If you have searched for “LOC020” you are already ahead of most people changing their name. You know there is a free template on gov.uk — you just want to know exactly what it is, where to find it, and how to fill it in line by line without getting it wrong. This guide is for you. We will keep the background brief and spend most of our time on the part you actually came for: completing the form field by field and signing it so it is legally valid. We will flag the mistakes that get DIY deed polls rejected, and finish with an honest note on the free route versus a paid printed service.
What is the LOC020 form, in one paragraph?
LOC020 is the reference code for a free, downloadable “Change of Name Deed” template published on the gov.uk website (the current revision is labelled Form LOC020 06.23). It is a blank document with the legal wording already drafted for you. Once you complete it and sign it in front of an independent witness, it becomes a valid unenrolled deed poll — the standard way roughly 98% of people in the UK change their name. It is genuinely free, and the completed deed is not a government certificate: there is no central register of unenrolled name changes, so the signed and witnessed deed is itself your evidence. If you want the fuller picture of what the government does and does not provide, our explainer on whether you need the UK government to change your name covers it in depth. The rest of this guide assumes you have decided to use the form and just want to fill it in correctly.
Where to download the LOC020 template
The LOC020 form is hosted on the official gov.uk website. The most reliable way to find it is to search gov.uk directly for “Change of Name Deed” or the form code LOC020, rather than clicking through an advert. It downloads as a document that you open, complete and print at home. Be cautious of copycat sites that charge a fee for the same wording you can get for nothing — the template itself should never cost you money.
How to complete the LOC020 form, field by field
This is where most of the care is needed. Organisations will reject a deed poll that contains an inconsistency, so work through each field slowly and check it against your existing documents before you print.
- Your new full name. Write it exactly as you want it to appear on your passport, driving licence and bank records. This is the single most important decision on the form, so settle the details now: the precise spelling, whether you want a hyphen in a double-barrelled surname, the order of forenames, and every middle name you intend to keep. Whatever you write here is the name you will have to give to every organisation afterwards, so it must match perfectly.
- Your old full name. Enter it precisely as it appears on your current photographic ID — usually your passport or driving licence — including every middle name and the exact spelling. If your birth certificate and passport differ, follow your passport, because that is what most organisations will compare against.
- Your address. Use your current residential address, written in full. This identifies you on the deed; it does not need to match any particular document.
- The date. This is the date of signing. Do not fill it in ahead of time. The deed should be dated on the actual day you sign it in front of your witness, because that is the day your name change takes effect.
A few field-level points that trip people up:
- Do not include a title. Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx and Dr are not legally part of your name, so they have no place in the name fields. A deed poll changes a name, not a title — you do not need one to start using a different title at all. If you also want a new title, simply ask organisations to update it and most will. Mx in particular is increasingly accepted by UK banks, HM Passport Office and the DVLA.
- Match capitalisation and punctuation. An apostrophe in a name like O’Brien, or an accent, should be written consistently. Decide how it appears and keep it identical everywhere.
- Do not leave blanks. Every name field should be filled. If you are dropping a middle name rather than replacing it, make sure your new full name simply does not contain it — do not leave a gap or a placeholder.
How to sign LOC020 so it is legally valid
This is the step that actually changes your name, and it is where the most damage is done when people get it wrong. An unenrolled deed poll takes effect the moment you sign it in the presence of a qualifying witness. There is no court, no solicitor and no government approval required. Print the completed form first — an unenrolled deed poll is a wet-ink document, so do not type a signature or sign on screen.
On the LOC020 form you sign twice: once in your old name and once in your new name. Signing in your former name is the act of formally giving it up; signing in your new name is the act of adopting it. Both signatures go on the deed, and your witness watches you make both and then signs alongside.
The rules for the witness are strict and non-negotiable:
- The witness must be 18 or over.
- The witness must be independent — not a relative, not your spouse or partner, and not anyone who lives at your address.
- The witness must actually watch you sign (both signatures), then add their own signature, full name and address in the witness section.
A good independent witness is a work colleague, a neighbour you are friendly with, or a friend who does not live with you. They are simply confirming they saw you sign; they are not vouching for your identity or taking on any liability, so there is no reason for a suitable person to refuse.
On age: anyone aged 16 or over can change their own name and sign their own deed poll. For a child under 16, everyone with parental responsibility must consent, and a child-specific deed handles those consents properly rather than the adult LOC020 wording.
After you have signed: making it usable
Signing is the legal change, but you are not finished. The deed only earns its keep when organisations accept it, and that comes down to copies and quality.
- Produce several clean copies. Banks, HM Passport Office, HMRC, the DVLA, your employer and others will each want a good copy, and some keep theirs on file. A single copy quickly becomes a bottleneck, so plan for how many you will need before you start posting documents off.
- Mind the print quality. A faint, photocopied-looking deed on flimsy paper is still legally valid, but it can prompt extra questions from front-line staff. Crisp printing on decent paper goes through more smoothly.
- Keep one original safe. Treat your signed deed like a passport — store the cleanest copy somewhere secure, because replacing a lost deed means signing and witnessing all over again.
The mistakes people make with the free template
Most rejected DIY deed polls fail for avoidable reasons. The big ones are specific to how LOC020 is filled in and signed:
- Using a relative or partner as the witness. This is the single most common error. A deed witnessed by your mum, your husband or your flatmate can be refused, forcing you to start again.
- Forgetting one of the two signatures. The form needs both your old-name and new-name signatures. Sign only once and the deed can be queried.
- Name mismatches. A middle name on the deed but not on your passport application, a missing hyphen, or a different spelling will cause friction with HM Passport Office and the DVLA. This is exactly why the field-by-field check above matters.
- Dating the form in advance. The date must be the day of signing, not the day you printed it.
- Trying to register a single name (mononym). A mononym is legally possible via deed poll, but expect real friction. HM Passport Office generally expects a forename and a surname and handles single names restrictively on a case-by-case basis, and some banks and systems reject them outright. It is possible, but it is not a smooth process.
For a fuller look at the risks of going it alone, our guide on whether a free DIY deed poll is legal and why you should be careful covers the practical pitfalls in detail.
Free LOC020 or a paid printed deed poll?
The honest answer is that the free LOC020 route produces a fully valid deed poll — if you have a reliable printer, an independent witness lined up and the patience to produce clean copies, it is a perfectly legitimate choice. A paid service does not add legal validity; it adds convenience and presentation: the wording and formatting are done for you, several professionally printed copies are included, and there is no printer drama. For a detailed, side-by-side breakdown of the two routes, the comparison in our guide to whether you need the UK government to change your name sets it out in full. The short version: choose free and hands-on, or paid and done-for-you — both end with the same legal instrument.
A note on enrolment
You may have seen references to “enrolling” a deed poll. Enrolment is an optional step that registers your deed at the Royal Courts of Justice and publishes the change in the London Gazette, for a fee of around £42 to £43. Crucially, it gives your name change no extra legal validity — an unenrolled deed poll made with LOC020 is just as effective — and the vast majority of people never do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the LOC020 deed poll legally valid?
Yes. Once you correctly complete the template and sign it in both your old and new names in front of an independent adult witness, it is a valid unenrolled deed poll — the standard, legally recognised way to change your name in the UK. No court or government approval is needed.
Do I really sign LOC020 twice?
Yes. You sign once in your old name and once in your new name, and your witness watches both signatures before adding their own. Signing in your former name is part of formally giving it up; signing in your new name adopts it.
Who can be my witness on the LOC020 form?
Any independent adult aged 18 or over who is not a relative, not your spouse or partner, and does not live at your address. A colleague, neighbour or friend who lives elsewhere is ideal. They must actually watch you sign and then add their signature, full name and address.
Can I change my title with LOC020?
You do not need a deed poll to change a title. A title such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx or Dr is not legally part of your name, so the LOC020 form changes your name only. You can ask organisations to update your title directly, and Mx is increasingly accepted by banks, HM Passport Office and the DVLA.
Can I use LOC020 to change a child’s name?
A person aged 16 or over can sign their own deed poll. For a child under 16, everyone with parental responsibility must consent. If you are arranging a name change for a child, a child-specific deed poll handles the consent requirements properly.
Can I create a single name (mononym) with LOC020?
It is legally possible, but expect real-world difficulty. HM Passport Office generally expects a forename and a surname and treats single names restrictively on a case-by-case basis, and some banks and systems reject them. It is possible, not smooth.
Ready to Change Your Name?
The free LOC020 template works, but if you would rather skip the printing, the witness-friendly formatting and producing your own copies, we can do the heavy lifting for you. Our professionally printed unenrolled deed poll starts from £14.49, ships the same day when you order before 3pm with free Royal Mail Tracked delivery, and is the same legal instrument as the LOC020 template — accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, UK banks, the NHS, employers and schools. We have helped over 160,000 UK customers and hold a Trustpilot rating of around 4.4 out of 5. Order your adult deed poll online in about four minutes and let us handle the paperwork.