How to Change Your Name in Tasmania: Eligibility, Fees and No Minimum Residency Requirement

Tasmania's Births, Deaths and Marriages registry charges $237.16 to register a change of name under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999 (Tas), and unlike every other Australian state researched, it sets no minimum residency period at all, only that the applicant be domiciled or ordinarily resident in the state, or have a Tasmania-registered birth.

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 Tasmania's process specifically; for other everyday legal topics, see Australia Everyday Law.

Who can apply

Section 23 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999 (Tas) lets a person who has turned 16 apply to register a change of name if they are either domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania at the time of applying, or their birth is registered in Tasmania. The Act does not set a minimum residency period; it requires ordinary residence at the time of application rather than residence for a set number of months or years, a genuinely different test from most other Australian states, which generally require 12 months or more.

The residency test is not tied to citizenship or visa status. Section 23 turns on domicile and residence, not nationality, so Tasmania does not gate a change of name on citizenship or permanent residency.

An applicant who was born overseas but is ordinarily resident in Tasmania can register under the domicile or ordinary residence limb of section 23, even though their birth is not Tasmania registered. The Tasmanian registry publishes a separate checklist for applicants born in another country, alongside checklists for those born in Tasmania and those born in another Australian state or territory.

How often you can change your name

Births Deaths and Marriages Tasmania's published eligibility rules state that an applicant must not have registered a change of name, for themselves or for their child, in the past 12 months. This is a rolling 12-month limit between registrations, not a lifetime cap, no lifetime limit is stated. The rule is not stated as a numbered provision in Part 4 of the Act itself; sections 22 to 28 contain no frequency limit, so this page states it as the registry's published administrative rule rather than a specific Act section. It is consistent with the Registrar's general discretion under section 26(1) to require evidence that a name change is not sought for a fraudulent or improper purpose.

The fee

The $237.16 figure traces to a specific statutory chain, not just the registry's own fee page. The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Regulations 2019 (Tas), Schedule 1 item 6, sets the change of name registration fee at 121 fee units. The Fee Units Act 1997 (Tas) requires the Treasurer to publish the dollar value of a fee unit in the Gazette by 1 April each year, for the financial year starting the following 1 July. The Tasmanian Government Gazette No. 22553 of 18 March 2026 set the fee unit value for the financial year starting 1 July 2026 at $1.96, with the adjustment factor set to zero. 121 fee units multiplied by $1.96 equals $237.16 exactly. If no new Gazette notice issues in a future year, the previous year's fee unit value carries forward automatically under the Fee Units Act, so the published figure remains the currently applicable one even between notices.

Changing a child's name

Under section 24, the parents of a child generally apply together for a child under 16 who is domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania, or whose birth is registered in Tasmania. One parent can apply alone under section 24(2) if they are the sole parent named on the child's birth registration, if there is no other surviving parent, or if a magistrate approves the proposed change. Under section 24(3), a magistrate approves a change either because it is consistent with the child's own will and preference, or because the child cannot understand the meaning and implications of the change and the change is in the child's best interests, this is the route when parents disagree or a second parent cannot take part. If both parents are dead, cannot be found, or otherwise cannot exercise parental responsibility, the child's guardian can apply under section 24(4).

A child over 12 years of age must personally consent under section 25, unless the child is unable to understand the meaning and implications of the change; section 26(1)(c) restates the same requirement as a precondition the Registrar must be satisfied of before registering. Operationally, the registry requires a child aged 12 or over to complete a Consent of Child Aged 12 Years and Over form, signed in front of a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner for Declarations. If a child is under 6 months old, the registry directs the parents to a birth record correction rather than a change of name application.

Restricted persons

Tasmania applies two separate approval requirements to people the registry treats as restricted, sourced to two different Acts.

A prisoner or detainee must obtain the written consent of the Director of Corrective Services before applying, and must upload that evidence with the application. The registry's own page does not cite a specific Corrective Services Act provision for this requirement, so this page states it as the registry's published requirement rather than attributing it to a numbered section.

A reportable offender under the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2005 (Tas) has their application referred to the Commissioner of Police for approval, under section 44A of that Act. This page has not independently opened the text of section 44A to verify its exact wording; the citation is sourced to the Tasmanian registry's own published page, which is the agency administering the requirement. For more on what a Tasmanian police check covers, see Tasmania Police Check.

Names the Registrar can refuse

Section 3 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), that includes or resembles an official title or rank, or that is contrary to the public interest for some other reason. Section 26(3) lets the Registrar refuse to register a change of name if, as a result, the name would become a prohibited name, this is a discretionary power; the Act says the Registrar may refuse, not must.

How to apply, ID and processing time

The primary application channel is online, through separate portals for an adult applicant and for a child. The online session cannot be saved and resumed, it times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, and a failed payment requires starting over. A paper form is available by calling the registry on 1300 135 513. Service Tasmania shop locations process general Births, Deaths and Marriages certificate transactions; whether they accept a change of name registration lodgement specifically, as opposed to certificate collection, was not confirmed on the pages this page relies on, so check directly with the registry if an in-person lodgement is needed.

Identity requirements ask for at least 3 forms of current identity, with at least one document showing the applicant's current address, drawn from three categories covering identity of origin documents (such as an Australian birth certificate or citizenship certificate), photo identification (such as a driver licence or passport), and secondary or linking documents (such as a Medicare card or a utility account). A change of name application additionally asks for evidence of any previously used names, and, where the applicant's current name differs from their identity documents, evidence of how that earlier change occurred, such as a divorce order or a prior change of name registration. Documents sent by post must be certified as true copies by a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations, barrister or solicitor, notary public, or, for an overseas applicant, an embassy or consulate.

The registry's published processing times are for certificate issuance generally: standard service takes approximately 2 weeks and can take longer during peak periods, while a priority service, for an additional fee, can issue an approved certificate the same day. Whether the change of name registration decision itself, as distinct from certificate printing and postage once approved, carries a different timeframe was not stated on the pages this page relies on.

What you get

Once registered, the applicant receives a change of name certificate. If the applicant was born in Tasmania, they can return their old birth certificate and receive a new one showing the new name, this is not automatic, the applicant must return the original and request the reissue. If the applicant was born in another state, territory or country, Tasmania does not issue a new birth certificate for them, since it holds no birth registration to amend; the registry recommends registering the change of name in the state or country of birth instead if a new birth certificate is wanted there. For more on ordering Tasmanian birth, death and marriage certificates generally, see Tasmania Vital Records.

Related processes

Tasmania's Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999 also provides for registering a change of gender, a distinct process from an ordinary change of name that shares the same $237.16 fee tier and the same Act, but applies a separate 12-month rule of its own, a cooling off period between gender registrations, rather than the general 12-month change-of-name limit described above; the two 12-month rules should not be treated as the same requirement. Where an applicant wants to register a gender change and a name change together, the registry advises using the paper form and contacting Births, Deaths and Marriages directly, since the online portals are not built for a combined transaction.

A Tasmanian change of name certificate does not automatically update a passport or driver licence. Notify the Australian Passport Office separately for a passport, providing a certified copy of the certificate.

After a marriage ends

Tasmania does not require a formal Births, Deaths and Marriages registration to take a spouse's surname after an Australian marriage, or to revert to a name used before marriage after separation or divorce. The registry's own guidance states plainly that registration is not needed in either case; the marriage or divorce certificate itself is the evidence given to other authorities, such as a bank or the Australian Passport Office. See How Divorce Works in Australia for the mechanics of an Australian divorce itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a minimum residency period to change your name in Tasmania?

No. Section 23 of the Act requires only that you be domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania at the time you apply, or that your birth be registered in Tasmania. There is no minimum number of months or years of residency stated, a different rule from most other Australian states.

How much does it cost to change your name in Tasmania?

$237.16, which is 121 fee units under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Regulations 2019, multiplied by the $1.96 fee unit value the Tasmanian Government Gazette set for the financial year starting 1 July 2026.

At what age can a child consent to their own name change in Tasmania?

Over 12 years of age. Section 25 of the Act says a name change for a child over 12 must not be registered unless the child consents, or is unable to understand the meaning and implications of the change.

How often can you change your name in Tasmania?

You must not have registered a change of name, for yourself or your child, in the past 12 months, under Births Deaths and Marriages Tasmania's published eligibility rule. No lifetime limit is stated.

Do reportable offenders need approval to change their name in Tasmania?

Yes. Under section 44A of the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2005 (Tas), a reportable offender's application must be referred to the Commissioner of Police for approval.

Will I get a new birth certificate after changing my name in Tasmania?

Only if you were born in Tasmania, and only if you return your old birth certificate and request the reissue, it is not automatic. If you were born elsewhere, Tasmania does not issue a new birth certificate, since it holds no birth registration for you.

Do I need to register with Births, Deaths and Marriages after divorce to go back to my former surname?

No, if you married in Australia. Tasmania's guidance states registration is not needed to revert to a name used before marriage; your marriage or divorce certificate is the evidence given to other authorities.

What names can the Registrar refuse in Tasmania?

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, that includes or resembles an official title or rank, or that is otherwise contrary to the public interest, under section 3 and section 26(3) of the Act.