Name Mismatch in Police Verification and Character Certificate in Uttarakhand
When the police check you for a job, a passport or a character certificate and your papers carry two forms of your name: what the police compare, what to disclose, and the paper that links the names.
A name mismatch in police verification is answered by showing that both names are you. Disclose the earlier name on the form, apply in the name on your present identity papers, and carry the paper that links the two: a marriage certificate, a corrected record, or a Gazette notification where you changed your name.
A name mismatch in police verification worries people more than it should. The police are not judging your name. They are checking that the person on the form is a real person at a real address with a known record. This page explains name mismatch in police verification and in a character certificate in Uttarakhand, and how to make the check go through.
We do not deal with the police for you, and we cannot influence a report. We prepare Gazette papers for names. For a passport file held after police verification, read passport name change rejected or on hold.
What Kinds of Police Check Are There?
People meet the police in several kinds of verification. Each is asked for by a different office, but the police work on the ground is much the same.
| Kind | Who asks for it | How it starts |
|---|---|---|
| Passport verification | The passport office | It follows a passport application |
| Character and antecedents, for a job | A Government employer | The form you fill on selection |
| Character certificate | You, for a contract, a licence, a private job or an admission | An application on the state's citizen services portal or at the district office |
| Tenant or domestic help verification | A landlord or an employer | A form at the police station or online |
| Police clearance certificate, for abroad | A foreign employer or embassy | An application on Passport Seva |
In each, the local police station is asked to confirm who you are, where you live, and if there is any record against you. A difference in names can trip any of the three.
What Do the Police Compare?
- The form against your identity papers. The name, your father's name, your date of birth and your address.
- Your papers against each other. Aadhaar, the school certificate, the voter card and whatever else you show.
- The form against what people say. Neighbours, the pradhan or the ward member are asked if they know you, and they answer with the name they know.
- Your name against the records. The station's own registers, and wider crime records, are searched for your name and your father's name.
The third point surprises people. Your papers may all be in order, and the verification still stumbles because the village knows you by a home name, or by the name you had before you changed it. That is not a fault in your papers. It is something to explain, with a paper in hand.
Which Case Is Yours?
| The situation | Example | What answers it |
|---|---|---|
| A spelling differs between two papers | Bisht and Bist | Correct the odd paper, or show a third that settles it |
| A short form on one paper | Md Arif and Mohammad Arif | Expand the short record. A sworn statement meanwhile, if accepted |
| A surname after marriage | School papers in the maiden name, Aadhaar in the married name | The marriage certificate |
| A name changed by choice | Rakesh Kumar, now Aarav Negi | The Gazette notification, and papers in both names |
| People know you by a home name | Guddu in the village, Rajesh on paper | Your papers, and telling the family what is on the form |
| Someone else has the same name | A record against another Suresh Rawat | Your father's name, date of birth and address tell you apart |
| The father's name differs between papers | Tirlok and Trilok | Correct the odd paper, with his identity proof |
Only one row rests on a Gazette. Most are answered by correcting one paper, or by carrying the paper that links two names.
Why Must You Always Disclose an Earlier Name?
Forms for a passport, a Government job and many certificates ask if you have ever been known by another name. Answer it truthfully, every time.
- The police search their records by name. An earlier name left out means an incomplete search, and the form says so on its face.
- If the earlier name comes out later, from a neighbour or an old paper, the problem is no longer the name. It is that you did not disclose it.
- For a Government job, giving false information or holding back a material fact in the verification form can cost the appointment, even years later.
- For a passport, the law treats suppression of information seriously.
This applies to a maiden name, a name before a Gazette, a spelling you used in school, and a name used with an alias.
How Do You Prepare for a Verification?
Step 1: Lay out your papers and note each form of your name
Aadhaar, the class 10 certificate, the voter card, the passport, and any paper in an earlier name.
Step 2: Apply in the name on your present identity papers
Usually the name on your Aadhaar. Use the same spelling in every box.
Step 3: Disclose every earlier name on the form
In the space for other names, with the reason and the year.
Step 4: Get the linking paper ready
The marriage certificate, the corrected record, or the Gazette notification. Keep copies to hand over.
Step 5: Give the right address, and be there
The address where you actually live. Tell the form about earlier addresses if it asks.
Step 6: Tell your family and neighbours what is on the form
So that when someone asks for you by your paper name, they know who is meant.
Step 7: Meet the officer with originals
Show your identity papers and the linking paper together, and answer what is asked.
Step 8: Keep a note of the visit
The date, the officer's name and the station. It helps if you have to follow up.
What About a Character Certificate?
A character certificate is asked for by contractors, licence holders, private employers and some institutions. In Uttarakhand it is applied for through the state's citizen services portal, as guides report, and is issued after a report from the police.
- The certificate is issued in the name on your application. Apply in the name on your present identity papers.
- Upload an identity paper that carries exactly that name. A paper with another spelling invites a query.
- Where your papers are in two names, upload the linking paper as well, even if the portal does not ask for it by name.
- If the certificate comes out with a wrong spelling, ask the issuing office to correct it. It is a fresh certificate, not a matter for the Gazette.
- A character certificate is usually wanted recent. Do not get one long before you need it.
The portal's own list of documents and its fee are the authority. We have not confirmed them, so check the portal when you apply.
What Happens in Verification for a Job?
On selection to a Government post, you fill a detailed form about yourself. The employer sends it to the district authorities, who have your character and antecedents checked.
Where names cause trouble
- The form is filled in one spelling and the certificates carry another
- A married woman's certificates are in her maiden name and her identity papers in her married name
- A name was changed after the certificates were issued
- The father's name differs between the form and a certificate
What to do
- Fill the form exactly as your class 10 certificate, unless the employer says otherwise
- Disclose every other name in the space given
- Attach the marriage certificate or the Gazette with the form
- Ask the employer's establishment section, in writing, how it wants a changed name shown
An employer decides what it accepts for a changed name, and many ask for a Gazette notification. Ask before you join, not after an objection.
See name spelling correction in Uttarakhand for bringing the certificates and identity papers in line.
What If Someone Else With Your Name Has a Record?
Common names repeat. A search for "Suresh Rawat" in a district may bring up a case against a different man. Now and then a verification is held up for that reason.
- A person is identified by more than a name: the father's name, the date of birth, the address and, where there is one, a photograph.
- Ask the officer which record has come up, and point out the differences.
- Give your identity papers and, if asked, a sworn statement that you are not the person in that record.
- If the report still goes against you, write to the senior police officer of the district with your papers and ask for a fresh check.
This is one reason to use your full name with your surname on every paper. A single common first name with no surname is the hardest to tell apart. See adding a surname to a single name.
What If the Report Goes Against You?
- Find out what the report says. Ask the office that ordered the verification: the passport office, the employer, or the certificate's issuing office.
- See if the reason is the name. "Not known at the address" and "known by another name" are answered differently from a record of a case.
- Supply the linking paper, and ask for the verification to be done again.
- Visit the station with your originals, and explain the change. Note whom you met.
- Write to the senior officer of the district if nothing moves.
- Take a lawyer's advice where a real case is shown against you, or where a job is at stake.
Never offer money to settle a report. It is an offence, and it puts a clean record at risk.
When Does a Gazette Help?
You changed your name
The Gazette notification is the public record of the change. It shows both names and the date.
Two forms in long use
A notice stating both forms, joined by alias, shows they are one person where no other paper does.
An employer asks for it
Many Government employers want a Gazette notification before they record a changed name.
A Gazette does not help where the difference is a typing slip in one paper, or where people simply know you by a home name. And it is of no use as a way to put distance between you and an old record. The notice prints the old name beside the new one, and the form still asks for it. See alias name in a gazette notification.
How Does the Central Gazette Route Work?
Use this where you have changed your name, or where two forms have to be linked. The notice goes in Part IV of the Gazette of India.
Step 1: Ask the office concerned what it will accept
The employer or the passport office. A marriage certificate may be enough.
Step 2: Fix the name you will use, and list the others
Every other form on your papers, to be stated in the notice.
Step 3: Make the affidavit
State the earlier name, the present 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. 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 the undertaking.
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 each alias. It is not refunded.
Step 8: Send the file yourself, then carry the Gazette to every verification
Send it to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Download the published Gazette from egazette.gov.in and keep printed copies with your identity papers.
A serving Government employee needs the employer's permission before changing a name. Ask your office first.
Can the Uttarakhand Gazette Be Used?
A state employer or a district office may accept a state notice. A central employer or the passport office may want the Gazette of India.
Step 1: Ask who will read the notification
The employer, the passport office, or the district office.
Step 2: Ask that office which Gazette it accepts
In writing, before you choose.
Step 3: 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 4: Ask for the papers, the format and the fee, and submit
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 Mistakes Do People Make?
| Mistake | What to do |
|---|---|
| Leaving the "other names" box empty | Disclose every earlier name |
| Filling the form in a spelling no paper carries | Copy the name from your identity paper |
| Giving an address where you do not live | Give the real address, and be there |
| Not telling the family what name is on the form | Tell them before the visit |
| Going to the visit with no linking paper | Carry the marriage certificate or the Gazette |
| Changing a name to get away from an old record | The old name is printed in the notice and asked for on every form |
| Paying for a Gazette for a typing slip in one paper | Correct that paper at its own office |
| Offering money to settle a report | Never. Write to the senior officer |
| Starting a change of name between selection and joining | Join in the name on your certificates, and ask the employer how to proceed |
A typical case we handle: a young man from Kotdwar, selected for a Government post, had changed his first name by Gazette two years earlier. He asked us if he should leave the old name off the verification form, since "it is finished now". We told him to write it in, with the Gazette attached. The police found his school and his neighbours knew him by the old name, saw it already disclosed with the notification, and the report went through. 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
A real case shown against you, a job offer withdrawn after verification, and any notice from an employer about information in your form.
When you do not need us
For a spelling slip, a surname after marriage or a home name, you need the right paper and a truthful form. We are useful only where you have changed your name, or two forms have to be linked by a Gazette. Send us your papers and we will tell you, free, which it is.
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 verification is done by the police station for your address. The Gazette file, where one is needed, is prepared on WhatsApp.
People Also Ask About Police Verification and Names
Will a name change cause problems in police verification?
Not if you disclose the earlier name and carry the paper that links the two.
Do I have to mention my old name in the verification form?
Yes. Forms ask for any other name. Leaving it out is far worse than the change.
Which name should I use for a character certificate?
The name on your present identity papers, spelt the same way throughout.
What if my neighbours know me by a different name?
Tell them what is on the form, and show your papers to the officer.
What if someone with the same name has a police record?
Your father's name, date of birth and address tell you apart. Ask for a fresh check.
Is a gazette needed for police verification after a name change?
Where you changed your name by choice, it is the paper that shows the change.
Can a passport be issued without police verification?
Generally not. The passport office decides, depending on whether it is a fresh passport or a re-issue, if verification is done before or after the passport is issued. A Tatkaal passport may be issued with verification done afterwards.
What is the mPassport Police App?
An app the Ministry of External Affairs brought in for police verification officers, so that the verification report is captured digitally in the field. It was meant to bring verification within the desired time limit of 21 days.
How long does passport police verification take?
The Ministry's own press release set a desired time limit of 21 days for the verification report. Where police use tablets with the app, it was reported that verification could fall from 15 days to five.
Who issues a police clearance certificate?
A police clearance certificate is issued following police verification, by the District Superintendent of Police, as guides describe. For use abroad, you apply through Passport Seva.
Which records do the police check for a character verification?
As one neighbouring district in Uttar Pradesh describes its process, reports are taken from the police station, the Local Intelligence Unit and the District Crime Records Bureau for both the current and the permanent address. So both addresses should carry the same name.
Is there a fee for character or tenant verification?
It differs by state. In Uttar Pradesh, a fee of Rs 50 is prescribed for character, tenant, domestic help or employee verification. Check the Uttarakhand portal for its own fee.
A Verification Coming Up, and Two Names on Your Papers?
Send photos of your identity papers and tell us what the verification is for. We will tell you, free, which name to apply in, what to disclose and which paper links the two. Often it is one you already hold.
- 📞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 Mismatch in Police Verification: Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do about a name mismatch in police verification?
What do the police check in a verification?
Must I disclose my old name?
Does this apply to a maiden name?
Which name should I apply in?
My neighbours know me by a pet name. Will that fail the verification?
How do I get a character certificate in Uttarakhand?
My character certificate has a wrong spelling. How is it corrected?
Another person with my name has a case. What do I do?
Will a Gazette notification satisfy the police?
Can I change my name so an old record does not show?
I am selected for a Government job and my certificates are in an old name. What do I do?
Can a Government employee change a name freely?
What if the police report is adverse?
How long does a Gazette take if I need one?
Do you speak to the police for me?
People also search for: police verification name mismatch, character certificate name correction, name change police verification government job, police verification after name change, PCC name mismatch, character certificate Uttarakhand name, passport without police verification, mPassport Police App, passport police verification time 21 days, police clearance certificate who issues, character verification records LIU DCRB, tenant verification fee.
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.
What the police compare, and how each mismatch is answered, is general guidance and not an official procedure. How the character certificate is applied for in Uttarakhand is as guides report it. The office that orders a verification decides what it accepts, and a case shown against a person is a lawyer's work.
Official Sources
- Uttarakhand PolicePolice stations and citizen services in the state.
- Apuni Sarkar, Government of UttarakhandThe state's citizen services portal, for certificates.
- Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsPassport verification and the police clearance certificate.
- Department of Publication: Change of Name and Public NoticesThe change of name guideline.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalWhere a notification is published and downloaded.
Name Mismatch in Police Verification: The Short Version
The police check that you are who the form says, at the address given, with a known record. Apply in the name on your present identity papers, disclose every earlier name, and carry the paper that links them. Tell your family what name is on the form, and be at the address.
A changed name is routine once disclosed. A Gazette notification helps where you changed your name or used two forms. To check your papers before a verification, send photos on WhatsApp 9540005064, and we will reply in working hours.
Disclose the Old Name. Carry the Linking Paper.
Send your papers on WhatsApp before the verification. We tell you, free, what to show.