If you are willing to change your name legally, here are the three steps you need to follow. These are the mandatory steps that every citizen of Maharashtra must follow while legally applying for a name change.
Are you a citizen of Maharashtra who has decided to change his/her name? Do you want to legally change your name on all official documents? If yes, there are some processes you must go through to legally change name. So, we would like to tell you that the process of changing your name or correcting the name can be quickly done through Gazette notification as the gazette service is available both online and offline for the citizens of Maharashtra.
If you compare it to other countries, changing one’s name is very common in India. There can be many reasons behind it, such as Astrology, Numerology, religion change, gender change, surname change, marriage, divorce, errors in spelling, mistakes in birth or school certificate, and many more.
It might sometimes be that the person might not like his/her name when he or she grew up and decides to change it. But there is no problem in anything as changing your name is entirely your personal choice, and no one can question you about it or can stop you from doing it. So, if you have also decided to legally change your name, here are all the details you should know.
Who Can Apply For Name Change In Maharashtra?
We would like to tell you that there is no restriction on anyone who wants to change his/her name. According to the laws, anyone can change his/her name at any stage of his/her life, and no one can question or stop them from doing that. Whether you are a husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, or anyone, you can move forward with changing your name if you decide to do so.
Eligibility Criterion For Name Change In Maharashtra
If you are a citizen of Maharashtra who has decided to change his/her name, here are some requirements you must fulfill to change your name.
- You should be a citizen of India.
- You should have valid government ID proof.
- You should have a valid reason to change your name.
- If you are a minor, the parents must visit the government office with the child to go through the name change Procedure in India
Documents Required For Name Change In Maharashtra
There are some necessary documents that you should have if you are applying for a name change in Maharashtra. Here is the complete list of all the documents that you require:
- Address Proof (Electricity bill, Water bill, Rent agreement)
- A passport-size photo
- The new name you want
- Birth certificate (In case of a minor)
- Marriage certificate (If any)
- Divorce papers (If any)
- The hard copy of the Publication of the newspaper
- Digital CD
- Deed for Government employees
- Name Change Form duly filled A hard copy.
- Affidavits which is duly notarized (Hard copy)
Learn more about Documents Required for Name Change in Gazette
Name Change Fees In Maharashtra
The government of India charges a minimal fee of Rs 1300-1500 in case of a change of name. This might be a little lengthy process and may take weeks to complete. But, if you are in hurry and want to get your name changed to the earliest, then you have to pay an additional tatkal fee of Rs 1000.
Name Change Procedure In Maharashtra
The complete process of changing your name in Maharashtra is divided into three steps. It is compulsory for everyone to go through this process to change your name legally. The three steps for changing a name legally are:
1. Name Change Affidavit
If you are willing to change your name, then the first thing you have to do is to prepare a name-changing affidavit, and you have to mention a proper specific reason behind your decision to change your name. You have to make that affidavit in the local notary, and it should include your old name, new name, reason of change, and all your details such as an address, age proof, husband/father’s name, and all other details.
2. Publish Newspaper Advertisement
Once you are done with the first step, you have to make a name change announcement that has to be published in two local newspapers: one should be regional language newspaper, and the other should be an English newspaper. Some points that you have to include in the announcement are:
- New name of the applicant
- The old name of the applicant
- The date on which the affidavit is made
- Full address of the applicant
- Age of applicant
- Notary name who attested the affidavit
- Father’s/Husband’s Name
Before giving the advertisement in the newspaper, make sure you double-check all the information that you provided.
3. Notification In Government Gazette
Now you have to publish that name change notification in the Gazette of India by writing the application, a DD fee, and all the necessary documents you need to submit. You must send all the documents to the Department of Publication of the Name change. The documents you need to send are:
- Name change affidavit that is duly notarized
- Newspaper publication
- A hard copy of the name change form
- Make a digital signature CD (in this, you need to take a digital CD and take it to gazette fil and burn it)
- A Demand draft of Rs 1100 for major and Rs 1700 for minor
- Two passport-size self-attested photos
- An application signed by application informing that all the details on hard copy and soft copy are the same.
- Application letter describing all the documents attached in the envelope.
Once you are done with all these steps, your application for name change will be submitted, and in a few days, you will get the notification that your process is completed and your new name is finally your official name from now onwards.
Learn more about How to Legally Change Your Name in India?
What Are The Restrictions On Name Change?
Generally, you are free to change your name at any stage of life without any hesitation, but while changing your name, you have to follow some restrictions that you cannot avoid at any cost.
- You can apply for a name change to save yourself from debt, liabilities, or legal issues.
- You cannot apply for a name change to hide your identity.
- You cannot pick a vulgar or obscene name as your new name.
- You cannot use names with punctuations.
Conclusion
These are some significant details you should know as a citizen of Maharashtra if you want to change your name. Changing your name is a crucial process; hence, you should be very careful at every step. If you want to change your name legally and save yourself from making any mistakes while applying for a change of name legally, then Vakilsearch should be your one-stop solution. We can surely make your process easy and will save you from making all the minor mistakes.
What is the procedure for changing one's name in Maharashtra?
The procedure for changing one's name in Maharashtra involves three main steps:
(a) Drafting a Name Change Affidavit,
(b) Publishing a Newspaper Advertisement, and
(c) Notification In Government Gazette
Where can I find information on name change processes in Maharashtra?
You can find information on name change processes in Maharashtra on the official website dgps.maharashtra.gov.in, or by visiting the office of the Directorate of Government Printing & Stationary, Mumbai.
Is it mandatory to visit the dgps.maharashtra.gov.in website for a name change in the state?
It is not mandatory to visit the dgps.maharashtra.gov.in website for a name change in the state. You can also apply for a name change with the help of Vakilsearch name change experts.
What documents are required for initiating a name change request in Maharashtra?
To initiate a name change request in Maharashtra, you need to submit the following documents:
(a) Name Change Affidavit
(b) Newspaper publication, and
(c) Notification In Government Gazette
Are there any fees associated with the name change procedure on dgps.maharashtra.gov.in?
Yes, there are fees associated with the name change procedure on dgps.maharashtra.gov.in. Remember, the fees for publishing the name change advertisement in the newspaper and the government gazette must be borne by the applicant.
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