Name change in the Australian Capital Territory
Married in Australia, your marriage certificate is proof, nothing to register. A new name, overseas marriage, or spelling fix needs a formal change with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages first.
Married in Australia? Your official marriage certificate is proof across the ACT, nothing to register.
Choosing a new name, married overseas, or fixing a spelling? Register a formal change of name with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages first, about $152.
Either way, update your ACT driver licence and Medicare first. Once those show your new name, everyone else accepts it with far less fuss.
Married in Australia and taking, adding or hyphenating your partner's surname? Your official marriage certificate is proof across the ACT. Nothing to register.
A brand new name, a gender-affirming change, a spelling fix, or a marriage overseas is different. Register a formal change of name with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages first, about $152.
Where you apply depends on your birthplace and how long you've lived in the ACT, not your current address.
Complete the change of name application for the ACT. Provide your identity documents, including at least one with a photo.
Born in the ACT? Apply online. Otherwise, send the form and your documents to Access Canberra by email, post, or in person, then pay the fee.
Fees change over time, so check the registry for the current amount before you pay.
Once you lodge a complete application, Access Canberra issues the certificate within about 15 business days. That does not include time for it to reach you by post.
This becomes your legal proof everywhere else. Updating everyone afterwards is the part Surname Switch speeds up.
Update your ACT driver licence through Access Canberra first, usually in person with your proof of name change. Then Medicare. New photo ID speeds up banks, super and everyone else on your list.
By situation
Straight from the app that builds your ACT checklist. Fees are the territory registry's, not ours.
| Your situation | Register with ACT BDM first? | What proves your name | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Married in Australia | No | Your official marriage certificate | Free |
| Married overseas | Often, if a place won't accept your certificate | Overseas marriage certificate, or an ACT change of name certificate | Free, or about $152 if you register |
| Choosing a brand new name | Yes | ACT change of name certificate | About $152 |
| Reverting to a former name | Usually not | Your previous marriage certificate, divorce order, or change of name certificate | Free |
Married overseas and an ACT organisation won't accept your certificate on its own? Registering an ACT change of name gives you an Australian-issued certificate they will accept.
Last updated 2 October 2026. Rules and fees come from ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages. Check their site for the current fee.
Do it at the source
The ACT has no separate registry website of its own. Born in the ACT? Apply online. Otherwise, send the form to Access Canberra by email, post, or in person, with a genuine reason for the change.
Do your driver licence first, through Access Canberra. It becomes accepted photo ID, so Medicare and everyone else accept your new name with far less fuss. See the order that works best in our full checklist.
Married in Australia? See our marriage guide for what changes and what does not. Reverting to a former name is in our divorce guide; a brand new name, our deed poll guide.
The ACT is one of 8 states and territories Surname Switch covers. Enter your details once. We prefill your official forms, draft every email, and track all 66 kinds of organisation in one checklist.
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Australian Capital Territory name change questions
Straight answers to what people in the ACT actually ask about changing their name.
Married in Australia? Your marriage certificate is proof. Choosing a new name, affirming your gender, or married overseas? Register with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages first. Surname Switch prefills forms, drafts emails and tracks every organisation.
Free if your marriage certificate is your proof. A formal change costs approximately 152 AUD, paid to the registry. Fees change, so check their site for the current amount. Surname Switch prepares your notifications from $25, no subscription.
Usually not. If you married in Australia and are taking, adding or hyphenating your spouse's surname, your marriage certificate is enough. No separate registration with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages is needed. A formal change is only needed for a new name, gender-affirming change, spelling fix, or overseas marriage.
Formal changes are registered with ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages. You generally apply if you were born in the ACT, or born interstate or overseas and have lived in the ACT the last 12 months. Born elsewhere and have not lived in the ACT that long? Apply there instead.
Only if you were born in the ACT. Everyone else sends the completed form to Access Canberra by email, post, or in person, along with your identity documents and the fee. The ACT has no separate registry website of its own.
Once you lodge a complete application, Access Canberra issues the certificate within about 15 business days. Updating everyone afterwards takes longer. That is what Surname Switch speeds up.
You update your ACT driver licence through Access Canberra, usually in person, with your proof of name change and identity. Do this first: once your licence shows your new name, other organisations accept it with little fuss.
Yes, through the same ACT registry that handles adults. It generally needs consent from both parents, or everyone with parental responsibility, or a court order without agreement. The registry sets out the exact forms.
It depends on the organisation. Some accept a clear photo or scan. Others need a certified copy, verified by a Justice of the Peace or pharmacist. Order a couple of certified copies up front.
A foreign marriage certificate often is not accepted alone by ACT organisations. The clean path is usually to register a formal change of name first, then update everyone with that certificate. Our questionnaire checks this for you.
Your forms prefilled, every email drafted, and one ordered checklist of your actual companies. Plans from $25.
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