The complete guide to changing your name in Mumbai, the headquarters of Maharashtra's gazette system. The fully online DGPS route, the real Rs 523 government fee (not the Rs 1,470 agents quote), verified documents, timeline and steps, done from home anywhere in the city.
A quick walkthrough of the newspaper ad and the online Maharashtra gazette application for a Mumbai name change.
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains how to make a gazette notification for a name change in Mumbai: the real fee, the documents you need, and how we handle the whole online process at your doorstep.
Changing your name in Mumbai is a defined legal process, and Maharashtra makes it easier than most states, because the whole thing is online, run by the Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications (DGPS), and the official fee is surprisingly low. Mumbai is also the headquarters of that department, so this is where the state's gazette machinery actually sits. The catch is that many guides overcomplicate the process and quote inflated prices. This guide covers the real process, the real cost, and the Maharashtra-specific rules, including when you do not even need an affidavit, for anyone living in Mumbai.
To change your name legally in Mumbai, publish the change in a Marathi and an English newspaper, then apply through Maharashtra's online DGPS gazette (dgps.maharashtra.gov.in or Aaple Sarkar) under Gazette Part II, Change of Name. Mumbai hosts the DGPS head office at Charni Road. The real state fee is about Rs 523 plus GST, an affidavit is needed for the Central route, and the total time is about 2 to 4 weeks.
Definition: A gazette notification is an official notice published in the Government Gazette (Maharashtra Gazette Part II, or Part IV of the Gazette of India) that turns your name change into a public, legally recognised record, accepted by the passport office, banks, UIDAI and government departments.
A legal name change in Maharashtra has these core parts, and most of it is online.
Publish the notice in two papers, one Marathi and one English. This is mandatory, and DGPS rejects applications without valid clippings.
Mandatory for the Central Gazette, and for the state gazette specifically when a middle name is added, removed or altered.
Apply through DGPS (dgps.maharashtra.gov.in) via Aaple Sarkar under Gazette Part II, upload documents, pay and download the published gazette.
Newspaper publication comes first. You publish a name-change notice in two newspapers, one in Marathi and one in English. This is a mandatory step for the Maharashtra gazette, and DGPS rejects applications without valid newspaper clippings, so keep them safe.
An affidavit is needed only in some cases. For the Central Gazette a notarised affidavit is mandatory. For the Maharashtra state gazette, an affidavit is specifically required when a middle name is added, removed or altered; otherwise the state route centres on your ID, address proof, photo, form and newspaper notices.
Then the gazette application. You apply online through DGPS via the Aaple Sarkar portal, under Gazette Part II, Change of Name, upload your documents as clear scans, pay the fee, and download the published gazette. Once published, the gazette is your permanent legal proof of the name change.
This video explains the full process for an adult to change their name in Mumbai through the Maharashtra gazette.
Here is Mumbai's real distinction. Mumbai is not just another city applying to the state gazette; it is the head office.
The Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, along with the Government Central Press and the Government Book Depot and Publication House, is located at Charni Road, Mumbai 400004, on Netaji Subhash Road, near Charni Road Station and the Maharashtra State Jawahar Bal Bhavan. The Director based here is the Head of the Department, with jurisdiction over the whole state.
For a Mumbai resident, that means the state's gazette office is right in the city. You will rarely need to visit, since the process runs online through DGPS and Aaple Sarkar, but the Charni Road office is the physical liaison point if you prefer to submit in person or have a query. Its hours end at 5.30 PM.
Here is where most Mumbai pages mislead you. You will see the name change advertised at Rs 1,470 or more. Those are agent packages, not the Government fee.
The actual DGPS application fee is modest: around Rs 523 plus GST for the open category, and Rs 273 plus GST for the backward category, plus a small MahaOnline charge. Add your newspaper ads, and a notary only if your case needs an affidavit, and a self-done Maharashtra gazette name change costs far less than the agent quotes.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Notary and affidavit (only where required) | Rs 100 to Rs 500 |
| Newspaper ads (Marathi and English) | Rs 500 to Rs 3,500 (Mumbai dailies can cost more) |
| DGPS gazette fee (open category) | about Rs 523 plus GST |
| DGPS gazette fee (backward category) | about Rs 273 plus GST |
| MahaOnline charge | small (about Rs 20) |
| Self-done total | often Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,000 |
| Agent or consultancy service fee (optional) | varies by provider |
A point most guides get wrong: for the Maharashtra state gazette, an affidavit is not required in the same blanket way it is for the Central Gazette. The Directorate centres the state application on your ID proof, address proof, photo, application form, and the newspaper notices.
An affidavit is specifically needed when you are adding, removing or altering a middle name, and, of course, always for the Central Gazette route. Because practice can vary and rules change, confirm the current requirement for your exact case on the DGPS portal before you pay a notary you may not need. If you are going the Central route, treat the notarised affidavit as mandatory.
Both are legally valid. The right choice depends on where you need the name recognised.
| Point | Maharashtra State Gazette | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | DGPS, Charni Road, Mumbai (online) | Department of Publication, Delhi |
| How you apply | Online via DGPS / Aaple Sarkar (Part II) | File to Civil Lines, Delhi |
| Fee | About Rs 523 + GST (open) / Rs 273 + GST (backward) | Rs 1,100 adult / Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh) |
| Download | dgps.maharashtra.gov.in (also emailed) | egazette.gov.in |
| Best for | State records, cheap, fast, online | Passport, visa, PAN, banks, central jobs |
For most Mumbai residents, the Maharashtra gazette is convenient, cheap and widely accepted. Choose the Central Gazette when you specifically need it for a passport, visa, embassy or central government job, or when your records will travel widely outside Maharashtra. It is mandatory for central government employees.
North-India guides tell you to publish in Hindi, which is wrong for Mumbai. Here you use one Marathi newspaper and one English newspaper. Widely read Marathi options include Loksatta, Maharashtra Times, Lokmat, Sakal and Navakal; for English, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and Mid-Day are common.
Both ads must carry the same name-change details, and you must keep valid clippings, because DGPS rejects applications without them.
This video shows how to publish a name-change advertisement in a Marathi and an English newspaper in Mumbai.
Have these ready before you apply. A missing or mismatched paper is the top cause of a rejected DGPS application.
| Document | Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper notices (Marathi + English) | Yes | Mandatory; keep valid original clippings |
| Photo identity proof | Yes | Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence or voter ID |
| Address proof (Maharashtra residence) | Yes | Aadhaar, ration card, electricity bill or passport |
| One passport-size colour photo | Yes | Recent |
| Gazette application form (Part II) | Yes | Change of Name, signed |
| Notarised affidavit | Sometimes | Central route, or a Maharashtra middle-name change |
| Fee payment | Yes | DGPS / MahaOnline (state) or BharatKosh (Central) |
| Marriage certificate | For marriage | Surname change after marriage |
| Divorce decree | For divorce | Restoring your maiden name |
| Both parents' ID + child's birth certificate | For minors | Both parents' consent, unless single parent or court order |
| Department NOC / MHA deed route | For government employees | State NOC or central MHA Memorandum route |
| Last Maharashtra address proof | For NRIs | Shows Maharashtra residence |
This video lists the documents required for a name change in Mumbai, from the newspaper notices to ID and address proof.
Close to it. On the Maharashtra DGPS and Aaple Sarkar route, you register, apply, pay, track and download entirely online. The only physical step is notarising the affidavit in cases that require one.
For the Central route, a physical file reaches Delhi. So Maharashtra is one of the most genuinely online states for this, and Mumbai residents also have the Charni Road office nearby if they prefer to go in person.
Plan for about 2 to 4 weeks for the Maharashtra route, though it can run to about six weeks during festivals or peak season at the Mumbai press. Newspaper publication takes a few days to a week, and the affidavit, if needed, takes a day.
DGPS processing and publication commonly take around two to four weeks. The Central Gazette route is longer, usually 30 to 45 days. Updating your individual documents afterward, such as Aadhaar, PAN and passport, is a separate timeline on top of this.
Getting the Gazette is the milestone, not the finish line. Order matters, because some documents lean on others.
| Order | Document | How to update |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar | Update at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with the gazette; it is the base ID others reference |
| 2 | PAN | Correct the name with your updated Aadhaar and the gazette copy |
| 3 | Passport | Re-issue at the Passport Seva Kendra with the Central Gazette |
| 4 | Bank & KYC | Update once your core IDs reflect the new name |
| 5 | Voter ID, licence, ration card | Submit the respective correction forms |
| 6 | School, board (Maharashtra Board/CBSE), university | Follow the board's formal correction process with the gazette |
| 7 | Employer, PF, insurance, property | Update as needed with the gazette |
This video explains how to change your name on educational documents, from school records to degrees, in Mumbai using the gazette.
Here is a point most Mumbai name-change pages get wrong: they push a gazette notification to fix a spelling mistake in a birth certificate. That is the wrong route.
A clerical or spelling error in a birth certificate, a wrong letter or a registrar's typo, is corrected by the Registrar of Births and Deaths under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the local municipal body, which in the city is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It is not a gazette job. The gazette route is for an actual change of name.
This video shows how to change or correct a name in a birth certificate in Mumbai through the BMC Registrar.
This video explains how to change a father's name in a birth certificate in Mumbai through the BMC Registrar.
This video walks through the birth certificate name correction process in Mumbai, step by step.
A woman changing her surname applies through the Maharashtra gazette with her marriage certificate; in some cases the spouse's ID supports the application. Taking a spouse's surname is optional, but the gazette is what makes it stick across Aadhaar, PAN, passport and bank.
Reverting to a maiden or previous name uses the same route with your divorce decree as supporting proof. You do not need a fresh court case just to change the name back.
A parent or guardian applies with the child's birth certificate. Maharashtra generally needs both parents' consent, unless there is a single parent or a court order. Boards ask for the gazette (and sometimes a court order) for school records.
Maharashtra state government employees typically need an NOC from their department for a gazette name change. Central government employees follow the Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12/03/1987, executing a deed and publishing through the proper departmental channel.
A gazette on its own is only useful once your other records match it. We help you update your new name across all the documents that matter.
Name change or spelling correction with the gazette as proof.
Name update through the NSDL or UTIITSL route.
Name correction on the electoral roll via Form 8.
Re-issue with your new name using the Central Gazette.
Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.
Records for the Maharashtra Board, CBSE and Mumbai University.
Correction through the BMC Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
Name change on policies and insurance records.
Tell us which documents you need updated. Call 9540005026 and we guide you through each one after the gazette.
This video shows how to update or correct your name on an Aadhaar card in Mumbai at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
This video explains how to change a father's name on a passport in Mumbai using the gazette notification.
This video shows how to change your name on a driving licence at the RTO in Mumbai after your gazette is published.
We handle name change work for people all across Mumbai and the wider metropolitan region, with doorstep pickup and fully remote handling.
Do not see your area? We still cover it. Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.
Most rejections come from avoidable mismatches on the DGPS portal.
| Reason | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Name mismatch across form, ads and ID | Fix one exact spelling and use it everywhere, even initials |
| Missing or invalid newspaper clippings | Keep the full valid clippings; DGPS rejects files without them |
| Poorly scanned or oversized files | Upload clear colour A4 scans under the size limit |
| Wrong newspaper mix (two English or two Marathi) | Use one Marathi and one English paper |
| Missing affidavit where required | Add one for a middle-name change or the Central route |
| Incomplete form or missing certificate | Complete every field and attach supporting proof |
| Wrong fee category (open vs backward) | Select the correct category before paying |
Fix any reverted or action-required status promptly, since the application waits on your correction.
Doing it yourself is very worthwhile in Mumbai, given the low official fee and the fully online DGPS system: publish the ads, register on Aaple Sarkar, upload and pay. The trade-off is rejection risk from a mismatch or a bad scan.
A name change agent in Mumbai handles the newspaper booking, the online application and the tracking, and can spot document errors before submission. It is the sensible choice when your time is tight, there is a deadline such as a passport appointment or a visa interview, or your case has a complication such as a minor, a divorce, a gender change, a service record, or a document that already carries a spelling error.
We tell you the true DGPS fee (around Rs 523 plus GST), not an inflated Rs 1,470 bundle, and charge our service fee transparently on top.
We handle the DGPS and Aaple Sarkar application, the uploads, the fee and the tracking, so you do not wrestle with the portal.
We book both newspaper ads for you in the correct format, the way Maharashtra requires, not the wrong Hindi mix other pages suggest.
We review the full file against the checklist before filing, so there are fewer rejections, and we handle Aadhaar, PAN and passport after.
What does a name change actually cost in Mumbai? The DGPS fee is about Rs 523 plus GST (open) or Rs 273 plus GST (backward), plus a small MahaOnline charge and your newspaper ads. Ignore the Rs 1,470 or higher agent quotes.
Where is the gazette office in Mumbai? The DGPS head office and Government Central Press are at Charni Road, Mumbai 400004, near Charni Road Station. But the process is online, so you rarely need to visit.
Do I need an affidavit for the Maharashtra gazette? Not always. For the state gazette an affidavit is specifically required for middle-name changes; the Central Gazette always needs one.
Which newspapers do I use in Mumbai? One Marathi and one English, not Hindi, such as Loksatta and The Times of India.
We book the Marathi and English newspaper ads, file the Maharashtra gazette online through DGPS at the real fee, and track it to publication, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep and fully remote service across Mumbai and MMR, honest pricing.
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The fees, offices and process on this page are checked against official Government sources, not copied from other blogs.
Government fees and timelines can change from time to time. Always confirm current details on the official portals above before you apply.
Changing your name in Mumbai is refreshingly straightforward: publish in a Marathi and an English newspaper, then apply online through Maharashtra's DGPS gazette (Part II, Change of Name) via Aaple Sarkar. Mumbai is the headquarters of that department, with the head office and Government Central Press at Charni Road, though you will rarely need to visit. The official fee is low, around Rs 523 plus GST for the open category or Rs 273 plus GST for the backward category, so do not overpay agents who quote it many times higher, and remember that for the state gazette an affidavit is only specifically required for middle-name changes. For a passport, visa or central government job, the Central Gazette is the safer, nationally accepted route. Either way, match your name exactly, keep your newspaper clippings, and update your records in the right order, starting with Aadhaar. Expect about 2 to 4 weeks and a realistic self-done budget of Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,000.
The newspaper ads, then the online Maharashtra gazette at the real Rs 523 fee. We can prepare and file it for you through DGPS, from anywhere in Mumbai, then update your Aadhaar, PAN and passport.
