When setting up your myGovID, your name needs to match across your Australian identity documents.
If your name doesn’t match because you’ve changed your name, you may be able to verify this using a change of name certificate.
A change of name certificate can only be used if it was issued in Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory and your date of birth is displayed in full.
Further exceptions may apply to you depending on the state or territory you were born.
If your change of name certificate was issued in a different state or your certificate cannot be used to verify your change of name online, see Your name is different for alternative options.
On this page:
Examples of change of name certificates
When using a change of name certificate to verify your change in name, you’ll need to enter the following details in your myGovID app:
- Current given name or names
- Current family name
- Previous given name or names (enter ‘no registered given names’ if that’s how it appears on your document)
- Previous family name (enter ‘no registered surname’ if that’s how it appears on your document)
- Date of birth
- Registration number (do not include any letters)
The following examples show common locations where you’ll find the details on your change of name certificate:
ACT, NT and SA
TAS
Information by state or territory
How you verify your change of name certificate may depend on the state or territory your certificate was issued:
Australian Capital Territory
Single names
If you only have a family name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that name.
If you only have a given name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Northern Territory
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1947, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Registration number
Registration numbers on NT change of name certificates can be made up of numbers and letters.
You should only enter the numbers after the last letter or punctuation element in the Registration number field, for example you would:
- enter 45, for registration number NT 123/45
- enter 40, for registration number 136 book 40.
Single name
If you only have a family name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that name.
If you only have a given name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
South Australia
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1990, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Single names
If you only have a family name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that name.
If you only have a given name for either your previous or new name on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
SA Districts
Your certificate cannot be verified online if it was issued by the SA District of:
- Adelaide
- Angaston
- Burra
- Clare
- Daly Encounter Bay
- Flinders
- Frome
- Gawler
- Gilbert
- Grey
- Hindmarsh
- Kapunda
- Mount Barker
- Murray
- Norwood
- Pinnaroo
- Pirie
- Port Adelaide
- Robe
- Talunga
- Willunga
If your certificate was issued by one of these districts you can apply for a new change of name certificate through the SA Registry of Births, deaths and marriages.
Tasmania
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 2000, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) for either your previous or new name on your certificate it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.