the commissioned original ready to mail.

Online by video, from anywhere in Ontario. Ontario's O. Reg. 431/20, made under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, allows an oath or declaration to be taken over live audio and video when the commissioner confirms your identity, uses a modified jurat that records both locations, and keeps a record of the appointment. You upload the completed, unsigned form before the call, sign the declaration on screen while the notary watches, and receive the commissioned PDF with the notary's seal. Because the application is mailed on paper, you then print it and send the printed copy with the rest of your package.

Ontario's guidance for commissioners notes that the organization receiving a document decides what it accepts, and Form 11155 doesn't say whether the Registrar General prefers one method over the other. If you would rather mail a wet-ink original, or your deadline leaves no room for a returned application, book in person.

What a notary can and cannot do

What a notary can and cannot do: A notary public confirms your identity from government photo ID, administers the oath or solemn affirmation, watches you sign the statutory declaration, and completes and seals the commissioner's section. A notary can also commission a translator's declaration and certify true copies of documents when an organization accepts them. A notary does not decide whether you are eligible, choose or approve your new name, fill in your answers for you, act as your guarantor, process the change, or give legal or immigration advice. ServiceOntario's Office of the Registrar General decides the application.

Minute Notary commissions declarations as an Ontario notary public. The service sits under our statutory declarations page. If you have a document that needs a different kind of sworn statement, such as a name change affidavit for a bank or an institution outside Ontario, our guide to name change documents explains the difference.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

If your ID shows a slightly different spelling from the form, mention it when you book. It is easier to sort out before the appointment than during it.

After the Change: Update Your Documents in Order

When the application is approved, you receive a change of name certificate. If you were born in Ontario, you also receive a new birth certificate in your new name. Section 9 of the Change of Name Act lets you have your records changed when you show that certificate or the new birth certificate.

Caption: Once the package is mailed, the next paperwork starts when the change of name certificate arrives.

A sensible order, starting with the records that other records depend on:

Service Canada and your SIN

Service Canada says you are required to update your SIN record after a legal name change. It is free, and you can do it online, by mail, or at a Service Canada centre with a document that links your old and new names, such as the change of name certificate. Service Canada's published times are about 5 business days online and about 20 business days by mail.

Driver's licence and health card at ServiceOntario

Both are done at a ServiceOntario centre, and there are several in Ottawa. For the licence, ServiceOntario's driver's licence page says to bring your current licence and original supporting documents, and lists a Canadian birth certificate or a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship for a name change. Bring your change of name certificate as well. For the health card, the health card page asks for a completed Change of Information form and an original document. For a first or middle name, that can be a Canadian birth certificate, a Canadian change of name certificate, or a citizenship or immigration document in the new name. Photocopies are not accepted.

Caption: Ontario ID is updated in person at a ServiceOntario centre, with the original certificate in hand.

Passport, PR card and citizenship certificate

IRCC's passport name change page says a new passport is needed after a legal name change. You apply with ID in your new name and the certificate that shows both names. Your proof of citizenship can still be in your old name.

For a PR card, IRCC says you apply for a new card and include documents that support the change. For a citizenship certificate, you apply to replace it on paper and send documents showing the legal change. IRCC has stopped issuing citizenship cards, so a card holder applies for a certificate.

Banks, employers and everyone else

Banks, employers, insurers, pension plans, schools and professional colleges each have their own rules. Some will look at the original certificate at the counter. Others ask for a certified true copy, which a notary makes by comparing the copy with your original in person. We do this in person, on a mobile visit, under our certified copies service, and our guide to notarial, certified and witnessed copies explains the terms. A few organizations, especially outside Ontario, ask for a sworn statement that two names belong to the same person. Our one-and-the-same-person affidavit template covers that.

Born Outside Ontario or Outside Canada

Born in another province or territory. Ontario registers your change and issues the change of name certificate. Your birth certificate comes from the province or territory where you were born, so you contact that office for a new one once you have the Ontario certificate.

Born outside Canada. An Ontario change of name changes your name in Ontario and in Canadian records that accept the certificate. It does not change your foreign passport or your records in the country where you were born. IRCC's PR card guidance relies on passport names for travel documents and asks for a foreign passport or national document when a name change happened outside Canada. If your foreign passport and your Canadian documents will show different names, plan how you will update the foreign passport through that country's embassy or consulate. Ottawa has many of them.

If you have an immigration application in progress, a change of name can affect it. Talk to a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant before you file. A notary can't advise on that.

Last Name Changes: Marriage, Divorce and Common Law

Last names generate the most questions, so here they are in one place.

Marriage. You can assume your spouse's full last name on Ontario ID for free with your marriage certificate. A legal change is only needed for something different, such as part of a hyphenated name or a combined name that isn't on the certificate.

Divorce. If you assumed your spouse's name and never filed a legal change, your legal name in your birth registration didn't change. ServiceOntario's health card page accepts a divorce certificate for a last name change. Other organizations set their own rules. If you made a legal change through the old election service, use Form 2.

Common law. Common-law partners don't receive a marriage certificate. For a health card, ServiceOntario's accepted documents for a last name change include a notarized affidavit for common-law or same-sex relationships. Other organizations may want a legal name change instead. Our guide to common law in Ontario explains how the relationship itself is proved.

Why Name Change Applications Are Returned

ServiceOntario sends back applications that are missing something. These are the gaps that come up most often:

• the statutory declaration is unsigned, or was signed before the appointment instead of in front of the commissioner;
• corrections on the form aren't initialled by both you and the commissioner;
• the guarantor statement is missing or the guarantor isn't in a listed group;
• notice to a spouse or partner wasn't given when it was required;
• consent for a 16- or 17-year-old applicant is missing;
• original Ontario birth certificates weren't included;
• earlier change of name documents weren't included;
• a document isn't in English or French and the translation or translator's declaration is missing;
• a required police record check wasn't included;
• the fee is missing, wrong, or paid in cash.

A careful read of the form's checklist before you seal the envelope is the cheapest way to save weeks.

When to Call a Lawyer or Paralegal Instead

A notary appointment is the right step when you know your answers and need the declaration commissioned. Speak to a lawyer or a licensed paralegal first when:

• you aren't sure how to answer the questions about court proceedings, judgments, debts or bankruptcy;
• you have a criminal record and need to understand what it means for your application;
• your application was refused and you want to challenge the decision;
• a parent or person with custody won't consent for a child or a 16- or 17-year-old;
• the change is tied to a separation or divorce that isn't settled;
• you have an immigration application in progress, in which case a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant is the right adviser.

The Law Society of Ontario runs a referral service if you need to find a lawyer or paralegal. Our page on notary vs lawyer in Ontario explains where the line sits.

A Quick Ottawa Scenario

This example is illustrative. The name and details are invented.

Amira lives in Barrhaven and wants to change her first name to the one her family has always used. She was born in Egypt and became a Canadian citizen in 2023. She fills in Form 11155 online and prints it. Her family doctor of eight years agrees to act as guarantor. She includes copies of her Egyptian birth certificate with a translation by a professional translator, her citizenship certificate, and the passport she used to enter Canada. She isn't married, so there is no spouse notice.

She uploads the unsigned form, joins a short video appointment, shows her Ontario driver's licence on camera, makes her solemn declaration and signs on screen while the notary watches. She prints the commissioned declaration and mails the package to Thunder Bay with a cheque for $137. Knowing about the 24-week delay notice, she waits to renew her passport until the certificate arrives. Then she updates her SIN online, visits a ServiceOntario centre for her licence and health card, and applies for a new passport.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I legally change my name in Ontario?

Complete ServiceOntario's Application to Change an Adult's Name (Form 11155), online or on paper, then print it. Have a guarantor complete the guarantor statement, give notice to your spouse if you are married or made a joint declaration of conjugal relationship, and swear the statutory declaration in front of a commissioner for taking affidavits, such as a notary public, lawyer or paralegal. Mail the package with your supporting documents and the $137 fee to the Office of the Registrar General in Thunder Bay, or hand it in at the ServiceOntario office on Sheppard Avenue in Toronto.

Do I need a legal name change to take my spouse's last name in Ontario?

No. Ontario lets you assume your spouse's last name after marriage on your health card, driver's licence and Ontario Photo Card at no cost. Bring your marriage certificate (not the Record of Solemnization of Marriage) to a ServiceOntario centre. This does not change your Ontario birth registration. You need a legal name change only if you want something else, such as only part of a hyphenated name or a new first name.

How much does a name change cost in Ontario?

ServiceOntario's fee for an adult legal name change is $137. A child's name change filed with a parent's application is $22. There is no fee for reclaiming an Indigenous name, using the fee waiver form. Assuming a spouse's last name after marriage costs nothing. Separate costs can include the commissioner's fee for the sworn declaration, a police record check if one is required, and certified translations.

How long does a name change take in Ontario in 2026?

ServiceOntario's published time is 6 to 8 weeks for a complete application, but in 2026 the Office of the Registrar General has posted a notice that change of name applications are taking up to 24 weeks. Applications that are missing documents are returned, which adds more time. Plan any passport or travel deadline around the longer figure.

Who can be a guarantor for a name change in Ontario?

The guarantor must know you and confirm you have lived in Ontario for at least 12 months. Ontario's regulation lists provincial judges, justices of the peace, chiefs of Ontario First Nations, marriage officiants, doctors, Law Society of Ontario members, heads and clerks of Ontario municipalities, school principals, and managers or signing officers of Ontario bank, trust, loan and credit union branches. If none of them knows you, a person who is not related to you and has known you for at least five years can sign.

Can a notary commission the name change declaration online?

Ontario's O. Reg. 431/20 lets a commissioner take a statutory declaration over live video when its conditions are met, and Minute Notary offers the name change declaration online. You sign on screen and receive the sealed PDF, which you print and mail with your package. Form 11155 does not say whether the Registrar General prefers one method. If you would rather mail a wet-ink original, book an in-person mobile visit, where the notary comes to you.

Is my name change published in The Ontario Gazette?

Usually, yes. A legal change of name under the Change of Name Act is published in The Ontario Gazette. You can ask in writing that it not be published if the person is transgender, or First Nations, Inuit or Métis. The Attorney General can also certify that publication should not happen for safety reasons. Assuming a spouse's last name is not a legal name change and is not published.

What do I update after my name change certificate arrives?

Start with your social insurance number record at Service Canada, which the law requires, then your driver's licence and health card at ServiceOntario. Next come your Canadian passport, your PR card or citizenship certificate if you have one, the Canada Revenue Agency, your employer, your bank and any professional college. Each organization sets its own document rules, so ask whether it wants the original certificate, a certified true copy, or a sworn declaration.

Final Recommendation

Start by deciding whether you need a legal name change at all. If you are taking your spouse's last name, a marriage certificate and a visit to a ServiceOntario centre are enough. For anything else, set aside an evening to fill in Form 11155 completely, line up your guarantor early, gather your birth and immigration documents with any translations, and give your spouse notice if that applies. Then have the declaration commissioned, check the package against the form's checklist, and mail it. Plan for up to 24 weeks, and update your SIN first when the certificate arrives.

Book Your Appointment

• Service: Statutory Declarations, from $24.95 per stamp plus HST, for the name change declaration and any translator's declaration.
• Phone: (613) 434-5555. Call if you aren't sure whether your appointment can be online.
• Online: Book an appointment, or send a question through the contact page.
• In person: A mobile visit anywhere in Ontario; the notary comes to you.
• Form help: Fill in Form 11155 online and download a ready-to-sign PDF.

Online appointments add HST plus a small card processing fee, shown before you pay.

Sources

• ServiceOntario — Change of name (adults)
• ServiceOntario — Change your last name
• ServiceOntario — Send a request to the Office of the Registrar General (processing delay notice)
• Change of Name Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.7 (Ontario e-Laws)
• R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 68: General, under the Change of Name Act (Ontario e-Laws)
• O. Reg. 431/20: Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely (Ontario e-Laws)
• Ontario — Information for notaries public in Ontario
• ServiceOntario — Change information on a driver's licence
• ServiceOntario — Replace, cancel or change information on your health card
• Service Canada — Update your social insurance number record
• IRCC — Changing the name on your passport
• IRCC Help Centre — Update the name on a PR card
• IRCC Help Centre — Change the name on a citizenship certificate
• Canada Revenue Agency — Change your name