2. Fill out the application form

Fill out the right Ontario application form:

• Adults 16 years and older use Form 007-11155E: Application to change an adult’s name
• Parents applying for children 17 years and younger use Form 007-11156e: Application to change a child’s name

The forms ask for your current name and address and what you would like your new name to be. They also ask for information on:

• your parents,
• if you've changed your name before,
• if you're married or in a relationship, and
• whether any court has ordered you to pay money.

You must send in any original birth certificates and certified copies of birth registrations that you have. When you complete your application, you must swear that you've given in all these documents.

If you do not have an original birth certificate or a certified copy of birth registration, you have to apply to ServiceOntario for one. You have to wait until you get it before you apply to reclaim your name.

Single name

If you're reclaiming a single name for you or your child, you also need to fill out Form 007-11342e: Request for a Name Change to a Single Name and send it in with the name change application.

And you must send proof to show that single names are part of your culture. This could be an official document that shows your parent or one of your child's parents has a single name. For example, a photocopy of:

• a birth certificate from Ontario, another province or territory, or an Indigenous community, or
• an Ontario change of name certificate.

If you do not have either of the documents listed above, you need to get another person to confirm that using a single name is part of your culture. This person can be:

• a leader or representative from an Indigenous community or organization
• a university professor with expertise in your traditional culture or in naming practices
• an officer from a non-profit cultural organization like a cultural centre or church

The person will have to fill out section E on the application form.

Police record check

You need to get a police record check and submit it with your application if any of these apply to you:

• You have a law enforcement order against you, for example, a warrant or a restraining order.
• Your driver's licence has been suspended.
• You've been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been discharged or pardoned.
• You have a case in criminal court.

If you need to get a criminal record check, give a copy of Form 002-5349E: Requirements for a Police Record Check for a Change of Name to the police station doing the police record check. This lets the police know what they need to include in the check.

To learn more about how to get a police record check, read What’s included in a police record check?