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Change of name at Land Registry after marriage, civil partnership or a gender change

How to change a registered owner's name at HM Land Registry: form AP1 or CNG, the evidence to send, the fee (none) and why it matters before a sale.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 7

What a change of name application does

General information, not advice. The title register shows the registered owner by name. If you have changed your name since you bought, the register still shows the old one until you ask HM Land Registry to update it. We read the GOV.UK pages named below on 4 November 2026. They apply to registered land in England and Wales.

Part 2 of 7

Which route to use

Situation	Form or route	Evidence needed	Fee
Name changed by marriage or civil partnership	Form AP1, panels 1 to 7 and 15	An official copy of the certificate	None
Name changed as part of a gender change	Form CNG	The form and its guidance list the accepted evidence	None
Other name changes, such as by deed poll	Form AP1, normally with another form and/or evidence	Check the AP1 guidance and HM Land Registry's practice guidance	Change of name is on the exempt-from-fee list
A conveyancer using the HM Land Registry portal	e-CON change of name	As the portal guidance sets out	As above

HM Land Registry's AP1 page says you can use AP1 to change the register for a change of name, and that you will normally need to submit another form and/or appropriate evidence as well. Its separate guidance for marriage and civil partnership is more specific, so follow that if it fits you.

Part 3 of 7

Marriage or civil partnership: the steps

The GOV.UK guidance says to complete panels 1 to 7 and 15 of AP1:

Panel 1: your local authority, which is shown on your council tax bill.
Panel 2: the title number, at the top of your title register.
Panel 3: tick the first box, for the whole of the title.
Panel 4: write "Change of name" under applications and 0 under fees paid.
Panel 5: list the documents you enclose, such as your marriage certificate.
Panel 6: your new name.
Panel 7: your new name, address, phone number and, if you wish, an email address.
Panel 15: sign and date.

You do not need panels 8 to 14, except panel 9 if you are also changing your address. Send an official copy of the document you used to change your name. If you married outside the UK and the certificate is not in English, the guidance says you must include a verified translation by a professional, qualified linguist or translation agency.

Part 4 of 7

Fee

The GOV.UK guidance says: "You do not have to pay anything to change your name." The HM Land Registry fee schedule agrees: a change of the name, address or description of a person named in the register appears in its list of applications exempt from fee. If you are changing only your address, a different form (COG1) applies, not AP1.

Part 5 of 7

What happens next

The guidance says that, unless a solicitor sent the application, HM Land Registry will write to the registered owner. It also says it cannot complete the application until any notice period stated on the letter has passed, so allow a few weeks. If you are about to sell, apply well before you instruct a buyer's solicitor.

Part 6 of 7

Why it matters when you sell

The same guidance notes that lenders often require your name to match the register exactly. A buyer's solicitor compares the contract, the identity documents and the register, so a seller who has changed name should make sure the register is updated or that the documents linking the two names are ready. We did not find an official source giving a typical delay from a mismatch, so we do not state one. Ask your solicitor or conveyancer.

You can check what the register shows by getting a copy. The GOV.UK guidance says a copy of the title register costs £7 through the property information service. Our guide to searching the Land Registry shows what the register contains. If you are also thinking of selling, our free house value check shows a value range from real sold prices in your postcode.

Part 7 of 7

A name change is not a change of owner

Changing your name does not change who owns the property. If you want to add or remove an owner, that is a transfer, not a change of name. GOV.UK says a transfer of the whole title uses form TR1 together with AP1, and a certificate of identity (ID1) for a private individual. If the property changes hands without a sale, such as through inheritance or a gift, the Scale 2 fees apply. Where there is a sale, the Land Registry fee calculator is used. Our guides to transfer of equity, the AP1 form, the TR1 form and the ID1 form explain those steps.

This page is general information, not advice. A solicitor or conveyancer can check your own documents.

Our take

Update the register before you list, not after an offer

HM Land Registry charges no fee to change your name, and lenders often require your name to match the register exactly. So we think it is sensible to sort the register before you sell. The mistake to avoid is confusing a name change with a change of owner: adding or removing an owner is a transfer, which is a different process.

What Your Property Check adds: once the paperwork is in hand, the sale method comparison tool sets auction, estate agent and cash buyer side by side on net proceeds and timescale, so you can choose a route with the numbers in front of you.

Compare sale routes

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my name on the title?

Send form AP1 to HM Land Registry with an official copy of the document that changed your name. For a gender change use form CNG. Both are free, according to the GOV.UK pages we read.

What evidence do I need?

After marriage or civil partnership, an official copy of your certificate, with a verified translation if it is not in English. For a gender change, the CNG form and its guidance list the accepted evidence.

Is there a fee?

No. HM Land Registry's guidance says you do not have to pay anything to change your name, and a change of name is in its list of applications exempt from fee.

Does a name mismatch delay a sale?

We found no official source giving a delay. The guidance says lenders often require your name to match the register, so update it early and ask your conveyancer what the buyer's side will need.

Is adding someone to the deeds the same thing?

No. Adding or removing an owner is a transfer, using forms such as TR1 and AP1, with identity evidence, and fees can apply. A change of name only updates how an existing owner is recorded.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.