Name Change After Religion Conversion in Uttarakhand
How a name is changed in the Gazette after a change of religion, what Uttarakhand's law asks before and after a conversion, and what a Gazette notice can and cannot do.
A name change after religion conversion is made by a change of name notice in the Gazette. In Uttarakhand, the conversion itself comes under a state law that asks for declarations to the District Magistrate before and after it. Settle that with a lawyer first. A Gazette notice changes a name. It does not make a conversion lawful.
A name change after religion conversion involves two separate things that people often run together: the change of religion, and the change of name. They are governed by different rules. This page explains name change after religion conversion in Uttarakhand, with the law on conversion set out plainly and the Gazette step kept in its proper place.
We are a documentation desk, not a law firm. We prepare Gazette papers for a change of name. We do not advise on a conversion or handle any part of it, and nothing here is a view on anyone's faith. For the Gazette steps in general, read gazette name change in Uttarakhand.
Why Are the Religion and the Name Two Separate Matters?
| Point | Change of religion | Change of name |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A person's own act of faith | A change in the name on records |
| Governed in Uttarakhand by | The state's law on freedom of religion and unlawful conversion | The Gazette guidelines and each record's own rules |
| Authority | The District Magistrate, for the declarations the law asks for | The Department of Publication, for the Gazette of India |
| Whose work | Yours, with a lawyer's advice | Yours, with our help on the papers if you want it |
| Does one need the other? | No. A person may change religion and keep the name | No. A person may change a name and keep the religion |
Many people who change their religion never change their name, and their papers stay exactly as they were. Others take a new name and want it on every record. And some take a name that belongs to another tradition without changing their religion at all. The Gazette treats these as three different notices.
What Does Uttarakhand's Law Ask Before and After a Conversion?
Uttarakhand has had a law on this since 2018. It was amended in 2022, and a further amendment was brought in 2025. This is an outline of its main steps as published. It is not legal advice, and you should read the current text or ask a lawyer before you act.
- A declaration before conversion. A person who wishes to convert gives a declaration, in the prescribed form, to the District Magistrate at least one month in advance, stating that the conversion is by free consent.
- A notice by the person performing the ceremony. The religious priest who performs the ceremony also gives one month's advance notice to the District Magistrate.
- An inquiry. On receiving these, the District Magistrate has an inquiry made into the proposed conversion.
- A declaration after conversion. Since the 2022 amendment, the person also gives a declaration to the District Magistrate within sixty days of the conversion, and appears before the District Magistrate to confirm it.
- Penalties. The law prohibits conversion by force, misrepresentation, undue influence, allurement, fraud or marriage, and sets penalties, including for not giving the declarations.
If your conversion took place outside Uttarakhand, or many years ago, ask a lawyer how the law applies to you before you publish anything about it.
Which Case Is Yours?
| Your situation | Gazette notice | Note |
|---|---|---|
| You have changed your religion and want a new name | Change of name | Settle the conversion in law first |
| You have changed your religion and are keeping your name | None needed for the name | Ask the Department if you want the change of religion itself notified |
| You want a name from another tradition, with no change of religion | Change of name, with a line that the religion is not changed | Rs 250 more for that line, on the Department's list |
| You are going back to an earlier religion and name | Change of name | The same state law applies. Take advice |
| A child's name after a parent's conversion | Change of name for a minor | Both parents sign. Take advice first |
The third row is more common than people think. A person may simply like a name, or take a spouse's family name, with no change of faith. The Department's list of additional charges provides for exactly this, with a line in the notice saying the name is changed and not the religion.
What Should You Settle Before You Change the Name?
Step 1: Take a lawyer's advice on the conversion
On what the state's law requires of you, and in what order.
Step 2: Complete what the law asks
The declarations to the District Magistrate, within the time limits, and keep every acknowledgement.
Step 3: Think about what else is affected
Certificates, family matters and succession. See the section on effects below.
Step 4: Decide if you are changing your name at all
You need not. Many people keep the name on their certificates.
Step 5: Fix the exact new name
The full name, with spelling, spacing and order. Decide which word is the given name and which the surname.
Step 6: Only then start the Gazette papers
With the conversion settled, the change of name is an ordinary one.
The order matters. A change of name published before the legal steps for the conversion are complete draws attention to something that is not yet in order.
How Does the Gazette Notice Read?
A change of name notice follows the Department's specimen. It states the old name and the new name and gives no reason. These are illustrations of form, with made-up names and addresses.
A plain change of name
I hitherto known as [OLD NAME], son of Shri [FATHER'S NAME], residing at [ADDRESS], Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as [NEW NAME].
With a line about religion
The Department's list of additional charges allows one of two lines to be added, at Rs 250 more:
- "I have changed my name and not my religion."
- "I have changed my religion and not my name."
The first is for a person who takes a name from another tradition and keeps the faith. The second is for a person who has changed faith and keeps the name. Whether to add either line is your choice. Ask the Department what it needs to see before it prints a line about religion.
- The form is signed in the old name, with two witnesses.
- Your father's or husband's name is printed as his own papers show it.
- The notice does not describe a ceremony, and it is not evidence of one.
How Does the Central Gazette Route Work?
The notice goes in Part IV of the Gazette of India, which is accepted across the country.
Step 1: Complete the legal steps for the conversion
With a lawyer, and keep the acknowledgements from the District Magistrate's office.
Step 2: Fix the exact new name and the wording
Decide if a line about religion is to be added, and confirm the papers and the charge for it with the Department.
Step 3: Make the affidavit
State the old name, the new name, your father's or husband's name and your address. Sign before a notary.
Step 4: Publish the newspaper notice
In a daily local leading newspaper, in the same words. Keep the original newspaper.
Step 5: Type the form and sign the undertaking
Two typed copies of the specimen, signed in your old name with two witnesses, and an undertaking showing the old and the new name.
Step 6: Prepare the CD, photographs and certificate
The same text on a CD in MS Word, two self-attested photographs with identity proof, and a certificate that both copies match.
Step 7: Pay the charge on BharatKosh
Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, with Rs 250 more for a line about religion. It is not refunded.
Step 8: Send the file yourself, then download the Gazette
Send it, with a request letter, to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Then check Part IV on egazette.gov.in each week.
Can the Uttarakhand Gazette Be Used?
The Government Press at Roorkee sets its own practice. Ask before you prepare anything, and say plainly what the notice is for.
Step 1: Ask where the new name will be used
For a passport, a central job or a move out of the state, choose the Gazette of India.
Step 2: Contact the Roorkee press
Take the contact from govtpress.uk.gov.in and ask if a private change of name notice is being accepted.
Step 3: Ask what papers it wants
Ask if it wants to see anything from the District Magistrate's office, the format, the language and the fee.
Step 4: Publish the notice and submit the file
Keep photocopies of everything.
Step 5: Download the notice
Search gazettes.uk.gov.in and save the PDF.
To weigh the two, read Uttarakhand Gazette vs Gazette of India.
Which Records Carry Religion, and Which Do Not?
Most identity papers carry a name and no religion. So after a conversion, the only thing to update on them is the name, and only if you changed it. This is the usual position, and each office keeps its own rules.
| Record | Carries religion? | After a change of name |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar | No | Name updated with the Gazette, at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra |
| PAN | No | Correction application |
| Passport | No | Re-issue in the new name |
| Voter ID and driving licence | No | Updated at their own offices |
| Bank accounts | Not on the account itself | Updated once Aadhaar and PAN agree |
| School and college records | Often, in the register | Certificates stay as issued. Ask the institution about its register |
| Caste and community certificates | Yes, in effect | Take advice before you rely on or apply for one |
| Marriage record in Uttarakhand | Yes | A change in a spouse's religion is to be updated online within 30 days, under the state's rules for registered marriages |
After the Gazette, update the name in the usual order: Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport and the rest. Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime.
Which Effects Should You Know About First?
A change of religion can touch matters that have nothing to do with a name. These are for a lawyer, not for us, and we list them only so that nothing comes as a surprise.
- Reserved category certificates. Entitlement to some certificates depends on religion as well as community. A change of religion can affect it. Ask before you rely on a certificate you hold.
- Marriage. The state's law has provisions on conversion in connection with marriage. If a marriage is involved, take advice before either step.
- Family matters. Marriage, succession and guardianship may be read differently for persons of different faiths. Uttarakhand also has its Uniform Civil Code. Ask how these apply to you.
- Children. A parent's conversion does not change a child's name or records. A child's name needs its own papers, and both parents.
None of this is a reason for or against anything. It is a list of questions to put to a lawyer before the first paper is signed.
Why Should You Think Before You Publish?
A Gazette is a public record. A notice prints your old name and your new name side by side, with your father's or husband's name and your address, and it stays on the Government's portal for good. The newspaper notice puts the same facts in front of your own town.
- Where the old and new names belong to different traditions, a reader can guess the reason, even though the notice gives none.
- A line about religion, if you add one, states it outright.
- Under the state's law, the declaration after conversion is itself exhibited by the District Magistrate's office.
- If your safety, your family or your work could be affected, talk to a lawyer about timing and wording before anything is published.
We keep what you tell us with the person handling your file. We cannot make a Gazette notice private, and we will say so before you pay.
What Does the Name Change Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
| Item | Typical cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gazette charge, adult | Rs 1,100 | Paid on BharatKosh. Revised from time to time |
| A line that the name or the religion is not changed | Rs 250 more | From the Department's list of additional charges |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | Stamp paper and notary |
| Newspaper notice | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 for each paper | Depends on the paper and the edition |
| Legal advice and the declarations | As your lawyer charges | Outside our work |
| Our assistance | Quoted per case | Shown as a separate line |
The Gazette commonly takes 3 to 7 weeks from the affidavit to the published notice. The time limits under the state's law come before that, and they set the real timetable.
Which Mistakes Should You Avoid?
| Mistake | What to do |
|---|---|
| Treating a Gazette notice as proof of a lawful conversion | It changes a name only. The state's law has its own steps |
| Publishing a change of name before the legal steps are complete | Settle the conversion with a lawyer first |
| Relying on an affidavit before a notary as the conversion | An affidavit is not what the state's law asks for |
| Thinking a new faith needs a new name | You may keep your name |
| Adding a line about religion without thinking about privacy | It is public and permanent |
| Assuming certificates are unaffected | Ask before you rely on one |
| Changing a child's name along with your own | A child's name needs separate papers and both parents |
| Not updating the marriage record | A change of a spouse's religion is to be updated within 30 days |
A typical case we handle: a man in Haridwar who had married into a family of another tradition wanted to take a name his wife's family used, and came to us thinking he had to "convert on paper" to do it. He had not changed his religion and did not mean to. He filed a change of name with the line that the name was changed and not the religion, and updated his records. This is an illustrative example of the type of case we handle, not a named client review.
What is a lawyer's job, not ours
Everything about the conversion itself: the declarations, the District Magistrate's process, any inquiry, any question about marriage, certificates or succession, and any matter of safety. We prepare the Gazette papers for the change of name, and only that.
When you do not need us
If you are keeping your name, there is no Gazette to file for it. And a plain adult change of name can be filed by you with the Department's guideline and this site. Our charge, where we prepare the file, is quoted per case.
Which Areas of Uttarakhand Do We Cover?
All 13 districts: Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat and Pithoragarh. The declarations under the state's law are made to the District Magistrate of your own district. Our part is done on WhatsApp, and you need not visit us.
People Also Ask About Name Change and Religion
Is a name change compulsory after changing religion?
No. A person may change religion and keep the name on every record.
Can I take a name of another religion without converting?
Yes. The Gazette notice can carry a line that the name is changed and not the religion, at Rs 250 more.
Does a gazette notification prove a conversion?
No. It publishes a change of name. A conversion in Uttarakhand has its own steps under the state's law.
Do I have to inform the District Magistrate before converting in Uttarakhand?
The state's law asks for a declaration at least one month in advance, and another within sixty days after. Take a lawyer's advice.
Does Aadhaar show religion?
No. Aadhaar, PAN and the passport carry a name and no religion.
What is the gazette fee for a name change after conversion?
Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, with Rs 250 more for a line about religion.
What did the 2022 amendment change?
As one legal summary describes it, the 2022 amendment raised the minimum sentence for general conversion offences to two years and the maximum to seven, and made all offences under the Act cognizable and non-bailable.
What did the 2025 amendment bill propose?
As reported, the bill proposed life imprisonment for the gravest cases with fines up to Rs 10 lakh, 3 to 10 years for general offences, and 5 to 14 years where minors or women are involved.
Is the 2025 amendment in force?
Check before you rely on it. The Assembly passed the bill in its monsoon session, and in December 2025 the Governor returned it to the Government, reportedly citing clerical errors. The Government could pass it again or bring an ordinance.
Does the law cover hiding religion for marriage?
The 2025 bill, as reported, makes marriage under false pretences, where a person conceals religion, punishable with 3 to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 3 lakh.
Does the law cover social media?
The 2025 bill, as reported, makes promoting conversion through social media, messaging apps and other online channels an offence.
Does the law provide for victims?
The 2025 bill, as reported, provides for victim protection, rehabilitation, money for medical care and travel, and legal aid for victims of forced conversion.
Ask About the Name, in Confidence
Tell us your present name and the name you want. You need not tell us more. We will tell you which notice fits, the wording and the total cost, before you pay anything. For the conversion itself, we will ask you to see a lawyer.
- 📞Call 9540005026
Mon to Sat: 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️Info@uttarakhandnamechange.com
- 📍Dehradun District Court, 47/9, Haridwar Road, Near Prince Chowk, Court Road, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001
Name Change After Religion Conversion: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my name after a change of religion in Uttarakhand?
Is a new name compulsory after conversion?
What does Uttarakhand's law ask before a conversion?
Is anything required after the conversion?
Does a Gazette notice make a conversion valid?
Can I take a name from another religion without converting?
Can I record that I changed my religion and not my name?
What is the Gazette fee?
Does the notice mention my religion?
Do Aadhaar, PAN or the passport record religion?
Will my certificates and degrees change?
Do I have to update my marriage record?
Does my child's name change with mine?
My conversion was years ago, outside Uttarakhand. What applies?
Is a Gazette notice private?
Do you help with the conversion or the declarations?
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Who Wrote and Reviewed This Page?
This page is written by the Documentation Desk Team of UttarakhandNameChange.com, the team that prepares Gazette files for people across Uttarakhand.
It is reviewed by Advocate Vipin Chauhan.
The outline of the state's law follows the published text of the Uttarakhand Act of 2018 as amended in 2022. A further amendment was brought in 2025, and the page does not describe it. The Gazette points follow the Department of Publication's guideline and its list of additional charges. This page is general information, takes no view on any faith, and is not legal advice on a conversion.
Official Sources
- India CodeThe text of the Uttarakhand law on freedom of religion, with its amendments.
- Department of Publication: Change of Name and Public NoticesThe change of name guideline and the list of additional charges.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalPart IV, where a change of name is published.
- Uniform Civil Code portal, Government of UttarakhandUpdating a registered marriage record.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaUpdating a name in Aadhaar.
Name Change After Religion Conversion: The Short Version
The religion and the name are two separate matters. In Uttarakhand, a conversion comes under a state law that asks for declarations to the District Magistrate before and after it. Settle that with a lawyer first. The name is then changed, if you want to change it, by an ordinary change of name notice in the Gazette, commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult.
A notice changes a name and proves nothing about a conversion. It is also public and permanent. To ask about the name in confidence, message us on WhatsApp 9540005064, and we will reply in working hours.
The Law First, Then the Name
For the change of name, send your present name and the name you want on WhatsApp. We answer in confidence.