Most people need four to six copies of their deed poll, and it is far cheaper and simpler to order extra signed originals with the document than to have certified copies made later. The reason is timing: HM Passport Office, the DVLA, your bank, your employer and your pension provider each want to see the deed poll, several of them by post, and each keeps it for days or weeks before returning it. With one copy you update one organisation at a time and the whole change takes months. With several, you do it all in a fortnight.
Checked against GOV.UK and HM Passport Office guidance, September 2026. England and Wales unless stated; Scotland and Northern Ireland differences are noted where they apply.
This guide explains the difference between an original, an extra original and a certified copy, which organisations want which, and how to work out the right number for you.
Original, extra originals and certified copies — the difference
- The original is the printed deed poll you sign in wet ink in front of your witness, who signs it too. Organisations that ask for “the original” mean this: a wet-ink signed document, not a scan or a photocopy.
- Extra originals are additional printed copies of the same deed poll that you and your witness sign at the same time. Each one is a full original in its own right, with real signatures, and every organisation accepts them exactly as it accepts the first. This is what we mean by “copies” when you order.
- Certified copies are photocopies of a signed original that a solicitor, notary or other authorised person has stamped and signed to confirm they are true copies. They typically cost several pounds each, take a trip to a solicitor's office, and some organisations still refuse them for a first name change.
The practical difference is simple: extra originals are accepted everywhere and cost a few pounds each when ordered with the document; certified copies cost more, take time to obtain, and are accepted in fewer places.
Which organisations keep your deed poll, which return it, and which only need a look
| Organisation | What they want | Do they keep it? |
|---|---|---|
| HM Passport Office | An original with the application | Returned after processing — often several weeks |
| DVLA (driving licence, form D1) | An original | Returned after processing — up to a few weeks |
| Banks and building societies | An original shown in branch, or posted if you cannot attend | Handed straight back in branch; posted back otherwise |
| Employer / HR and pension providers | Usually a copy for the file | Copy kept; original returned or not needed |
| HMRC and DWP | A copy, or the details by phone or online | Not needed back |
| HM Land Registry | A certified copy is accepted | Kept |
| Utilities, insurers, electoral register, GP | Rarely the original; a scan or copy is usually enough | Not needed back |
The problem is the first three rows. If you send one document to the Passport Office, wait for it to come back, then send it to the DVLA, then take it to the bank, you are looking at a couple of months before every record matches. Extra originals let all three happen in the same week.
How many copies of a deed poll should you order?
Count the organisations that will want an original in their hands at the same time, then add one to keep. For a typical adult that is:
- HM Passport Office (posted, returned after weeks)
- DVLA (posted, returned after weeks)
- Your main bank (in branch or posted)
- A second bank, building society or credit card provider
- One to keep safely at home, never sent anywhere
That is five, and it is why the +4 extra originals option is the one most customers choose: one original plus four extras. If you have several bank accounts, a mortgage, a private pension and an employer who wants an original, go to +8. If you would rather never run short — and remember you will be asked for this document for the rest of your life — +10 or +12 costs only a little more.
Our current options when you order a deed poll are +4 originals for £18.95, +8 for £24.95, +10 for £27.95 and +12 for £29.95, on top of the £14.49 document. Ordering them at the time is the only way to get them signed and witnessed together; a copy printed later would need its own signing. The free name change checklist lists every organisation you will need to tell, which is the quickest way to count.
When a certified copy is still the right tool
There are two situations. First, if you already have your deed poll and only ordered one, a solicitor can certify photocopies for you — expect a small fee per copy and check first that the organisation will accept a certified copy rather than an original. Second, some overseas uses (an embassy, a foreign bank) ask for a copy certified by a notary, sometimes with an apostille; that is a specialised process covered in our guide to legalising a deed poll for use abroad.
Keep one back, always
Whatever number you choose, keep one original that you never send anywhere. A deed poll is the proof of your name change for life — you will need it for a passport renewal in ten years, a mortgage, a pension claim, probate. If every copy is out with an organisation and one goes missing in the post, there is no register to get a copy from: our guide explains what to do if you have lost your deed poll, and it is a far longer road than ordering one extra original now. For more on how organisations handle the document, see how many copies of a deed poll do you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a certified copy of a deed poll?
A photocopy of a signed original that a solicitor, notary or other authorised person has stamped and signed to confirm it is a true copy. It is different from an extra original, which is a fully signed and witnessed document in its own right.
Do the Passport Office and DVLA accept certified copies?
Both ask for original documents with an application and return them afterwards. Because they each keep the document for weeks, most people send a separate original to each rather than waiting for one to come back.
How many copies of my deed poll do I need?
Most adults need four to six: one each for the Passport Office, the DVLA and one or two banks, plus one to keep at home. The +4 extra originals option covers this for most people; choose +8 or more if you have several accounts, a mortgage or a pension provider that wants an original.
Can I photocopy my deed poll myself?
You can, but a plain photocopy carries no signatures and most organisations will not accept it as evidence. Extra originals ordered with the document, or a solicitor-certified copy, are the accepted forms.
Can I order more copies later?
Extra originals have to be signed and witnessed together with the first, so the time to order them is when you order the deed poll. Later, your options are solicitor-certified copies of your existing original, or a new deed poll.
How much do certified copies cost?
Solicitors set their own fees, typically a few pounds per copy plus the visit. Extra originals ordered with the deed poll work out cheaper and are accepted more widely.
Ready to Change Your Name?
UK Name Change provides a professionally printed unenrolled deed poll from just £14.49, accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC and every UK bank. The online order takes around 4 minutes, with same-day dispatch before 3pm and free Royal Mail Tracked delivery. More than 160,000 people across the UK have already changed their name with us.
