How to Change Your Name in South Australia: Eligibility, Fees and the 12-Month Residency Rule

South Australia's registry, Consumer and Business Services, processes an adult change of name application under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 (SA) for $322.00, or $144.00 where the change proceeds by court or tribunal order, and generally requires 12 months of South Australian residency for anyone not born in the state.

For the national picture across every Australian state and territory, see How to Legally Change Your Name in Australia: State by State. This page covers South Australia's process specifically; for other everyday legal topics, see Australia Everyday Law.

Who can apply

Section 24(1) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 (SA) lets an adult apply to change their name if either their birth is registered in South Australia, or they were born outside Australia, their birth is not registered in another Australian state or territory, and they have lived in South Australia for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying.

The Registrar can waive that 12-month residency requirement under section 24(2), where the change is sought for the protection of the applicant or a child of the applicant, or is related to a marriage or divorce.

Consumer and Business Services SA's own guidance adds a further condition for the born-overseas route, that the applicant is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. That condition does not appear in section 24 itself, which imposes only the residency test described above; it is stated here as agency guidance rather than as a requirement drawn directly from the Act.

Every application must also declare, under section 24(3), whether the applicant is a restricted person under section 29B or a registrable offender under the Child Sex Offenders Registration Act 2006 (SA), since either status brings in additional requirements described later on this page.

How often you can change your name

Consumer and Business Services SA's published guidance states that it will accept one name change every 12 months, and that an individual can change their name a maximum of three times in their lifetime. This limit is not stated in Part 4 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 itself; the Act's change of name provisions, sections 23 to 29A, contain no numeric frequency cap, so this page states it as a Consumer and Business Services SA published rule rather than attributing it to a specific Act section.

The fee

Both figures are the current bundled consumer price for registering the change of name together with the resulting certificate. The SA Government Gazette No. 27 (14 May 2026), effective 1 July 2026, sets the underlying registration fees as flat amounts: $250.00 for a standard application to register a change of name (item 1) and $72.00 where the change is registered under another law or by court or tribunal order (item 2). The $322.00 and $144.00 totals CBS charges appear to add a separate certificate charge on top of those figures, although the Gazette's change-of-name schedule does not itself itemise a certificate component. A priority service exists for exceptional circumstances such as urgent travel, but SA Government guidance does not publish a standard priority fee or turnaround for a change-of-name application specifically; contact Consumer and Business Services SA directly if urgent processing is needed.

Changing a child's name

Section 25 lets the parents of a child apply together, subject to the same born-in-South-Australia or born-overseas-plus-12-months-residency test that applies to an adult under section 24. Section 25(1a) carries the same waiver power as section 24(2), plus one further ground specific to children, where the parents have legally married and want the child to take the married name of both of them.

One parent can apply alone under section 25(2) if they are the only parent named on the child's birth registration, if there is no other surviving parent, or if the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal approves the proposed change. Under section 25(3), the Tribunal can approve a change one parent wants but the other parent will not agree to, if satisfied the change is in the child's best interests. If both parents are dead, cannot be found, or otherwise cannot exercise parental responsibility, the child's guardian may apply under section 25(4). A separate pathway, under section 25A, applies to a child under the Chief Executive's guardianship or a long-term guardianship order, with its own best-interests and notification requirements.

South Australia does not set a fixed age at which a child must personally consent. Section 26 requires either that the child consents to the change, or that the child is unable to understand the meaning and implications of the change; the Registrar can require evidence of either under section 27(1)(c). This is a capacity test, not a numeric age threshold, a genuine difference from states that set a specific consent age such as 12 or 14.

Restricted persons

South Australia runs two separate approval regimes for people the law treats as restricted.

The first, under Part 4 Division 2 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, sections 29B to 29G, covers a defined list of restricted persons: a prisoner; a person released on parole or home detention under the Correctional Services Act 1982; a person subject to an extended supervision order under the Criminal Law (High Risk Offenders) Act 2015; a person released on licence under the Sentencing Act 2017; or a person or class declared by regulation. Section 29D makes it an offense for a restricted person to apply, or have someone apply on their behalf, without the written approval of their supervising authority, the Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services, or a person declared by regulation; the maximum penalty is $10,000 or 2 years imprisonment. In deciding whether to approve, the supervising authority weighs the safety of the restricted person and others, the person's rehabilitation, and whether the new name could further unlawful activity, help evade supervision, or be offensive to a victim or their immediate family, under section 29E, and must be satisfied the change is necessary or reasonable. The Registrar cannot register the change without a copy of that written approval, under section 29F.

The second regime applies instead of the first to a registrable offender under the Child Sex Offenders Registration Act 2006 (SA), per the carve out in section 29C(2). That Act, not the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, governs the approval process for this group; this page has not independently verified that Act's specific section numbers or approval mechanism, so a reader in this position should confirm the current process directly with Consumer and Business Services SA or the Department for Correctional Services. For general background on how a criminal record can affect other processes, see South Australia Spent Convictions.

Names the Registrar can refuse

Section 4 of the Act defines a prohibited name as one that is obscene or offensive, that could not practicably be established by repute or usage (because it is too long, because it consists of or includes symbols without phonetic significance, or for some other reason), or that is contrary to the public interest for some other reason. Section 27(3) lets the Registrar refuse to register a change of name if, as a result, the name would become a prohibited name. Unlike some other Australian jurisdictions' statutes, South Australia's own prohibited name definition does not separately list titles, ranks or numerals as their own named criteria; a name involving one of those would most likely be assessed under the open ended "for some other reason" or public interest grounds rather than a dedicated rule.

How to apply, ID and processing time

Consumer and Business Services SA describes an online process: an applicant supplies their new name, any previous names used, and the reason for the change, then CBS emails a declaration for the applicant to sign in front of a registry approved witness, a Justice of the Peace, notary public, police officer, or practising solicitor, before uploading the signed declaration along with certified copies of identity documents.

Proof of identity requires either two documents from List 1, one from List 1 plus one from List 2 or List 3, one from List 2 plus two from List 3, or three documents from List 3. At least one document must show the applicant's name and address, and at least one must show their signature; every document must be current, and a List 3 address document must have been issued within the last 3 months. List 1 covers an Australian passport, Australian driver licence, or Centrelink concession card; List 2 covers items such as a government employee photo ID, overseas driver licence, tertiary student ID, overseas passport, or Medicare card; List 3 covers items such as a bank statement, council rates notice, utility statement, or tenancy agreement.

A priority service is offered only in exceptional circumstances such as urgent travel, with no published fee or turnaround for change of name specifically. Standard processing time was not available as a fixed published figure at the time this page was researched; Consumer and Business Services SA publishes only an interactive calculator that requires the applicant's own lodgement date, rather than a static number of days, so this page does not state one. Check the current estimate directly with Consumer and Business Services SA before relying on a specific timeframe.

What you get

Registering the change of name creates an entry in the Register under section 28(1). Getting the applicant's birth record itself updated is not automatic; under section 28(2) the applicant must specifically ask the Registrar to note the change of name against their birth particulars, and this is only possible where the birth is registered in South Australia or under a corresponding interstate law. Where the applicant does ask and their birth is South Australian, section 28(3) requires any birth certificate later issued for them to show the new name. This is consistent with the fee structure described above; the $322.00 or $144.00 registration fee includes either a new birth certificate or a change of name certificate, depending on where the applicant was born and whether they ask for the birth record itself to be annotated. For more on ordering South Australian birth, death and marriage certificates generally, see South Australia Vital Records.

Related processes

South Australia's Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 also contains a separate Part 4A process for changing a person's registered sex or gender identity, with its own eligibility and evidence requirements that are not covered on this page.

A South Australian change of name certificate does not automatically update a passport or driver licence. Notify the Australian Passport Office separately for a passport, and Service SA for a South Australian driver licence, providing a certified copy of the certificate to each.

After a marriage ends

Reverting to a name used before marriage does not require a formal change of name application with Consumer and Business Services following an Australian marriage. South Australia's own guidance states directly that a person does not need to register their new name with CBS if they decide to go back to their surname from before the marriage; the marriage or divorce certificate itself serves as evidence for other authorities, such as the Australian Passport Office. See How Divorce Works in Australia for the mechanics of an Australian divorce itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be born in South Australia to change my name there?

No. You can also qualify if you were born outside Australia, your birth is not registered in another Australian state or territory, and you have lived in South Australia for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying, under section 24 of the Act. The Registrar can waive that residency requirement in some circumstances.

How much does it cost to change your name in South Australia?

$322.00 for the standard registry application, or $144.00 where the change proceeds by order of a court or tribunal. Both figures include a new birth certificate or change of name certificate.

What age does a child need to be to consent to their own name change in South Australia?

South Australia does not set a fixed consent age. Under section 26 of the Act, a child's name change cannot be registered unless the child consents, or is unable to understand the meaning and implications of the change.

How many times can I change my name in South Australia?

Consumer and Business Services SA's published guidance limits an individual to one name change every 12 months, and a maximum of three name changes in a lifetime. This limit comes from CBS's own published policy rather than a specific section of the Act.

Do prisoners need special approval to change their name in South Australia?

Yes. A restricted person under section 29B, which includes prisoners, parolees and people on home detention, must have the written approval of their supervising authority before applying. Applying without it carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 or 2 years imprisonment under section 29D.

Do I need to register with CBS after divorce to go back to my former surname?

No, if you married in Australia. South Australia's guidance states you do not need to register your new name with Consumer and Business Services to revert to your surname from before the marriage; your marriage or divorce certificate serves as evidence for other authorities.

Will I automatically get a new birth certificate after changing my name in South Australia?

Not automatically. Under section 28(2), you must specifically ask the Registrar to note the change against your birth registration, and this is only possible if your birth is registered in South Australia.

What names can the Registrar refuse in South Australia?

A name that is obscene or offensive, that could not practicably be used because it is too long or made up of symbols without phonetic meaning, or that is otherwise contrary to the public interest, under section 4 and section 27(3) of the Act.