Changing your Queensland-born or adopted child's name before they turn 18

If your child was born or adopted in Queensland, you can change their:

• first name(s)
  • once with us before their first birthday

  and

  • once between the ages of 1 and 18
• family name any number of times (once every 12 months)

Find out how to apply to changing your child’s first name before they turn 1.

If your child was born or adopted:

• in another Australian state or territory, you need to apply to the interstate registry office.
• overseas find out how to apply.

When you apply you can choose to have your child’s new name shown on their birth certificate—otherwise, their birth certificate will only note that a name change occurred and won’t show their new name.

If your application is approved, we will send an official certificate showing the child's name  has been changed and you will need to change your child's name everywhere they are registered in the community.

To submit an application to change your child's name in person at the Brisbane registry, request an interview appointment.

You must book an appointment for each change of name application you are submitting to us.

Certificate options

The application fee includes 1 free certificate. You have to pay for any additional certificates.

If your child was born or adopted in Queensland, can choose to order a birth certificate (with or without sex shown) or a change of name certificate (or a combination of the 3).

Change of name certificates only provide some birth information, the new name and any previous change of name registered in Queensland by us. They are not proof of birth details—you can choose to change the details on your child’s birth certificate.

Documents you will need to provide

If your child was born or adopted in Queensland, you must provide:

• certified proof of ID for both registered parents (read the rules below if you are a single parent or have legal parental responsibility)
• evidence explaining the reason if your or your child’s current name is different to the name on their birth certificate, such as
  • marriage certificate
  • family deed poll document
  • change of name document.

Your application will not be approved if:

• you have not provided enough documentation to establish your identity
• the change of name appears to be for a fraudulent or other improper purpose
• the name you’ve chosen is a prohibited name.

Detailed rules and requirements are outlined in our change of name and prohibited name policies.

If only one of the parents shown on your child’s birth certificate is applying, you will need additional evidence to support this, such as a court order or death certificate.

Rules for changing your child’s names

To change your child’s names between 1 and 18, you must:

• not have changed your child’s first name before or only before their first birthday
• not have changed your child’s family name in the past 12 months
• have consent from the authorised parent(s) or person(s)
• have your child consent to changing their name (if aged 12 to 17)
• choose a new name that is not a prohibited name
• give a detailed reason for your child’s name change.

Who can apply

If both parents are shown on a child’s birth certificate, both parents need to consent to changing their child’s name.

If you are a single parent, you can apply to change your child’s name if one of the following applies:

• you are the child’s parent and there are no details for your child’s other parent on the birth certificate
• you have Queensland Magistrates Court order, ordering a change of name
• one parent is deceased a death certificate is required
• you have sole parental responsibility under a Family Law order.

If you have legal parental responsibility for the child (i.e. under a Family Law order, a Child Protection order, or a will), you can apply to change the child’s name but you must provide evidence.

Read more about the evidence you will need to have.

Otherwise, you can only apply if you have a Queensland Magistrates Court order approving the change of name.

How to apply

To apply to change your child’s name, you need to:

1. Read and understand the rules above.
2. Choose how you would like to pay the fee.
3. Review your details.
4. Read the email we send you to find out how to finalise your application.
5. Have your proof of ID and supporting documents for both parents certified by a Justice of the Peace or another authorised person.
6. Have another adult (18 or older) witness your signature(s) on the declaration section of the application form. This includes your child's signature if they are aged 12 to 17.
7. Submit your signed application form, supporting documents and payment (if you chose not to pay online) to us
   1. by post
   2. in person by requesting an appointment at the Brisbane registry customer service centre.

Fill in the changing your child's name application form

Submit by post

Post your completed application form with your certified documents and payment (if you didn't pay online to) to:

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 15188
CITY EAST   QLD  4002

We will begin to process your application when we receive it along with your documents.

Submit in person by requesting an appointment

To submit your completed application form in person, you need to book a 15-minute interview appointment with a registry officer.

This online service allows you to choose the date and time of your appointment at the Brisbane registry customer service centre at Level 32, 180 Ann Street, Brisbane.

To book your appointment, you will be asked for your name, email and mobile number, and you will get an email confirming your appointment. The email will also allow you to easily reschedule or cancel your booking, if necessary.

1. To make a booking I understand:

   * Calendly.com stores its information on servers in California in the United States of America. By using Calendly.com to book your appointment, you are consenting to the transfer of your personal information to the United States of America.
2. Was your child's birth or adoption registered in Queensland? *

   • Yes
   • No

3. If your child was born or adopted overseas

   Find out what documents you need to provide and fill in an application before you book an appointment.

4. Don't request an appointment

   If your child was born or adopted:

   • • in another Australian state or territory
   • • overseas and doesn't currently lives in Queensland (and has not lived in Queensland for the past 12 months).

   You need to apply to the registry office interstate.

Privacy notice

The Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages is collecting your personal information for the purpose of facilitating your appointment booking online and for contacting you in relation to your appointment. Your personal information will not be used or disclosed for any other purpose unless authorised or required by law. Your personal information will be handled according to with the provisions of the Information Privacy Act 2009.

Other booking options

To book your interview appointment contact us.

Online: our general enquiry form.

By phone: local call* 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or international +61 7 3022 6100 (+10 hours UTC)—phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm.

*Costs may be higher from mobile phones and interstate.

Visit the Brisbane registry customer service centre at Level 32, 180 Ann Street, Brisbane.

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How long it takes

Our processing timeframes apply to correctly filled out applications that have been submitted with all the required proof of ID and supporting documents (as required).

They apply once we receive applications submitted by post.

If an urgent application does not comply, so we have to ask for more information or documentation, you can be assured it has already been reviewed before others. When your application becomes compliant, we will continue to process it urgently.

When applying for an exception to a change of name rule, your application will take longer to process than the days shown below.

Priority	Number of business days
Non-urgent applications (average processing time—no additional fee)	10
Urgent application	3

Pay the fee

When completing online, the total cost is calculated as you fill in the application form online.

The fee is for you to submit your application and for us to review it.

You can pay:

• online
  • by credit card (MasterCard or Visa)
• at the customer service centre
  • by EFTPOS or credit card
  • with a business account cheque
  • with a bank cheque
  • with a money order
• by post
  • within Australia
    • by credit card
    • with a business account cheque
    • with a bank cheque
    • with a money order
  • from overseas
    • by credit card.

We will accept cash at the customer service centre but prefer contactless payments such as EFTPOS or credit card.

We do not accept personal cheques or cheques issued from outside Australia (in any currency).

Make Australian-drawn cheques and money orders payable to 'Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages'.

Application fees

Item	Cost
Change of name (includes 1 official birth or change of name certificate)	$205.90
Additional official birth or change of name certificate	$54.40
Urgent application	$108.10

Postage fees

Standard postage is included in the price when you order a certificate to be sent by mail.

You can choose to have your certificate sent by express or registered post for a fee.

Item	Cost
Express post	$8.55
Registered post	$8.10
International registered mail	$18.55

We value identity protection, so we recommend that you choose registered post. This ensures your certificate's delivery can be tracked and delivered to you more securely within Australia.

International registered mail is used for overseas deliveries. However, this can’t be tracked and signing on delivery is only available in some countries.

Our refund policy

The fee you pay is for you to submit your application and for us to review it.

You will lose the fee paid if we refuse your application or you cancel it after we have started to review it.

Please read our refund policy.

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Get the printable application form

If you can't complete the application form online, you can use the PDF application form and submit it by post or in person by requesting an appointment with us.

Get the change of name under 18 years application form.

Request exception to rules

If you want to change your child’s name, but do not meet the normal rules to apply because your child had their:

• name changed less than 12 months ago in Australia
• first and/or middle names changed once before in Australia.

It is important to read the change of name policy and how to apply above to check that your child’s situation fits one of the categories for an exception.

You will need to complete and submit the request exception to rules application along with the change of name application and evidence showing how your child’s situation is exceptional.

Your application will take longer for us to consider—even if the urgent fee is paid.

If your request is not approved your child’s change of name application will be cancelled, and the fee (including urgent fee, if paid) will not be refunded. We will refund any payment for postage and any additional certificates. Read more about the refund policy.

Get the request exception to rules application form.

Replacement change of name certificate

If you have already registered a change of name with us and need a new certificate, apply by post or in person with proof of ID.

Fill in a change of name certificate application form.