Alberta Legal Name Change

Do I need a legal name change?

If you’re taking or removing your spouse’s name then no legal name change is necessary. Visit our page on Alberta Marriage Name Change or Alberta Divorce name change for more information. 

A legal name change is required for all other changes. You may change just one name, change all names, change the spelling or order of your names. The same process and fees apply no matter how significant your change is.

What restrictions are in place for legal name change?

You must choose a first name and surname (plus optional middle names) that is made up from the English alphabet. You can’t use numbers. The only non-letters allowed are hyphen, apostrophe and periods. Only some accents can be accepted, apply for your name change to learn more. 

Your name change may be denied if it will confuse or embarass anyone, is to defraud anyone or could be offensive on other grounds.

What other conditions are placed on name change?

You must have your fingerprints taken by an approved agency as part of your application. You can apply for faster electronic fingerprinting with the results sent to Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Service, or you may have manual fingerprint checks with the RCMP. Fingerprinting fees may be around $25.

You must take out a name change notice in the Alberta Gazette once your name change is approved. If you object to having you name change published you must show a court order. More information about getting a court order can be provided by the Alberta Vital Statistic agency. You must be 18 years or older and be an Alberta permanent resident.

How do I apply for a legal name change in Alberta?

The legal name change guide and application form can be downloaded from the Alberta government website or request 'Alberta Legal Name Change' when building your kit.

Legal name change applications cost $120, plus an agency fee. You will also need to pay for fingerprinting and publishing in the Gazette. You are required to surrender all current Alberta birth certificates. Free replacements will be provided showing both your name at birth alongside your legal name. Your updated birth certificate can be used as proof of your new legal name.

What must I do after changing names?

Once you have a legal name change certificate or amended birth certificate you must notify all the various organizations and request your identification, memberships and accounts are updated. Click below to get ready to send name change paperwork for over 700 Canadian organizations. In most cases you can just attach your proof of name change, sign and send. 

GET NAME CHANGE PAPERWORK