How to Legally Change Your Name in Winnipeg
Canadian law allows residents to change their name to whatever they choose, within reason. Any person who is 18 years of age or older may legally change his name in Winnipeg, whether it's his first, middle, last, or the entire name. The process is fairly simple, and consists of an application and a fee. You also must have lived in Winnipeg for at least 12 weeks prior to the application, and must not be trying to legally change your name to avoid debts or other responsibilities.
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Instructions
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Apply to Legally Change Your Name in Winnipeg
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Meet the minimum requirements to legally change your name in Winnipeg. You must be at least 18 years of age, or obtain parental permission if you are not. If you are under 18 and you are married or in a common-law relationship, you do not need parental permission. You must also be a resident of Manitoba for at least 3 months before you apply, and have no malicious reason for legally changing your name.
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Obtain and complete an application form. Include your birth name, any previous name changes (including marriage and adoption), your personal information, and your current address. You can request a blank application from the Vital Statistics Office. You can contact the office toll-free (for Manitoba residents only) at (866) 949-9269, by fax at (204) 948-3128, or you can email your request to vitalstats@gov.mb.ca. You can also visit the Winnipeg office in person.
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State a reason for legally changing your name. You must provide a valid reason for changing your name. Under the Change of Name Act, you may change your name simply because you dislike it, or because you already informally go by another name. However, you cannot change your name to avoid paying past debts and/or to take on new debt while concealing your current debts, to avoid law enforcement, judgments against you, or any civil responsibilities you may have (i.e., child support). Other valid reasons for changing your name include: hiding from an abuser if you are the victim of domestic violence, distancing yourself from estranged family, or escaping infamy for something you would rather not be known for.
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Choose an appropriate name. The Change of Name Act specifically prohibits residents from changing to a name that may reasonably cause confusion, consists of racial or ethnic slurs, promotes violence or hate, or incorporates the name of a company or trademark. Numbers are generally prohibited, although there are past examples of spelled numbers (twenty-three vs. 23) being accepted for name changes.
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Return the completed form and pay the application fee. The application should be submitted to the Vital Statistics Office in Winnipeg. There is an application fee of $100.00 CAD ($93.75 USD) due at the time of submission. If you are applying to change more than one name (i.e., changing the surname for both you and your child), there is another $50.00 fee ($46.88 USD) for each additional person.
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Give notice of your name change where required if your request to legally change your name in Winnipeg is approved. Unless you can prove mitigating circumstances, you are generally required to publish your intent to change your name, along with your new name, in the Manitoba Gazette at your own expense. For individuals who are the victims of domestic abuse and wish to legally change their name in Winnipeg for protection, this requirement can be waived. You may also avoid publishing your new name if you can demonstrate that you are commonly known by that name, or that it would be against the interest of the general public to do so.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to notify your creditors, banks, and government offices of your name change. You will need to have your driver's license and other important documents updated at your own cost. Some companies or agencies may charge you a fee for changing your name in their records.
If your request to legally change your name in Winnipeg is denied, you can appeal the decision within 28 days.
