How to get a duplicate or certified copy of a deed poll

When duplicates and certified copies are needed

• Posting the original to a record-holder who retains it — typically overseas authorities, some mortgage lenders, some private schools. Send a certified copy if you need to keep the original.
• Updating several institutions at once — HMPO has your original at the same time your bank wants it. Order three or four certified copies first; send one to each.
• Lost original — order a replacement certificate (a fresh, witnessed certificate showing the same name change). The replacement can be sent to organisations unless they specifically required the original.
• Married, divorced, civil-partnered and trans individuals — several records need updating in parallel; duplicates save time and the risk of loss in post.

How to obtain duplicates and certified copies

Certified copies — the cheapest route

Take the original signed certificate to a solicitor, notary public, or commissioner for oaths. They will photocopy it, stamp the copy "Certified to be a true copy of the original seen by me", sign and date it. Solicitors typically charge £5 to £15 per certified copy under the Oaths and Declarations (Practising Fees) Order. Some high street solicitors charge a flat fee; others charge per page.

Banks and HMRC staff are usually not commissioners for oaths — they can certify identity documents and proof of address but typically not deed polls for general use. Some Post Office branches offer certified-copy services on identity documents; check what's covered.

Replacement certificate

If you have lost the original, you can request a fresh issued certificate for the same name change — newly signed and witnessed. The new certificate carries the same content (current name → new name, your address, witness signatures) but a new date. Most UK organisations accept it as evidence; the "date" of your name change for historic purposes is the date on whichever certificate was first used.

For our own customers, replacement certificates can be re-issued on demand if you added the lifetime archiving option. Replacement requests are handled via the customer account area.

Enrolled deed poll replacements

If your deed poll was enrolled (recorded at the Royal Courts of Justice Enrolment of Deeds), you can obtain a certified copy of the enrolled instrument from the Royal Courts of Justice. The certified copy carries the same weight as the original. See GOV.UK guidance onenrolling a deed poll for the precise application route.

Why an archived copy is good protection

Original signed certificates can be lost in the post, damaged in transit, misplaced during a house move, or simply worn out over time. An archived service keeps a copy of your certificate that can be re-issued at will in identical form — signed, dated, witnessed — at any point in the future, free of charge. This is especially useful for trans people who may need certified evidence of their name change decades later (e.g. applying for a long-delayed gender recognition certificate, emigrating, or applying for a foreign visa).

• Free replacement on demand
• Same witness details and signature line preserved
• Encrypted storage with the audit-log of each re-issue
• Set against you, no one else can request your archive

Common questions