e-StampNotary
What this affidavit actually does
The deponent swears that he or she was formerly known by one name, has voluntarily adopted another, that both names refer to one and the same person, and asks authorities and institutions to carry the new name in their records. A Notary may administer the oath on it — section 8(1)(e) of the Notaries Act, 1952, and Rule 11(8) of the Notaries Rules, 1956, which expressly covers preparing and taking affidavits. Section 139(aa) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and section 333(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 both name a Notary as competent to administer the oath.
Understand the limit. Notarisation certifies that you appeared, were identified and swore to the contents. It does not certify that the contents are true, and it is not an order. No department is obliged to alter its register because you signed an affidavit. Aadhaar, PAN, the bank, the school board, your employer and the RTO each run their own change procedure and each asks for its own evidence. The affidavit is the foundation the rest of it is built on, not the building.
Where the name is the same and only the spelling or the form of it differs across papers — "Rameshbhai Bhikhabhai Patel" on the PAN card, "Ramesh B. Patel" on the LIC policy — there is no name change to declare. What you need is a one and the same person affidavit, which identifies both versions as one individual without declaring that anything has changed. Bring the wrong one to a bank and it comes straight back over the counter.
The three steps, in order
1. The affidavit
Sworn on stamp paper of the value prescribed under the Gujarat Stamp Act, 1958, before the Notary, under signature and official seal. Section 8(2) of the Notaries Act is strict about this — nothing is a notarial act unless done under both. A rubber stamp and a signature without the seal is not notarisation.
2. Newspaper publication
Notices are published in two newspapers circulating in the area where you live, in practice one in Gujarati and one in English. Keep the whole page, not a cut-out square: the Government Press wants to see the masthead and the date alongside the notice.
3. The Gazette notification
The application then goes to the Government Press with the prescribed proforma, the affidavit, the cuttings and your identity proof. That step has its own requirements and its own supporting affidavit — see the Gazette affidavit page.
Who comes to us for this
A woman whose surname is changing after marriage, though that has a route of its own. A man who has been called by a short household name all his life while every official record carries the long formal one. A person adopting a name on religious grounds. Parents changing a child's name before the school records harden and follow the child for forty years. And a steady stream of people who have been told by somebody that adding or dropping one letter will improve their fortunes — that is a perfectly lawful reason to change a name, and we draft it without comment.
What gets these rejected
- The old name not reproduced exactly as printed on the existing identity document, including initials, full stops and the father's name.
- No reason stated for the change. Most offices want one line explaining it.
- The address or father's name in the affidavit not matching the ID produced with it.
- A child's affidavit sworn by the child. For a minor, both parents depose as natural guardians.
- The newspaper notice printed with a spelling that differs by one letter from the affidavit. It happens constantly, and it restarts the process.
- A photograph affixed but not attested where the receiving office requires attestation.
If you hold a passport, a service record with a Government employer, a professional registration or a live court matter, the name change has to be pushed through each of those separately, and each has its own proof requirements. Tell us about them before we draft, so the affidavit is worded to survive all of them rather than only the one in front of you today.
Stamp duty and the fee
Stamp duty is payable as currently prescribed under the Gujarat Stamp Act, 1958. The Act was amended in 2025, so a figure you were quoted a couple of years ago may no longer be right — we confirm the current figure at the counter and issue the e-stamp here as a Government authorised centre. The notarial fee for administering an oath or taking an affidavit is capped at ₹35 under Rule 10(1) of the Notaries Rules, 1956. See what a notary may charge.
What to bring
- Aadhaar card — original for verification and one photocopy
- PAN card, and passport if you hold one
- The document that carries the old name — school leaving certificate, marksheet or service record
- Proof of your present address if it differs from the Aadhaar address
- The new name written out in block letters exactly as you want it spelled
- For a minor: birth certificate and both parents' identity documents
- Two passport photographs if a Gazette application will follow