Changing your name: A complete guide for BC

A passport, driver's licence, and other government ID must usually be issued in your legal name. Under the law in BC, anyone 19 or older can apply to legally change their name. 

You can choose almost any new name you want, but there are limits. Your new name can't:

• be confusing or embarrassing to others (so no, you can't change it to "007" or "Taylor Swift")

• be objectionable

• be chosen for an improper purpose, such as avoiding debts

To apply, you must have been living in BC, or had BC as your permanent home, for at least three months before applying. We explain the application process below.

Under BC law, you have three choices for your last name when you marry:

• keep the last name you had before the marriage

• use the last name you had at birth or adoption

• take the last name of the person you're marrying

These options apply to all married couples.

No application required

For any of these options, you do not need a legal name change or court order. You can begin using the name right away.

To update your identification and records — such as your driver's licence, passport, or bank accounts — contact each organization directly. Most will ask for your marriage certificate, and some may also ask for your birth certificate. 

Using a hyphenated, combined, or new last name

Want to hyphenate your last names, combine them, or create a completely new last name? That requires a legal name change application. We explain the process below.

“When I got divorced, my credit cards, bank accounts, even my driver’s licence were in my married name. I thought I’d need to apply to change back to my maiden name. But I learned I could simply start using it again.” 

– Jacinda, Abbotsford, BC

If you're divorcing, you can use:

• the last name you used during the marriage

• a previous married last name 

• your last name at birth

You do not need a legal name change application to use one of these names. 

To update your ID and records, contact each organization directly and ask what they need to make the change. For example, contact your bank for your credit cards and accounts, and ICBC for your driver's licence. Many will ask for formal proof of your name. You can ask the court to include your chosen name in the divorce order, which can serve as that proof.

To change to a completely new name

If you want a name you've never used before, there's a shortcut through your divorce. Ask for the new name in your notice of family claim or counterclaim, and fill out the matching schedule to the form. The court order will reflect your new name.

You also don’t need the criminal record check normally required for a legal name change.

Under BC law, a parent can apply to change the last name of a child who is 18 or younger. 

To apply, you must:

• be listed as a parent on the child's birth certificate or immigration documents

• have lived in BC for at least three months

• have written consent from all other guardians

• have the child's written consent if the child is between 12 and 18 years old

• complete the required criminal record check process if the child is between 12 and 18 years old

You make the application to the BC Vital Statistics Agency. 

If another guardian can't or won't consent, you can ask Vital Statistics to waive the consent requirement. 

Legal name changes can take several months to process. Before making plans that depend on your new name — such as booking travel — check current processing times with the BC Vital Statistics Agency.

The first step is to fill out the application for change of name. You can get it from the BC Vital Statistics Agency. 

Confirm that you're eligible:

• You're 19 or older (or a parent applying for a child 18 or younger)

• You've lived in BC for at least three months

• You haven't been convicted of certain serious offences (listed in schedule 1 of the application form)

Fill out the form digitally in Adobe Acrobat Reader, or print it and use black or blue ink.

The form covers several situations. Use the table on the first page to identify the parts you need to fill out.

Along with the application, you'll need certain supporting documents. You need to include proof of your current residential address (a copy of your photo ID).

Other documents you need depend on your situation. For example:

• an original Canadian birth certificate, if you were born in Canada

• certified copies of immigration or citizenship documents, if you were born outside Canada

• an original BC marriage certificate, if you married in BC

• a copy of your marriage certificate, if you married outside BC or Canada

See Vital Statistics for full documentation requirements, including if you’re applying for your child.

The application for change of name form includes a statutory declaration — a sworn statement that everything is true. You need to sign it in front of a commissioner for taking affidavits (basically, an authorized witness). This can be:

• a practising lawyer

• a notary public

• a Vital Statistics official in Burnaby

• at most Service BC locations

Fees typically apply. The same person can certify any supporting documents that need certification.

Anyone 12 or older whose name is being changed needs a criminal record check, done within 30 days before you submit your application.

The process starts with electronic fingerprinting. Paper fingerprints are not accepted.

Fingerprinting is available through:  

• some municipal police departments, such as in Vancouver and Victoria 

• most RCMP detachments

• accredited fingerprinting companies, such as Commissionaires

Bring the information sheet on the last page of the application for change of name form — it tells them how to set up the request.

You'll receive a receipt after fingerprinting. Include a copy with your application (see step 5). 

The criminal record check results for an adult requesting a name change are sent directly to Vital Statistics. Youth results (ages 12 to 17) come to you, and you include them with your application.

"The criminal record check threw me off — I didn't expect it. I went to my local RCMP detachment with the info sheet from the application form, got fingerprinted electronically, and walked out with a receipt the same day. The results went straight to Vital Statistics, so I just included a copy of the receipt with my name change application and that was it."

– Morgan, Kamloops, BC

Your application package should include:

• the completed application for change of name (step 1)

• any required supporting documents (step 2)

• a photocopy of your fingerprinting receipt (step 4)

You can submit your application package: 

• by mail; the address is on the application form

• at most Service BC locations

• at the Vital Statistics office in Burnaby

Vital Statistics has more detail.

The application fee is $137. Additional fees may apply for supporting documents, witnessing, and certification.

Once your application is approved and the name change is registered, you'll receive a certificate of change of name. You can then update your identification and records.

The name change is recorded in government records. If your birth or marriage is registered in BC, a note is added to the original registration, and any later copies will be issued in your new name.