Name of the Organization : Northern Territory Department of Attorney General & Justice
Type of Facility : Registration of Changes of Name
Country : Australia
Website : https://nt.gov.au/
Registration of Changes of Name :
An application for a change of name may be made by any person who lives in the Northern Territory, or who was born in the Northern Territory.
Related : Northern Territory Department of Attorney General & Justice Apply For Marriage Certificate Australia : www.statusin.org/6933.html
Change of name of an adult:
Applicants 18 years or older, and who are either a resident of the Northern Territory for a minimum of 3 months or born in the Northern Territory, may apply for a change of name.
The change of name notification must be advertised once in a newspaper published and circulating in the Northern Territory.
When the advertisement appears in the newspaper, it must be brought to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Office (showing the date of the advertisement), together with the required forms and the prescribed fee.
Applicants may have their birth registration noted with the new name if they were born in the Northern Territory. If born interstate the relevant state will be notified, but any further documentation and/or fees will need to be discussed directly with that state.
Territory-born applicants are required to return previous birth certificates in order for an amended certificate to be issued. Identification must be sighted prior to a change of name being processed. See the Identification Requirements Policy under Other Services.
Please Note: A Change of Name can only be registered ONCE in a 12 month period.
Woman reverting to a former name:
A woman may revert to her maiden surname at any time. Many women do this following a divorce or separation. If proof of the new name is required, it may be sufficient for a woman to produce her birth certificate and a copy of her marriage certificate to show the connection between both names.
Statutory declarations can be obtained from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Office. In cases where this is not accepted, an applicant may need to register a formal name change.
Change of name of a child:
For persons under the age of 18 years, their parents are required to complete an application for a change of name of a child. This does not need to be advertised in the newspaper.
If only one parent is named on the birth registration, then an ‘Application by One Parent to Register Change of Name of Child’ form is to be completed. If both parents are named on the birth registration, then an ‘Application by Both Parents to Register
Change of Name of Child’ is to be completed. There are special requirements where one parent wishes to change a child’s name without the consent of the other.
As a change of name of a child can be a complicated process, applicants should contact the Birth, Deaths and Marriage Registries for assistance in changing the name and to obtain the relevant form.
For further information, email AGD.RegistrarGeneral@nt.gov.au