Correcting a typo or amending a deed poll in the UK

Four distinct scenarios — and the right fix for each

1. The certificate itself is wrong (typo on the certificate)

If your deed poll certificate contains a typographical error in your current name, new name, address, date or witness details — and you haven't yet used it to update records — the cleanest fix is to issue a fresh certificate with the correct details and have it signed and witnessed again. Keep the original for reference but do not send either copy to organisations until you have the fresh one.

2. The certificate is correct, but the certificates you already have are inconsistently spelled

Suppose your birth certificate correctly records "Sarah Jane SMITH" but your school records show "Sarah Jean SMITH" — an old transcription error. The deed poll is not the fix because the deed poll certifies the change, not the spelling of either name. The fix is to contact each record-holder with evidence of consistency (birth certificate, signed statutory declaration of correctness if required). No new deed poll is necessary.

3. You want to add or change a name you previously took by deed poll

This is not an amendment — it is a fresh name change. You need a new deed poll setting out the change from your current name (post-previous-deed poll) to the new variant, witnessed in the usual way. The previous certificate is retained as the link in the chain; a bank or passport office that needs to trace your name history may ask for both certificates together.

4. The certificate is correct but a record was entered wrongly afterwards

For example, your passport was issued in a misspelt version due to a transcript error at HM Passport Office, despite the correct deed poll being submitted. The fix is a record correction at the agency — not a reissue of the deed poll. HMPO, the DVLA, HMRC and most other record-holders have established "factual correction" routes for clerical errors on their side. Send the original certificate plus any evidence of the original error.

Choosing the right action

Statutory declaration of correctness — when and how

A statutory declaration of correctness is a separate witnessed declaration made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. It states, on oath, that a particular factual matter is true (for example, that you are and have always been known by a specific spelling). It is commonly used by people whose records have contained alternative spellings over time and who need a single document certifying the correct form.

A statutory declaration is sworn before a solicitor, a notary, a commissioner for oaths, or (in England and Wales) a magistrate. Solicitors typically charge £5 to £15 per statutory declaration under the Oaths and Declarations (Practising Fees) Order. It is not a substitute for a deed poll when the change itself is contested — it supplements a deed poll when the spelling of an existing or historical name needs to be vouched for.

In contrast to a deed poll, which is the document that evidences the change of name, the statutory declaration of correctness evidences the spelling or factual form of a name that has always been yours. If your situation fits case 2 (inconsistent existing records) or a slow transition through a misspelling across several years, a statutory declaration may help.

Common questions