Updating professional registers after a name change

Why registrant updates matter

Professional regulators maintain public-facing member registers. Patients, clients, employers and the public verify a professional's registration status and qualifications via these registers. A name mismatch causes verification failures and may also be treated as failure to maintain professional standards.

Most regulators also issue practising certificates or annual practising fees; a name change often triggers a re-issue of the certificate. Some charge a small fee; others re-issue on demand. The regulator usually also asks for an updated address for correspondence.

Medical and healthcare regulators

• GMC (General Medical Council) — for doctors. Update via GMC Online; the public register (gmc-uk.org) re-publishes your entry under your new name within a few working days.
• NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) — for nurses, midwives, nursing associates. Update via NMC online.
• GOC (General Optical Council), GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council), GDC (General Dental Council) — for opticians, pharmacists, dentists respectively; same update path.
• HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) — for 14+ allied health professionals (psychologists, physiotherapists, radiographers, etc.).

Legal professionals

• SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) — for solicitors. Update via mySRA online; the SRA also issues a fresh practising certificate.
• Bar Council / BSB (Bar Standards Board) — for barristers. Update via the Bar Council's registration portal.
• CILEx (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) / CILEx Regulation — for chartered legal executives.
• RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), IPReg (Intellectual Property Regulation Board), CLC (Council for Licensed Conveyancers) — for related specialties.

Financial, accountancy, engineering, architecture

Other commonly-held professional registrations that need updating:

• FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) — for individuals approved to perform controlled functions under SMCR.
• ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, AAT — chartered and management accountants
• RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and ARB (Architects Registration Board) — architects
• ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers), IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), InstMC (Institute of Measurement and Control) — engineers
• CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment) etc.

All of these accept a deed poll certificate (or a certified copy) as evidence of the name change. The institute updates its member register; you receive a new membership card / practising certificate in the new name.

See our employer name change guide for the related HR and payroll update — most practising professionals also need to notify their current employer at the same time they notify their regulator.