To legally change your name in Australia, you apply to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) in your state or territory. The process is straightforward for most people and can be completed online in under 30 minutes – but what comes after the BDM approval is where most people underestimate the work involved.
- If you married in Australia, you don’t need a formal BDM name change application. Your official marriage certificate (not the ceremonial one from the day) is enough to update your name with most organisations.
- You can only change your name three times in your lifetime and once per 12-month period. This limit applies across all Australian states and territories.
- BDM fees vary by state and are updated annually. In NSW, the 2025 fee for a name change registration including one certificate is $195. Other states differ – check your state BDM’s current fee schedule before applying.
- The BDM application is just step one. After approval, you’ll need to notify the ATO, Medicare, your bank, your employer, the passport office, and your state roads authority – among others.
- If you’re a company director, your name change triggers an ASIC update obligation. You must lodge the change through ASIC Connect within 28 days or risk a late fee.
Do you need a formal name change, or will your marriage certificate do?
This is the question most people don’t know to ask. The answer saves a lot of paperwork.
If you married in Australia and want to take your spouse’s surname, you do not need to lodge a formal BDM name change application. Your official marriage certificate – the one issued by the Registry, not the decorative certificate your celebrant hands you on the day – is all you need. Take it to Service NSW, VicRoads, or your state roads authority to update your driver’s licence, then use your new licence plus the certificate to update Medicare, the ATO, and your bank. Most organisations accept the marriage certificate as sufficient proof.
The formal BDM application process is required when you want to change your first name, middle name, or take a hyphenated or combined surname that isn’t strictly your spouse’s name. It’s also required if you were married overseas – foreign marriage certificates are not accepted by Australian government agencies for name change purposes.
How do you legally change your name in Australia?
The process is managed by the BDM Registry in your state or territory. You apply where your birth is registered, not necessarily where you currently live. If you were born overseas but are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you apply in the state where you’ve lived for the past three consecutive years.
Here’s the standard process for NSW, which is broadly similar across all states:
- Apply online through the NSW BDM portal at nsw.gov.au or lodge a paper form at a Service NSW centre. Online applications process faster.
- Provide three forms of current ID, including at least one government-issued photo ID (passport, driver’s licence, or photo card). If you were born overseas, one document must confirm your sex, place of birth, and date of birth – either a current Australian passport or a foreign passport.
- Give a reason for the change. One or two words like “personal” or “professional” aren’t sufficient – the Registry requires a brief written explanation. This is a common stumbling block that causes applications to be returned.
- Consent to a National Police Check and declare any criminal convictions punishable by 12 months or more imprisonment.
- Pay the fee and order your certificate. In NSW, the 2025 fee is $195, which covers the registration plus one standard certificate. You’ll need that certificate to update other identity documents – don’t skip ordering it at the time of application.
Processing times in NSW currently sit at approximately 15 business days for online applications. Paper applications lodged through Service NSW centres take longer. Check the NSW BDM processing times page for current estimates before applying – times vary with demand.
How much does it cost to change your name in Australia?
Fees are set by each state BDM and updated each financial year. Here’s a snapshot of current registration fees across the major states. Note that certificate fees are often separate from the registration fee.
| State/Territory | BDM Registry | Approx. fee (adult, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW BDM (nsw.gov.au) | $195 (registration + 1 certificate) |
| VIC | BDM Victoria (bdm.vic.gov.au) | Check bdm.vic.gov.au/fees (updated 1 July 2025) |
| QLD | RBDM Queensland (qld.gov.au) | Check qld.gov.au for current fee |
| SA | CBS SA (sa.gov.au) | Check sa.gov.au for current fee |
| WA | BDM WA (wa.gov.au) | Check wa.gov.au for current fee |
| TAS | TAS BDM (justice.tas.gov.au/bdm) | Check justice.tas.gov.au/bdm/fees (updated 1 July 2025) |
| ACT | Access Canberra (accesscanberra.act.gov.au) | Check accesscanberra.act.gov.au for current fee |
| NT | NT BDM (nt.gov.au) | Check nt.gov.au for current fee |
Fees change each financial year, so always verify the current amount on your state BDM’s website before applying. Some states charge the certificate fee separately from the registration – if you don’t order a certificate at the time of application, you’ll pay again to order one later, and you’ll need that certificate to update most other documents.
Who is eligible to change their name in Australia?
For adults, the standard eligibility requirements across all states are:
- You are 18 or older (some states permit younger applicants with parental consent)
- Your birth is registered in that state, or you’ve been a resident of that state for the required continuous period (typically 3 years for adults born overseas)
- You are not a restricted person
- The name you want is not a prohibited name
Under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW), a restricted person is someone who is currently an inmate, on remand, a forensic patient, a parolee, subject to a supervision order, a periodic detainee, or a correctional patient. These individuals require written approval from their supervising authority before an application can proceed.
Prohibited names include anything offensive, any official title or rank (you can’t legally change your name to “General” or “Justice”), and any name that could be used for a fraudulent purpose. The Registry has discretion to refuse applications that don’t satisfy these requirements.
One limit most people don’t know about: you can only change your name once within a 12-month period, and three times total in your lifetime. This applies across all states – it’s a national rule, not a state-by-state variation. If you’ve already changed your name twice and are considering a third, it’s worth talking to a lawyer before you proceed, since that would be your final permitted change.
What do you need to update after changing your name?
This is the part most guides skip over. Getting the BDM certificate is 20% of the job. The other 80% is the notification cascade – updating every organisation that holds records in your old name.
Start with your highest-value identity documents first, because every other organisation will want to see photo ID in your new name before they’ll update their records. The recommended sequence is:
- Driver’s licence – visit your state roads authority in person (Service NSW, VicRoads, TMR Queensland etc.) with your BDM certificate and current licence. Usually free if you hand in the old card.
- Medicare card – call Medicare on 132 011 with your BDM certificate registration number. Your name is updated on the spot and a new card arrives within about 3 weeks.
- ATO / myGov – update via your myGov account linked to the ATO. You’ll need your change of name certificate to verify the new name. Your TFN stays the same – only the name attached to it changes.
- Passport – requires a full reissue. Allow up to 6 weeks for standard processing. If your current passport has more than two years of validity left, the replacement fee may be waived when changing a family name due to marriage.
- Bank accounts – visit in person with your BDM certificate and updated photo ID. Most banks require both.
- Centrelink / Services Australia – update via myGov or by attending a Services Australia centre. Note: Centrelink does not accept ceremonial marriage certificates.
- Superannuation – contact your fund directly. Most allow online updates with certified documentation.
- Electoral roll – update via the Australian Electoral Commission online or by form.
- Insurance policies – notify each insurer separately. A name mismatch on a policy could complicate a claim.
- Employer / HR records – notify your HR manager and update payroll records, particularly to keep your name in sync across your TFN, employer records, and myGov.
A practical tip: order two or three certified copies of your BDM certificate at the time of application. Most organisations want to see an original or certified copy, and ordering extras upfront is cheaper than re-ordering later.
Once you’ve worked through the list, our Change of Name Notification Letter can help you formally notify businesses and organisations that require written confirmation of your name change.
What if you’re a company director or run a business?
Most guides stop at personal documents. If you run a business or hold a company directorship, a personal name change creates extra compliance obligations that are easy to miss under the pressure of everything else you’re updating.
If you’re a director of a company registered with ASIC, you’re required to notify ASIC of the name change within 28 days of it taking effect. This is done via ASIC Form 484 through ASIC Connect. Miss the 28-day window and a late fee applies. This isn’t automatic – ASIC doesn’t pick up BDM changes on its own.
If you operate as a sole trader with an ABN registered in your name, you’ll need to update your details through the Australian Business Register. Your ABN doesn’t change, but the name attached to it must match your legal name on official records.
If your business has contracts, supplier agreements, or client agreements that reference your personal name, it’s worth checking whether those documents need to be updated or whether a written notification is sufficient. In many cases a simple Change of Name notification sent to relevant parties is all that’s required, but for some contracts a formal deed of variation may be needed. A Lawpath lawyer can advise on this quickly if you’re not sure.
What Lawpath lawyers regularly see go wrong
A few patterns come up consistently in Lawpath consultations and customer queries around name changes.
The most common mistake: people assume their marriage certificate alone will update their name with the ATO and Medicare. It does for most purposes – but it doesn’t automatically update your records. You have to actively notify each organisation. More than a few people discover this when their employer’s payroll records don’t match their myGov profile and it causes payment delays or tax reconciliation issues.
The second common issue: applying with too vague a reason. The NSW BDM requires a proper written explanation for your name change. Applications that state only “personal” or “professional” are returned, delaying processing by weeks. A sentence or two explaining the context is enough – you don’t need a legal argument, just a genuine reason.
Third: company directors who update their driver’s licence and passport but forget about their ASIC director records. ASIC maintains its own register – it doesn’t automatically pick up name changes registered with BDM. The 28-day ASIC notification window can catch you out if you’re busy working through the rest of your list.
Finally: people who change their name overseas and try to use a foreign marriage certificate or foreign name change document to update Australian records. Australian government agencies generally don’t accept foreign documents for name change purposes. If you changed your name overseas, you’ll need to lodge a formal BDM application in Australia to get an Australian change of name certificate that agencies will accept.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to change your name in Australia?
Online BDM applications in NSW currently take around 15 business days to process. Paper applications lodged at Service NSW centres take longer. After you receive your BDM certificate, allow several additional weeks to work through updating your driver’s licence, Medicare, passport, and other documents. The full process from application to all documents updated typically takes 6 to 12 weeks.
How much does it cost to change your name in NSW?
The 2025 fee in NSW is $195, which covers the name change registration plus one standard certificate. Additional certificates are charged separately. If you’re experiencing financial hardship, a fee waiver may be available for the certificate cost (not the registration) with a letter of support from a community support organisation.
Do I need to change my name after marriage in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to change your name after marriage in Australia. You can keep your birth name, take your spouse’s name, hyphenate, or use different names in different contexts. If you do want to change your name after an Australian marriage, your official BDM marriage certificate is sufficient – you don’t need a separate name change application.
Can I change my name more than once in Australia?
You can change your legal name up to three times in your lifetime, and only once per 12-month period. This rule applies across all Australian states and territories. If you want to change your name again within 12 months of a previous change, or for a fourth time, your application will be refused.
Do I need to update ASIC if I change my name as a company director?
Yes. If you are a director of an Australian company, you must notify ASIC of your name change within 28 days using ASIC Form 484 through ASIC Connect. ASIC does not automatically receive name changes registered with the BDM. Failing to notify within 28 days incurs a late lodgement fee.
Can I use a foreign marriage certificate to change my name on Australian documents?
No. Australian government agencies do not accept foreign marriage certificates for name change purposes. If you were married overseas and want to change your name on Australian documents, you need to lodge a formal name change application with the BDM Registry in your state or territory and obtain an Australian change of name certificate.
What names are prohibited in Australia?
You can’t legally change your name to anything offensive or obscene, any official title or rank (such as Judge, General, or Doctor used as a given name), or any name or number combination that the Registry determines could be used for a fraudulent purpose. The Registrar has discretion to refuse any application where the proposed name doesn’t meet these requirements.
Where do I apply for a name change if I was born in a different state to where I live?
Generally, you apply to the BDM Registry in the state where your birth was registered – not where you currently live. If you were born overseas, you apply in the state where you have lived for the past three consecutive years. The NSW BDM website has a full list of interstate registry contacts if you need to apply in another state.
Changing your name is genuinely straightforward once you know the steps. The BDM application itself is the quick part. The notification cascade takes longer, but it’s just a list – tick things off one at a time and it’s done before you know it.
When you’re ready to notify organisations formally, use our free Change of Name Notification Letter – customise it for each recipient in minutes. If you have questions about updating business documents, director records, or contracts after your name change, a Lawpath lawyer can give you a clear answer fast.
