If you change your name you must notify VicRoads within 14 days to adjust your driver licence and vehicle registration records. You will need to attend a VicRoads Customer Service Centre (excluding Melton) in person to present the required change of name documents.
To change your name on your driver licence and/or vehicle registration you must provide:
- Original documents for evidence of the name change; and
- A photo driver licence or learners permit, or
- Multiple evidence of identity documents.
The following documents are acceptable as evidence of a name change:
- Marriage Certificate issued by a Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Australia. Celebrant or church copies are not acceptable.
- Divorce papers (if both names appear), see below for more information
- Deed Poll (if changed before 1 November 1986)
- Change of Name Certificate (if changed after 1 November 1986), see below for more information
The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is the government agency responsible for change of name in Victoria. VicRoads must comply with any documents issued by this agency and will not register a vehicle or issue a licence or learner permit in a name different from the one given on a primary evidence document (eg birth certificate).
If you have any questions regarding change of name requirements, you should contact the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.
There is no fee payable to change your name. You will need to surrender your existing licence or permit to VicRoads. A new licence will then be issued free of charge.
If the previous licence has been lost, destroyed or stolen, a fee is payable for a replacement licence in the new name.
When reverting to a previous name VicRoads must be able to establish a link between the previous and current name. Divorce papers generally do not record a different name. To be acceptable as a change of name document it must either:
- record the current and previous name in the papers, or
- VicRoads must have the previous name recorded.
Where the divorce papers or VicRoads have no details of the previous name then the papers need to be accompanied by:
- a marriage certificate that links the current and previous names, or
- a birth certificate which links the record through the given names and date of birth, or
- a change of name certificate issued by the office of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The following are examples only, to show documentation required for common change of name requests on drivers licence and vehicle registration records:
Example a) Applicant wishes to change their name due to marriage and has a marriage certificate issued in Australia. Documents required: Marriage Certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and a Victorian licence issued in maiden name.
Example b) Applicant wishes to change their name due to marriage and has a marriage certificate issued overseas. Documents required: Change of Name Certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and a Victorian licence issued in maiden name.
Example a) Applicant wishes to change their name due to divorce and to revert to a previous name. Documents required: Marriage Certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, divorce papers and a birth certificate issued by the registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Example a) Applicant wishes to vary their given name. e.g. from 'William' to 'Bill'.
Documents required: Change of Name Certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and Victorian licence.
For someone under 18, both birth parents' agreement, if both named on Birth Certificate, is required, (by Births, Deaths and Marriages) to obtain a Change of Name Certificate. The office of Births, Deaths and Marriages indicates that where one parent is unavailable or unwilling to assist, the person may apply to a Magistrates' Court or to the Family Court to obtain a court order which dispenses with the need to obtain consent of the non custodial parent and allows the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages to register a change of name.
Only one parents' agreement is required to obtain a Change of Name Certificate if that parent is the only name appearing on the Birth Certificate.
Applicants who may be affected should contact the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or their nearest Magistrates' court for information about the procedures involved.