Change of name
Change of name for Indigenous survivors of residential schools
Since June 8, 2022, any person whose name was changed while they were in a residential school who wish to use their traditional indigenous name again, as well as their descendants, can be exempted from the payment of fees for an application for a change of name with the Directeur de l'état civil, as well as the fees payable for the delivery of new civil status documents for a period of 10 years, until June 8, 2032.
Please contact us to find out more.
- Change of name: a significant act
- Two ways to change a name
- Who can apply for a change of name?
- How to file an application
- Persons to be notified
- Notification
- Proof of notification
- Objections
- Required publications
- Comments
- Decision rendered
- Effects of a change of name
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Application for the simplified forwarding of information following a change to the act of birth
- Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
- Retraite Québec - Québec Pension Plan and the Family Allowance measure
- Retraite Québec - Public sector pension plans (RREGOP, PPMP or other)
- Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
- Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
- Ministère de la Sécurité publique - Québec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF)
- Fees and processing time
Change of name: a significant act
The law permits a person to apply for a change of given name or surname under certain conditions.
Such a change is granted only if a serious reason, within the meaning of the Civil Code of Québec, has been shown.
Important
Under the Civil Code of Québec, both spouses retain their respective names in marriage and exercise civil rights under those names. Consequently, if a married woman wants to adopt her spouse's surname, the Directeur de l'état civil will authorize that change of name only in an exceptional situation.
Note
If your application is for a substitution of the usual given name by another given name on the act of birth, the procedure to submit an application for a change of name is not for you. To find out what steps to take, consult the Substitution of the usual given name by another given name on the act of birth section.
Two ways to change a name
Depending on the situation, an application for a change of name may be filed by way of judicial process before the courts or by way of administrative process with the Directeur de l'état civil.
By way of judicial process: the courts
The court can authorize a change of name for a child in the case of abandonment by the father or mother, in the case of deprivation of parental authority or in the case of a change of filiation, for example by adoption.
A person who wishes to file an application for a change of name for a minor child by way of administrative process may, if an objection is made, as the case may be, by the father, mother or tutor, if any, or by the minor 14 years of age or over, submit the application to the court before it is filed with the Directeur de l'état civil.
If you are in one of these situations and would like to apply for a change of name, we invite you to consult a legal adviser, who will guide you in choosing the appropriate recourse.
By way of administrative process: the Directeur de l'état civil
The Directeur de l'état civil handles all applications for a change of name that are not under the jurisdiction of the court. The reasons invoked and the documents submitted to support the application are of great importance, as they enable the Directeur de l'état civil to accurately assess the application.
Below are some examples of reasons for applying for a change of name:
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The use, for five years or more, of a surname or given name not entered on the act of birth
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A name of foreign origin, too difficult to pronounce or write in its original form
- Serious prejudice or psychological suffering caused by the use of the name
- A name that invites ridicule or that is infamous (marked by disgrace, shame or humiliation)
- The intention to add to the surname of a child under 18 the surname of the father or mother, or a part of it if it is a compound surname
Who can apply for a change of name?
You can apply for a change of name for yourself if you are 14 years of age or over and domiciled in Québec for at least one year.
You can apply for a change of name for a minor if you are the father, mother or tutor, provided the minor is domiciled in Québec for at least one year.
Person born outside Québec
If you, or the person whose name you have applied to change, was born outside Québec and the birth is not entered in the Québec register of civil status, you must first ask the Directeur de l'état civil to insert the act of birth in the register so the application for a change of name can be processed. In that case, you must complete the Application for Insertion of an Act of Civil Status Made Outside Québec into the Québec Register of Civil Status (PDF, 52 Ko) 
form, which is in the Forms
section. For more information, see the section Insertion of an act made outside Québec into the Québec register of civil status.
How to file an application
Processing an application for a change of name by the Directeur de l’état civil involves three steps.
1. Preliminary analysis
The first step is to determine the person’s eligibility to apply for a change of name, using the Aplication for Preliminary Analysis for a Change of name (PDF, 24 Ko) . Based on the information on this form, the Directeur de l’état civil verifies:
- that the person in question has been domiciled in Québec for at least one year;
- that it falls under its jurisdiction to analyze the application, based on the reasons provided, or rather is the exclusive jurisdiction of the court;
- that the act of birth of the person in question is entered in the register of civil status, as this is a precondition for any application for a change of name.
If the act of birth of the person in question is not entered in the register of civil status at the time of preliminary analysis, an application to have it inserted must be made.
If the person who is the subject of the change of name is under 18 years of age, the Directeur de l’état civil also ensures that the person making the application is able to notify the other parent of the change requested.
In some cases, it is possible that an application for a change of name is not the appropriate recourse for the need expressed. In this situation, the Directeur de l’état civil refers the applicant to the appropriate procedure, for example, the substitution of the usual given name or a request to correct a purely material error.
If documents or information are missing, the Directeur de l’état civil contacts the applicant to obtain them.
Following this analysis, a change of name package, containing the forms and information specific to the situation, is sent to the applicant by mail.
2. Opening a file
Once the change of name package has been received duly completed, the Directeur de l’état civil proceeds with validation to ensure that it contains all of the necessary documents and information.
Once the file is complete, publication of the notice of the application for a change of name is posted on the website of the Directeur de l’état civil for 15 days. The Directeur de l’état civil also proceeds with depositing the fees payable. At the end of the publication period, if there is no comment or objection, analysis of the reasons for the application for a change of name can start.
3. Processing the application
The law stipulates that a serious reason must be demonstrated to obtain a change of name. At this step, the Directeur de l’état civil analyzes the serious reason invoked and its demonstration. Additional proof may be requested, if necessary.
If demonstration of the serious reason is found to be insufficient, an advance notice of rejection explaining that the application could be rejected in the absence of additional justification could be sent to the applicant.
Once the application has been processed, a decision accepting or refusing the change of name is sent by registered mail to the applicant.
Persons to be notified
If the following persons have not been notified of the application or if they object to the application, the Directeur de l'état civil cannot grant the change of name of a minor child, unless there is a compelling reason.
However, they do not need to be notified if the application for a change of given name is submitted by a person aged 14 or over and is motivated by a question of gender identity, which is interpreted as a compelling reason. The Directeur de l’état civil may grant the change of given name even if these persons object.
| Who is affected by the change of name? | Who files the application? | Who should be notified of the application? |
| A child under 18 years of age | Their father, mother or tutor |
|
| A child between 14 and 17 years of age | The child |
|
By signing in the space provided in section 5 of the Application for a Change of Name form, the person to be notified confirms that they have read the application and agree to it.
Notification
If you are unable to present the application for a change of name form in person to the persons to be notified, you must provide them with a photocopy of the form.
To notify means to send the form to the persons to be notified so that they may be informed of your intention to apply for a change of name and so that they may object to it if they wish.
You must send by registered mail with signature on delivery to each person to be notified a photocopy of Appendix B Notice of an Application to Change the Name of a Person under 18 Years of Age, that was sent to you by the Directeur de l'état civil with your change of name package, after completing sections 1 to 5. You must also send them a photocopy of the application for a change of name form and the other appendices that you have completed.
It is also possible to serve the form by bailiff. After receiving the documents, the person notified will have 20 days to object.
Proof of notification
You will need to prove to the Directeur de l'état civil that the person notified received a copy of the application. If the notice was sent by registered mail, you can obtain proof from Canada Post that they received the envelope. If the service was made by a bailiff, the bailiff will give you a report indicating that the copy was delivered.
Objections
When the application for a change of name is for a person under 18 years of age, the following persons may object to the application:
- the father
- the mother
- the parent
- the tutor
- the child whose name is being changed if 14 years of age or over.
However, if the application for a change of name is submitted by a person aged 14 or over and is motivated by a question of gender identity, which is interpreted as a compelling reason, the Directeur de l’état civil may grant the change of given name even if these persons object.
This written objection must be forwarded to the Directeur de l'état civil and to the person submitting the application for a change of name not later than the 20th day following receipt of the application.
If the Directeur de l'état civil receives an objection to your application for a change of name, you will be notified. You will then have 15 days to respond in writing to the Directeur de l’état civil.
Note
If the application is to add to the minor's surname a portion of the surname of the minor's father or mother or of one of the minor's parents, the right to object varies according to the age of the minor concerned. Thus, if the child is under 14 years of age, only the tutor can make an objection. If the child is 14 years of age or over, only the child concerned by the application may object.
Required publications
In accordance with the Civil Code of Québec and barring exemption, persons who submit an application for a change of name to the Directeur de l'état civil must mandatorily give public notice of their intention to change their name and that of their children, if applicable. These publications allow interested persons to become aware of your application for a change of name.
For more information, consult the Publication of a notice in civil status matters section.
Comments
Following the publication of the notice of application for a change of name on the Directeur de l'état civil's website, it is possible for persons to submit comments concerning the application for a change of name or to object to it.
If the Directeur de l'état civil receives any comments regarding the application, they will be forwarded to you. You will then have 15 days to respond in writing to the Directeur de l'état civil.
Decision rendered
After examining an application for a change of name, the Directeur de l'état civil renders a written decision explaining the reasons for accepting or rejecting it. That decision is given to the applicant and, if applicable, to persons who submitted an objection or comments regarding the application.
Only the court can review the decision. If an applicant is not satisfied with the decision of the Directeur de l'état civil, he or she may, within 30 days of the decision, file a judicial application to have it reviewed. If you are in that situation, we invite you to consult a legal adviser, who will guide you in choosing the appropriate recourse.
Upon expiry of the 30-day period, if the decision of the Directeur de l'état civil was favourable and no judicial application was filed in court to have the decision reviewed, the Directeur de l'état civil publishes a notice of the decision on its website, unless the decision pertains to a case involving exemption from publication and alters the Québec register of civil status accordingly.
Effects of a change of name
When a person's change of name takes effect, it is the responsibility of that person or the person's father, mother or tutor to have his or her name changed in files held by government departments or agencies. This entails providing a change of name certificate and a new birth certificate as proof.
However, if you fill out the application for the simplified forwarding of information following a change to the act of birth, the Directeur de l'état civil can notify certain departments or agencies of the change on your behalf, freeing you of the need to provide these documents to them.
Application for the simplified forwarding of information following a change to the act of birth
Under agreements with various government departments and agencies, the Directeur de l'état civil is authorized to forward them the information they need to apply the laws and programs under their administration. These agreements specify procedures that comply with the applicable legislation, in particular concerning the protection of personal information.
If the change of name or designation of sex takes effect, the Directeur de l'état civil will automatically notify the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and Retraite Québec for the Québec Pension Plan and the Family Allowance measure by forwarding them the information they need to change the person's name within these organizations.
The Directeur de l'état civil has created a form that enables it to forward information relative to a person's change of name or, if applicable, change of designation of sex not only to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and Retraite Québec for the Québec Pension Plan and the Family Allowance measure, but also to the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Commission Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail. This form is included with the change of name application. Consequently, if the change of name takes effect, the Directeur de l'état civil can notify these organizations, freeing you of the need to take steps with them regarding the change. You will not have to provide them with a change of name certificate and a new birth certificate as proofs of the change.
Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec the information required to change the person's name in his or her file in the context of the Health Insurance Plan and, if applicable, the Public Prescription Drug Plan. However, you must still contact the Régie to finalize the update of your file as soon as you are notified that the change has taken effect.
To reach the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
Retraite Québec - Québec Pension Plan and the Family Allowance measure
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward to Retraite Québec the information required to change the person's name in his or her file, if applicable, in the context of the programs of the Québec Pension Plan and the Family Allowance measure. You will have no other formality to complete with this organization regarding this change.
Retraite Québec - Public sector pension plans (RREGOP, PPMP or other)
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward to Retraite Québec the information required to change the person's name in his or her file in the context of public sector pension plans. You will have no other formality to complete with this organization regarding this change.
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale the information required to change the person's name in his or her file in the context of a Social Assistance Program, a social assistance and support program, an employment program, measure or service, a professional qualification program or a file held by the Centre de recouvrement. You will have no other formality to complete with the Ministère with regard to this change.
To reach the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward to the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail the information required to change the person's name in his or her file. You will have no other formality to complete with the Commission with regard to this change.
To contact the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
Ministère de la Sécurité publique - Québec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF)
The Directeur de l'état civil will forward to the Ministère de la Sécurité publique the information required to change the person's name in his or her file. You will have no other formality to complete with the Ministère with regard to this change.
To contact the Service d'immatriculation des armes à feu du Québec
Fees and processing time
Every application for a change of name is unique. Several processing times must be taken into account.
Preliminary analysisThe processing time for the preliminary analysis varies depending on the complexity of the file and the number of files to process. There is an additional delay if insertion of an act of birth is necessary.
Opening a fileThe processing time for opening a file varies depending on the complexity of the file and the number of files to process.
Processing the applicationThe processing time of 90 business days starts on the first day of publication of the notice of the application for a change of name on the website of the Directeur de l’état civil. The processing of the file ends when the decision on the change of name is sent to the person who made the request.
When the decision takes effectThe decision on the change of name takes effect 30 days after the date of receipt of the decision, that is, on expiry of the timeframe to review the decision at the Superior Court of Québec. If the decision of the Directeur de l’état civil is favourable and no court application was made to review the decision, a change of name certificate is sent to the person who made the request, for each person who changed their name.
Reviewed: 2025-07-24
