How to Change Your Name in Western Australia: Eligibility, Fees and the Process

In Western Australia, an adult born in the state, or an Australian citizen or permanent resident who has lived there for at least 12 consecutive months, can apply to register a change of name for $206, though the process does not include an online application or a published processing time.

This page covers Western Australia's own eligibility, fee and process rules under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1998 (WA). For the general Australia-wide picture, see How to Legally Change Your Name in Australia.

Who can apply for a Western Australia name change

Section 30 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1998 (WA) sets two paths for an adult. The first is having a birth registered in Western Australia. The second is for someone born outside Australia: they must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, their birth must not be registered in another Australian state, and they must have lived continuously in Western Australia for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying. A temporary visa holder does not qualify through this residency route; citizenship or permanent residency is a separate requirement from the 12-month residency period, not an alternative to it.

How often you can change your name

Under section 30A, the Registrar must not register a change of name if aware that a change was already registered within the preceding 12 months, or that 3 or more changes have already been registered for that person as an adult. A name change made before the person turned 18 does not count toward the 3 change adult limit. The current application form describes both limits as applying across Australia generally, not only to changes registered in Western Australia itself, which is worth keeping in mind if a previous change was registered in a different state.

The Western Australia registration fee

The change of name registration fee is $206. This figure is confirmed independently on both the Western Australian Government's own service page and on the current version of the application form, Form BDM400, both dated to the 2026-27 financial year. The fee is retained regardless of the outcome of the application; it is not refunded if the application is unsuccessful. A separate $60 fee applies later, if and when the applicant orders a certificate of the registered change of name, since registering the change and obtaining a certificate of it are two different steps, covered further below. A fee waiver is reported to be available for applicants changing their name because of severe family violence; confirm the current terms directly with the registry before relying on it.

Children, consent and disagreements between parents

A parent or guardian can generally apply for a change of a child's name under section 31. Section 32 requires a child aged 12 or older to consent to their own name change, unless the Registrar is satisfied the child is unable to understand what the change means and its implications. Where parents cannot agree on a proposed change, a parent can apply to the Family Court of Western Australia, which will decide whether the proposed name is in the child's best interests. Once the Family Court approves a change, section 33 of the Act requires the Registrar to register it in accordance with the court's orders. This kind of dispute is generally treated as part of a parenting matter, which usually requires family dispute resolution before it reaches the court.

Restricted persons and reportable offenders: two separate rules

Western Australia's Act, at sections 36A to 36D, defines a restricted person as a high risk serious offender, a detainee, someone subject to an early release order, a prisoner, or a supervised offender or young offender. The Registrar must not register a restricted person's name change unless given written approval from the relevant supervisory authority for that category, and applying without it is itself an offence under the Act. Reportable offenders, meaning people registered under Western Australia's sex and child offender reporting scheme, are explicitly excluded from this restricted person definition. The Act instead notes that the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004 governs how a reportable offender's name change is handled, as a separate piece of legislation from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act itself.

Names the Registrar can refuse

Section 34(3) lets the Registrar refuse to register a change of name where the proposed name would be a prohibited name, where identity or other requirements are not satisfied, or where the application appears linked to fraud, dishonesty, avoiding a debt, or another improper purpose. A prohibited name, defined at section 4, is one that is obscene or offensive, one that could not practically be established by repute or usage, for example because it is too long or uses symbols without phonetic significance, or one that is contrary to the public interest.

How to apply, identification and processing time

Applicants can apply in person at the Perth registry office, or by post; there is no fully online lodgement option for a new change of name application itself, since the online Registry Online portal is used only to order a certificate of a change already registered, not to submit a new one. The forms are BDM400 for an adult and BDM401 for a child. At least 3 documents are required across three separate identification lists, with at least one being photo identification. Western Australia does not publish a processing time for a standard change of name application; none was found on the service page or the application form, so no figure is stated here. Applicants who need a firm timeframe should check directly with the registry before relying on one.

What you get once the change is registered

Registering the change of name, the $206 step, updates the Register itself; the Act does not describe a certificate being automatically issued at that point. Any birth certificate ordered after the change will show the new name, but a discrete change of name certificate documenting the change specifically is a separate, later request through Registry Online, at an additional $60; see the guide to Western Australia birth, death and marriage certificates for how to order either document. Applicants should not expect the $206 registration fee to include a certificate arriving automatically. Western Australia also runs a separate application process to change a person's registered sex or gender, with its own form and fee, distinct from a change of name. Updating a passport or driver licence afterward is handled separately by the Australian Passport Office and the state's transport licensing authority, each under its own requirements.

Changing your name back after a divorce

Western Australia's own guidance treats taking a spouse's surname after an Australian marriage as a matter of custom rather than a legal requirement; a certified marriage certificate is usually enough to update other records. The same applies in reverse: there is no legal requirement to formally register a change of name to revert to a former surname after a divorce or separation, though registering it is recommended to avoid difficulties getting the former name recognised elsewhere. A marriage that took place overseas is the exception noted in the same guidance, since some organisations may require a formally registered change of name before accepting a married surname taken that way. For the mechanics of the divorce process itself, see Divorce in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to go to court to change my name in Western Australia?

Generally no, for an adult applying to change their own name. The application goes to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, not a court. A court application, to the Family Court of Western Australia, is only needed for a child's name change where the parents disagree.

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

$206, confirmed independently on the Western Australian Government's service page and on the current application form, both dated to the 2026-27 financial year. This fee is kept regardless of whether the application succeeds.

How long does a Western Australia name change take to process?

No processing time is published. It was not found on the service page or the application form, so this page does not state one. Check directly with the registry if you need a firm timeframe.

Do I automatically get a new birth certificate when my name change is registered?

No. Registering the change updates the Register itself, but a certificate documenting the change, or a new birth certificate showing the updated name, is a separate request made afterward, at an additional cost.

Do I need to go back to BDM to revert to my maiden name after a divorce in Western Australia?

No, there is no legal requirement to formally register a change of name to revert to a former surname after a divorce, though doing so is recommended to make the former name easier to have recognised elsewhere. A marriage that took place overseas can be an exception.

What happens if I am a registered reportable offender and want to change my name in Western Australia?

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1998 does not treat reportable offenders as restricted persons under its own name change rules. Instead, the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004 separately governs how a reportable offender's name change request is handled.