📞 Call: 9540005026 | ✉️ support@yourdoorstep.co.in

Name Change Procedure in Bihar (2026)

A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Bihar. Affidavit, newspaper notice, the Bihar State Gazette and Central Gazette routes, real fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur or Darbhanga.

3Simple steps
₹1,100Central Gazette fee
2011Serving since
0Office visits needed
Book Your Name Change
Loading form…

Watch: How to Make a Gazette Notification in Bihar

A Hindi walkthrough of the affidavit, newspaper and gazette steps for a Bihar name change.

In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains how to make a gazette notification for a name change in Bihar: the documents you need, the real fees, and how we handle the whole process at your doorstep.

Changing your name is a big step. Maybe you just got married, you are fixing a spelling mistake in your school records, or you want a fresh start after a divorce. Whatever the reason, the name change procedure in Bihar follows a clear legal path. This guide breaks down every step in plain words, from the affidavit to the final gazette, and shows how to get it done from home, whether you live in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur or Darbhanga.

Quick Answer

To change your name in Bihar, follow three steps. Make a notarised affidavit with your old and new name, publish the change in two newspapers (one Hindi, one English), then file for a gazette notification. Any Bihar resident can apply to the Central Gazette, the stronger option, valid across India. The fee is Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, and the process takes about 30 to 45 days from home.

Definition: A gazette notification is an official notice published in the Government Gazette that turns your name change into a public, legally recognised record, accepted by the passport office, banks, UIDAI and government departments across India.

Bihar name change at a glance

Steps
Affidavit → newspaper ad → gazette notification
Central Gazette fee
Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh)
State Gazette fee
Roughly Rs 200 to Rs 500
Time
About 30 to 45 days (Central Gazette)
Newspapers
One Hindi + one English daily
State portal
egazette.bihar.gov.in

Key takeaways

  • The process has three steps: notarised affidavit, newspaper ad, then gazette notification.
  • Any Bihar resident can apply to the Central Gazette (Gazette of India). There is no state restriction.
  • The Central Gazette is the stronger choice, valid all over India and abroad, so it works for passport, PAN, Aadhaar, banks and jobs.
  • Bihar also has an online State Gazette portal, egazette.bihar.gov.in, for state-level records.
  • Central Gazette fee: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, paid online on BharatKosh.
  • The Central Gazette office is in Delhi (Civil Lines). You do not need to travel there.
  • A birth certificate spelling fix goes through the local Registrar (RBD Act), not the gazette.

Why the Central Gazette Is the Stronger Choice

Name Change Procedure in Bihar

Here is a point many people miss. The Central Gazette, the Gazette of India, is not limited to any one state. Every Bihar resident has the full right to apply to it, with no restriction. It is run by the Government of India in Delhi, and once your name appears in it, that record is valid across all of India and abroad.

That is why the Central Gazette is treated as the stronger gazette. The passport office, UIDAI, banks, public sector employers, universities and foreign embassies all accept it. If your new name has to work anywhere beyond a local Bihar record, this is the route to choose from the start.

State Gazette vs Central Gazette for Bihar

Bihar does run its own online State Gazette portal, so it helps to see both side by side.

PointBihar State GazetteCentral Gazette of India
Run byGovernment of Bihar (Finance Department)Department of Publication, Government of India, Delhi
Who can applyBihar residentsAny Bihar resident, no restriction
How you applyOnline via egazette.bihar.gov.inFile sent to Civil Lines, Delhi, by post, courier or in person
Government feeRoughly Rs 200 to Rs 500Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh)
Valid forState-level records onlyAll over India and abroad, including passport, PAN, Aadhaar, banks, PSU jobs
StrengthState-level proofThe stronger, more widely accepted proof
Our honest advice: if your new name only needs to work inside Bihar, the state portal is cheap and convenient. If it touches a passport, a bank, a central government job or anything abroad, use the Central Gazette from the start, so you do not have to repeat the process.

Living near a border, or moving for work? We keep dedicated state guides too: see the full name change procedure in Uttar Pradesh, the Delhi name change guide for families settled in the NCR, and the name change procedure in Rajasthan. The Central Gazette route is identical, with local details for each state.

Gazette Office in Bihar

The Bihar State Gazette is published online through egazette.bihar.gov.in, run by the Finance Department, Government of Bihar, in Patna. The Central Gazette file goes to the Department of Publication, Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, and is downloaded from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday; the PDF needs no certification or stamp).

Good to know: Bihar runs an online e-Gazette portal, but read the next section before assuming you can file on it yourself — the portal is built for reading published gazettes, and its login is restricted to department users. For a pan-India Central Gazette, the file goes to the Delhi office, and we handle that submission for you, so you do not have to travel.

Bihar Secretariat Printing Press, Gulzarbagh — and the Numbers That Work

Most "gazette office in Bihar" pages either give no contact at all, or give an address that is not in Bihar. Here are the details published on the government's own contact page.

Filing from another state? The office changes but the three legal steps do not — see Patna, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal or our India-wide guide.

The Bihar Gazette is printed and published by the Bihar Secretariat Printing Press at Gulzarbagh, Patna, working under the Finance Department, Government of Bihar. The press has run since 1912 and prints for the Assembly, the Election department, the High Court, BPSC, local bodies and every state department. Private name change notifications are issued from the Office of the Superintendent, Bihar Secretariat Press.

OfficeLocationPhone
Superintendent, Secretariat PressGulzarbagh, Patna0612-2631813
Deputy Superintendent, Secretariat PressGulzarbagh, Patna0612-2631183
Assistant Superintendent, Secretariat PressGulzarbagh, Patna0612-2631809
Director, Press and Printing StationeryPatna0612-2217654
A warning about addresses you will find online. At least one widely-ranking page publishes the Bihar gazette office address as "Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Bihar-110054". 110054 is a Delhi PIN code. That is the Central Gazette's Delhi address with the word "Bihar" pasted over it — a templating error, not a real Bihar office. We are also not going to invent a street address: the government's own contact page names the office as Gulzarbagh, Patna and publishes the phone numbers above, but does not publish a full postal address or email. Call before you travel.

Do you have to file from Patna?

The gazette itself is centralised — publication happens at Gulzarbagh, Patna, whichever district you live in. But the two steps before it are local: the affidavit can be sworn before any Notary Public in your own district, and the newspaper advertisements are booked with the papers wherever you are. So a resident of Muzaffarpur, Gaya or Bhagalpur does the same work locally and only the final file reaches Patna.

No, You Cannot Do a Name Change Through RTPS or Service Plus

In Bihar almost every certificate runs through RTPS, so people reasonably assume the name change does too. It does not, and looking for it there wastes days.

What RTPS / Service Plus actually coversWhat it does not
Caste, income and residence certificatesName change
Gazette publication

Neither appears anywhere in the RTPS service list. The gazette process runs entirely through the Secretariat Press, separately.
Birth and death certificates
Character certificate, labour and migration services
Marriage, property and society registration, land records, ration cards
So what is the actual route? Affidavit before a notary, advertisements in one Hindi and one English daily, then the gazette file to the Secretariat Press for the state route — or BharatKosh and the Department of Publication for the Central Gazette. Nothing in that chain touches serviceonline.bihar.gov.in.

How to Search and Download Your Bihar Gazette Notification

The Bihar e-Gazette portal works, but it is not obvious. Two things trip everyone up, and neither is explained anywhere else.

Trap 1: "Name Change" is not a category you can filter by. The portal's department dropdown lists over a hundred departments, and Name Change is not one of them. It appears only as the subject line of notifications issued by the Office of Superintendent, Bihar Sec Pres. So search by that office, not by the words "name change", or you will conclude your notification does not exist when it does.
Trap 2: the login is not for you. The portal states its login is for administrators and department users only. You cannot register and self-submit a name change application online through it. The portal is where you read and download published gazettes; the application itself goes through the press.

Searching, step by step

  1. Open egazette.bihar.gov.in (the older egazette.bih.nic.in runs the same system).
  2. Use Search Notification and pick the department Office of Superintendent, Bihar Sec Pres. You can narrow further by notification number or date.
  3. Alternatively use Search Gazette by gazette number or date if you already know the issue.
  4. Click the gazette number to open the issue PDF. Individual notifications are not downloadable on their own — you open the whole issue and find your entry inside it, so note your notification number before you start scrolling.
The site looks like it is from 2008, because the template is. The footer still carries an old copyright line, which makes people assume the portal is dead. It is not — the notification database is current. Name change notifications were being published on it as recently as May 2025, batched several at a time into a single gazette issue. Judge it by the data, not the design.
Save three things when you find it: the gazette number, the notification number and the date of publication. With those, a bank, a passport officer or an employer can pull the identical file from the government portal and verify it themselves. Downloading is free — if a site asks you to pay to "unlock" your own notification, close it.

Change Your Name in Bihar Without Going Anywhere

Yes. A legal name change in India runs on paperwork, not office visits. There is no single name change office you must line up at.

For the Central Gazette route, the only place the file must physically reach is the Department of Publication in Delhi. That is far from Bihar, so travelling makes no sense. You do not need to go. Our own office is in Delhi. You share your details from your home in Bihar, we prepare the affidavit, book the newspaper ads, pay the government fee, and hand your file to the Gazette office in Delhi ourselves. Once it is published, we send you the gazette PDF.

The 3 Legal Steps of Name Change in Bihar

Every legal name change through the Central Gazette follows the same three steps, in this order.

1

Make the affidavit

A short legal statement on stamp paper with your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the reason, signed before a notary.

2

Publish in newspapers

Announce the change in two papers, one Hindi and one English. This is a public notice, so anyone can object if something is wrong.

3

Get the gazette

The file goes to the Department of Publication, Delhi. Your notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, and you download the PDF.

Step 1: Make the name change affidavit

An affidavit is a short legal statement on non-judicial stamp paper. It lists your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the reason for the change. You sign it in front of a notary. The stamp paper value is small, usually Rs 10 to Rs 100 in Bihar.

Step 2: Publish the change in two newspapers

You announce the name change in two newspapers, one Hindi and one English. For Hindi you can use Hindustan, Dainik Jagran or Prabhat Khabar. For English you can use The Times of India or Hindustan Times. The notice should carry your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the affidavit date. Keep the full newspaper pages, not just the cut-out advert.

Step 3: Get the gazette notification

For the Central Gazette, the file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. It includes the affidavit, the newspaper pages, a typed proforma with two witnesses, a soft copy on CD in MS Word, two passport photos, ID proof, and the BharatKosh fee receipt. Your notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, published every Saturday. You then download the PDF from egazette.gov.in.

A quick note on order: some sites list the newspaper ad before the affidavit. In real practice the affidavit comes first, because both the newspaper ad and the gazette file copy their details from it.

A fuller walkthrough of the name change and correction procedure in Bihar, including the gazette office and the documents you need.

What Other Websites Get Wrong About Name Change in Bihar

The pages ranking for this topic copy each other, and the same errors travel from site to site. Here is what they say, against the verified position, so your file is not built on a myth.

What many websites sayThe verified fact
"Send your application along with a DD of the fee"Demand drafts are not accepted at all. The Central Gazette fee is paid online through BharatKosh (NTRP) only, and the fee is non-refundable.
"Get the affidavit attested by a first-class magistrate"A Notary Public attests the affidavit. No magistrate hearing and no court appearance is part of a standard adult name change.
"The Gazette of India is published by the Ministry of Home Affairs"The Gazette of India is printed by the Department of Publication, which works under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, from Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. The Ministry of Home Affairs only issues the deed format for central government employees.
"Submit your name change file to the Printing and Stationery wing of the Government of Bihar"Bihar's own e-gazette is run by the Finance Department on egazette.bihar.gov.in. Personal name change files for the Central Gazette go to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, not to a Bihar state wing.
"Your printed gazette copy will arrive by post"Printed copies stopped from 1 October 2015. You download the PDF yourself from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday), and it needs no certification or stamp.
"The fee is just Rs 1,100, nothing more"Rs 1,100 is the adult fee. A minor's case costs Rs 1,700, each extra alias name adds Rs 250, and applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500.
"Any old affidavit and newspaper ad will work"The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, and documents once submitted are not returned.
"Fix your birth certificate spelling through the gazette"A birth certificate correction is a Registrar matter under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through your municipal body or local Registrar in Bihar, not the gazette.
Why this matters: a demand draft that nobody accepts, a stale document or a wrong office does not just delay your file, it can mean paying the non-refundable fee again. Every fact in this table follows the Department of Publication's own guidelines and the official portals in our sources section.

Documents Required for Name Change in Bihar

Keep these ready. Missing or mismatched papers are the top reason files get held up.

Documents in Hindi only? Gazette desks and most national authorities work in English, so an older Hindi-only certificate often needs a certified English translation before it is accepted. See our document translation services guide.
DocumentNeeded?Notes
Notarised name change affidavit (original)YesBase document for the file
Old name ID proofYesAadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or passport
Address proof (Bihar)YesShows your Bihar address
Two passport-size photosYesSelf-attested
Full copies of both newspaper adsYesComplete original pages
Typed proforma with two witnessesYesSigned by you and witnesses
Soft copy on CD (MS Word)YesWithout the witness column
BharatKosh fee receiptYesProof of the government fee
Marriage certificateIf applicableFor a surname change after marriage
Divorce papersIf applicableFor restoring your maiden name
Birth certificateIf applicableFor a minor's name change
Deed as per rulesIf applicableFor government employees

If you are from Bihar but living abroad, your deed must be attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission of that country.

Name Change Fees in Bihar (2026)

Two costs sit inside a name change: the government publication fee, and the side costs like stamp paper, notary and newspaper ads that vary.

ItemCost
Central Gazette fee (adult)Rs 1,100 (BharatKosh)
Central Gazette fee (minor)Rs 1,700 (BharatKosh)
Extra alias name in the noticeRs 250 per alias, added to the gazette fee
Central Gazette fee (living abroad)Rs 3,500 as per the Department of Publication guidelines (BharatKosh)
Central Gazette fee (living abroad)Higher, check current amount on BharatKosh
Bihar State Gazette feeRoughly Rs 200 to Rs 500 (state schedule)
Stamp paper and notaryAbout Rs 100 to Rs 300
Newspaper ads (two papers)Varies by paper and city
Watch out: pay only through the official portal and keep the receipt for the file. Do not pay cash to anyone who calls it a "government charge."

Newspaper Publication in Bihar

Publishing the notice is a real step, not a formality. Use one Hindi paper and one English paper that circulate in your area. Across Bihar, Hindustan, Dainik Jagran and Prabhat Khabar have strong reach.

Keep the complete original pages with the date and newspaper name clearly visible. A cutting where the date cannot be read is treated as invalid.

Important: save the full original newspaper pages, not just the cut-out advert. You attach these with the gazette file, and photocopies alone are often not accepted.

Name Change Services We Handle in Bihar

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 for Bihar residents.

🪪

Aadhaar Card

Name change or spelling correction with the gazette as proof.

💳

PAN Card

Name update through the NSDL or UTIITSL route.

🗳️

Voter ID (EPIC)

Name correction on the electoral roll via Form 8.

🛂

Passport

Re-issue with your new name using the gazette and newspaper ads.

🚗

Driving Licence

Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.

🏦

Bank & KYC

Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.

🎓

BSEB & University

Records for Bihar board (BSEB), CBSE and universities.

📜

Birth Certificate

Correction through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.

🛡️

LIC & Insurance

Name change on policies and insurance records.

🏠

Ration Card & Property

Updates on ration card and property documents.

Tell us which documents you need updated. Call 9540005026 and we guide you through each one after the gazette.

Areas in Bihar We Serve

We handle name change work for people all across Bihar, from big cities to smaller towns. Wherever you are, the process runs the same way, and you never have to travel to Delhi.

Outside Bihar? Same service in Kolkata, Ranchi, Lucknow, Delhi and Bangalore.

From Patna, Gaya and Bhagalpur to Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and far districts like Kishanganj and Rohtas, the legal steps are identical, because a name change runs on paperwork, not on which of Bihar's districts you live in. The same Central Gazette file works for the whole state and everywhere in India, and birth certificate corrections stay with your municipal body or local Registrar.

Patna Gaya Bhagalpur Muzaffarpur Darbhanga Purnia Arrah Begusarai Katihar Munger Chhapra Bihar Sharif Sasaram Hajipur Motihari Siwan Bettiah Nawada Jehanabad Aurangabad Samastipur Kishanganj

Do not see your town? We still cover it. Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.

After the Gazette: Update Your Records

Once your name change is published, use the gazette PDF to update your other records. This is the final and often the slowest part, so start early.

DocumentHow to update
AadhaarUpdate at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with the gazette as proof
PANApply for name correction through NSDL or UTIITSL
PassportApply for re-issue with the gazette and newspaper ads
Driving licenceVisit the RTO with the gazette copy
Bank accountsVisit your branch with the gazette, affidavit and ID
Voter IDSubmit Form 8 for correction
BSEB & university recordsContact your board or university with the gazette
Employer recordsInform HR with the gazette copy

Keep several printouts of the gazette, because every office will want its own copy. If you would rather not chase each department yourself, we handle these updates for you.

Name Change After Marriage, Divorce, for Minors & Spelling Fixes

💍

After marriage

Add your marriage certificate to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. The three steps stay the same.

📄

After divorce

You can return to your maiden name through the same process. Keep your divorce papers ready. No separate court order is needed just to restore a maiden name.

🧒

For a minor

The parent or guardian signs the affidavit and the Central Gazette fee is Rs 1,700. The department wants the guardian to send the package directly, so we prepare the full kit and guide you.

📜

Birth certificate & spelling

A simple spelling case states the wrong and correct spelling in the affidavit. A birth certificate correction, though, goes through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.

Three Things Experienced Gazette Applicants in Bihar Know

🔤

Match your name letter for letter

The single reason files fail is a spelling gap between the affidavit, the newspaper ad and the ID proof. Pick one exact spelling of your new name, including initials and spacing, and use it on every paper.

🏅

Choose the stronger gazette from the start

Bihar's online portal is cheap, but state-level only. Since any resident can freely apply to the Central Gazette, and it is accepted everywhere, most people are better off choosing it first, so they do not pay twice.

📜

Know the birth certificate exception

A spelling fix on a birth certificate is not a gazette job. It goes through the local Registrar under the RBD Act. For a CBSE school name change, you may also need a court order along with the gazette.

Benefits & Drawbacks of the Gazette Route

✔ Accepted everywhere

A Central Gazette notification is treated as final proof by UIDAI, the passport office, banks and universities, so you rarely face follow-up questions.

✔ Permanent and easy to reprint

Since October 2015 the gazette is digital. If you lose your copy, you download it again free, with no office visit.

✔ Done from anywhere in Bihar

The whole process runs on paperwork, so a resident of Purnia or Gaya completes it without travelling to Delhi.

✕ It takes weeks, not days

Between the affidavit, the newspaper wait and gazette processing, plan for 30 to 45 days for the Central Gazette. It is not instant.

✕ Mistakes cost money and time

A wrong fee category or a spelling gap can mean a rejection, a fresh payment and a restart. Careful checking up front matters.

✕ The central file is physical

Fee payment and download are online, but the Central Gazette file still has to reach the Delhi office by post, courier or in person.

Common Name Change Mistakes to Avoid in Bihar

MistakeWhy it hurts
Different spellings across affidavit, ad and IDTop cause of rejection
Picking the State Gazette when the name is needed for a passport or abroadYou may have to redo it through the Central Gazette
Wrong stamp paper valueCan make the affidavit invalid
Signing the form with the new name instead of the old nameFile gets held up
Not keeping the full original newspaper pagesYou cannot prove the publication
Using an affidavit more than six months oldOften not accepted
Missing father's or husband's name in the noticeNotice may be treated as incomplete
Wrong fee category or amount on the payment portalPayment rejected or mismatched
Documents more than one year oldThe Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so file while papers are fresh; documents once submitted are not returned

Why People in Bihar Choose Us

Comparing options first? Our name change agent in Bihar guide and the national agent overview explain what an agent does and what it should cost.

🏢

Next to the Gazette office

We are based in Delhi, beside the Central Gazette office, so your file is handed in personally and not left to the post.

📰

Correct Hindi & English ads

We handle both newspaper advertisements for you, in the right format.

📱

No office visit

Everything runs on call, WhatsApp and a short form. You stay home in Bihar.

🧾

One team for everything

The gazette plus updating Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, passport and the rest, with clear pricing and no hidden charges.

An example of a case we handle. A student in Patna found a spelling mistake in her Class 10 certificate that did not match her Aadhaar, and it was blocking a college form. She sent her old and correct name, address and ID on WhatsApp. We drafted the affidavit, arranged the notary, booked a Hindi paper and an English paper, paid the BharatKosh fee, and filed the complete kit in Delhi. In a few weeks the notice appeared in Part IV, and she used the gazette PDF to correct her records. She never left Patna. This is an illustrative example of the type of case we handle, not a named client review.

Quick Answers to Common Bihar Name Change Searches

How much does the Central Gazette cost for Bihar residents? Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid on BharatKosh (NTRP). Each extra alias name adds Rs 250, applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500, and the fee is non-refundable.

How fresh do my documents need to be? The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so complete the affidavit, newspaper ads and gazette filing without a long gap. Documents once submitted are not returned.

Can Bihar residents apply to the Central Gazette? Yes. There is no state restriction. Any Bihar resident can apply to the Central Gazette, and it is the stronger, pan-India valid option.

Does Bihar have its own online gazette portal? Yes, egazette.bihar.gov.in, run by the Finance Department, Government of Bihar. For pan-India work, most people still use the Central Gazette.

Is a birth certificate name change done through the gazette? No. A birth certificate correction goes through the local Registrar under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, not the gazette.

Do I have to go to Delhi for the Central Gazette? No. The file can be sent by post or courier, or submitted through a Delhi-based service. You can complete the whole process from anywhere in Bihar.

Let YourDoorstep handle it for you

We prepare the affidavit, book the Hindi and English newspaper ads, pay the government fee, and file the gazette in Delhi for you, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep service, honest pricing.

Loading form…

Bihar Board Certificates and Birth Certificates: Two Separate Routes

These are the two records people most often assume the gazette will fix. It will not fix either on its own, and each goes to a different office.

Bihar Board (BSEB) matric and intermediate certificates

No name change consultant seems to cover this, so here is the actual chain. You apply through your school or college, not directly — the application carries the principal's signature and stamp. You will be asked for an affidavit sworn before an Executive Magistrate, which is a different thing from the ordinary notarised affidavit used for the gazette. The file then goes to your regional Bihar Board office, and escalates to the BSEB head office in Patna if it stalls.

The good news: we found no requirement for a full court decree for a BSEB correction — an Executive Magistrate's affidavit is what surfaces in the board's own guidance. That is a meaningfully lower bar than some states, where education records need a civil court declaration. Confirm the current form and any time limit for older pass-outs with the board directly, because requirements for very old records vary.
On fees, we are going to be careful. The figures that circulate for BSEB — around Rs 150 for a duplicate marksheet and Rs 300 for a duplicate certificate — are duplicate document charges. Whether a separate correction fee applies on top is not published clearly anywhere we could verify. Ask the board, and do not budget from a blog.

Birth certificate correction in Bihar

This is not a gazette job. Which office you go to depends entirely on where the birth was registered:

Where the birth was registeredWho corrects it
Patna cityPatna Municipal Corporation, through the civil registration system. Patna district's own official guidance points residents to the national CRS portal at dc.crsorgi.gov.in.
Another municipality or Nagar ParishadThat local body's Registrar of Births and Deaths
A rural areaThe Panchayat or Block level Registrar for that area

Corrections are made under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, by the Registrar — the gazette does not replace that application. What the gazette does do is give the Registrar strong supporting evidence, which is why doing it first often smooths the path.

The sequencing that saves the most time: gazette notification first, then the birth record, then the board certificate, then Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Each office in that chain wants to see the one before it.

People Also Ask About Name Change in Bihar

Direct answers, no form to fill first.

Can I apply for a Bihar gazette name change through RTPS or Service Plus?

No. RTPS and serviceonline.bihar.gov.in cover caste, income, residence, birth and death certificates, character certificates, land records and similar services. Name change and gazette publication are not on that list at all. The gazette runs separately through the Bihar Secretariat Printing Press at Gulzarbagh, Patna.

Is the Bihar Gazette only for government employees?

We found no Bihar rule restricting it that way, and the published notification log shows batches of individual name change entries issued by the Office of the Superintendent — the pattern you would expect from ordinary citizens, not departmental service orders. The common framing is that gazette publication is optional for private citizens and effectively mandatory for government servants. That is not something we could confirm from an official circular, so treat it as the working position and confirm with the press if it matters to your case.

Where is the gazette office in Patna?

The Bihar Secretariat Printing Press at Gulzarbagh, Patna, under the Finance Department. Published numbers: Superintendent 0612-2631813, Deputy Superintendent 0612-2631183, Assistant Superintendent 0612-2631809, and the Director of Press and Printing Stationery on 0612-2217654. The government's contact page does not publish a full street address or email, so call before travelling.

Why can I not find my name change on the Bihar e-Gazette portal?

Almost always because you are searching for the words "name change". That is not a department in the portal's dropdown — it only appears as the subject line of notifications issued by Office of Superintendent, Bihar Sec Pres. Search by that office instead. Also note that individual notifications are not separately downloadable: you open the whole gazette issue PDF and find your entry inside it.

Can I submit the application online myself on the Bihar portal?

No. The e-Gazette portal's login is stated to be for administrators and department users only. The portal is where published gazettes are read and downloaded, not where a citizen files. Your application goes through the press, and the Central Gazette route is paid on BharatKosh and submitted to the Department of Publication in Delhi.

What is the fee for a Bihar gazette name change?

We will not print a number we cannot source. No official Bihar fee schedule is published anywhere we could find, and third-party sites quote figures ranging from a few hundred rupees to over Rs 1,700 while disagreeing with each other — which tells you none of them has an official source either. Confirm with the Secretariat Press. The Central Gazette figures are reliable: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 250 per extra alias, Rs 3,500 from abroad, on BharatKosh.

How long does a Bihar gazette name change take?

Honestly, sources disagree — published estimates run from about two weeks to eight weeks, and no official service standard is published. Budget about a week for the affidavit and both advertisements, then plan on several weeks more. The Central Gazette is the more predictable of the two at roughly 30 to 45 days from a complete file.

How do I correct my name in a BSEB matric or intermediate certificate?

Through your school or college, not directly. The application carries the principal's signature and stamp, and you will need an affidavit sworn before an Executive Magistrate — not just a notary. It goes to your regional Bihar Board office and escalates to the BSEB head office in Patna if needed. Get the gazette notification first; it is the base proof.

How do I correct a name on a birth certificate in Patna?

Through the Registrar of Births and Deaths, not the gazette. For Patna city that is the Municipal Corporation, and Patna district's own guidance points residents to the national civil registration portal at dc.crsorgi.gov.in. Outside the city it is your municipality or Panchayat-level registrar. The gazette supports the application but does not replace it.

Which newspapers do I need for the advertisement in Bihar?

The working pair is one Hindi daily and one English daily. Bihar has several major Hindi papers to choose from, and no official notification names a specific one as compulsory, so pick papers that genuinely circulate in your district. Different publication dates are fine. Keep the complete original page with the masthead and date readable — a clipped advertisement with no visible date proves nothing.

Do I need a court order to change my name in Bihar?

Not for the gazette route. There is no petition, no hearing and no judge's order in an ordinary name change — affidavit, newspaper advertisements, gazette notification. A court affidavit before an Executive Magistrate comes into it only for specific downstream records such as a BSEB certificate correction.

I am going abroad for work. Which gazette should I use?

The Central Gazette, without hesitation. Bihar sends a very large number of workers overseas, and a passport re-issue, visa stamping or an employer abroad will expect the Gazette of India, not a state gazette. Do the Central route first, then the passport, then Aadhaar and PAN. Doing the state gazette first and discovering later that the passport office wants the central one means paying twice.

Related Bihar Name Change Searches, Answered

These are the searches people run right after this one. Here is the short, verified answer to each, so you do not have to open ten more tabs.

Name change in Bihar cost

Government fee: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor on BharatKosh, plus Rs 250 per extra alias and Rs 3,500 if you live abroad. Add stamp paper, notary and two newspaper ads on top; assistance fees are separate.

Bihar gazette office contact number

Be careful here: most "helpline" numbers on blogs are private agents. Individual name change files go to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, public dealing 10 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4 PM on working days.

Gazette name change Bihar online

Partly online: BharatKosh payment and the final download from egazette.gov.in happen online, but the complete file is submitted by hand or by post. No portal accepts the full application upload.

Name change after marriage in Bihar

Same three steps, with your marriage certificate added to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. No court appearance is needed.

Bihar gazette download

Central Gazette: search your name on egazette.gov.in under Weekly Gazette, Part IV, published every Saturday. Bihar State Gazette notifications sit on egazette.bihar.gov.in, run by the Finance Department. Both PDFs are free.

Name change in school certificates Bihar

Boards and universities update records against the gazette notification, so complete the gazette first. Board-specific forms and timelines then apply on top of it.

Name change agent in Patna

Legally you can file yourself, since the process is paperwork, not court. An agent mainly saves you from format rejections, and because the fee is non-refundable, one bounced file costs more than most assistance. Call 9540005026.

Gazette office in Patna

Bihar Secretariat Printing Press, Gulzarbagh, Patna, under the Finance Department, running since 1912. Superintendent 0612-2631813, Deputy Superintendent 0612-2631183. No full street address or email is published officially, so call first. Ignore any page giving a Civil Lines, Delhi PIN code for a "Bihar" office.

RTPS Bihar name change

Not a thing. RTPS and Service Plus cover caste, income, residence, birth and death certificates and similar services. Name change and gazette publication are not RTPS services — the gazette goes through the Secretariat Press instead.

e-Gazette Bihar login

The portal login is for administrators and department users only, so a citizen cannot self-submit there. Use the portal to search and download published gazettes. Search by the department "Office of Superintendent, Bihar Sec Pres", because "Name Change" is not a filterable category.

Bihar gazette notification download

Free on egazette.bihar.gov.in or egazette.bih.nic.in. Open the gazette issue PDF from the search results — individual notifications are not separately downloadable, so note your notification number first. Save the gazette number, notification number and date; that is what lets anyone verify your entry.

Bihar board marksheet correction

Apply through your school or college with the principal's signature, an affidavit before an Executive Magistrate, and the gazette copy. It goes to your regional BSEB office and escalates to the Patna head office. An Executive Magistrate affidavit is required; a full court decree is not, on the guidance we could find.

Name change in birth certificate Bihar

Registrar of Births and Deaths, not the gazette. Patna city goes through the Municipal Corporation, with Patna district guidance pointing to the national CRS portal at dc.crsorgi.gov.in. Outside the city it is your municipality or Panchayat registrar.

Bihar gazette fee

No official schedule is published. Sites quote anything from a few hundred rupees to over Rs 1,700 and contradict each other. Confirm with the Secretariat Press. Central Gazette fees are the dependable ones: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, on BharatKosh.

Name change affidavit Bihar

On stamp paper before a Notary Public, stating your old name, new name, address, age, the reason, a "henceforth known as" clause and a line that both names denote one and the same person. A notary is enough for the gazette. An Executive Magistrate affidavit is a separate, higher requirement that BSEB asks for.

More name change guides

Explore our other verified guides: Name Change Service in India (the national hub), How to Change Name Legally in Delhi and Name Change Procedure in Maharashtra. Same verified facts, state-specific routes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Name Change in Bihar

How old can my affidavit and newspaper ads be?+
Not more than one year. The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so file the gazette while your papers are fresh. Documents once submitted are not returned, so keep clear copies.
Will I get a printed gazette copy by post?+
No. Printed copies stopped from 1 October 2015. Once published, you download the PDF from egazette.gov.in under Weekly Gazette, Part IV, published every Saturday. The downloaded PDF needs no certification or stamp.
How can I change my name through the gazette in Bihar?+
Make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers (one Hindi, one English), then file for a gazette notification. For all-India validity, use the Central Gazette, where the notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India.
Can Bihar residents apply to the Central Gazette?+
Yes. There is no state restriction. Any Bihar resident can apply to the Central Gazette, and it is the stronger, pan-India valid option.
Does Bihar have its own online gazette portal?+
Yes, egazette.bihar.gov.in, run by the Finance Department, Government of Bihar. For pan-India work, most people still use the Central Gazette.
What is the fee for name change in Bihar?+
The Central Gazette fee is Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid on BharatKosh. The Bihar State Gazette fee is lower, roughly Rs 200 to Rs 500. Stamp paper, notary and newspaper ads are extra. Each extra alias name adds Rs 250, and applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500.
How long does a name change take in Bihar?+
About 30 to 45 days for the Central Gazette, from the affidavit to the notice appearing in Part IV.
Do I have to go to Delhi for the Central Gazette?+
No. The file can be sent by post or courier, or submitted through a Delhi-based service. You can complete the whole process from anywhere in Bihar.
Is the Bihar State Gazette valid for a passport?+
For a passport, PAN, bank or work abroad, the Central Gazette is the safe choice, since it is accepted across India and by embassies. The State Gazette is mainly for state-level records.
Which cities in Bihar do you serve?+
We serve Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Purnia, Arrah, Begusarai, Katihar, Munger, Chhapra, Bihar Sharif, Sasaram, Hajipur, Motihari and nearby towns.
Do you help update Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID and birth certificate after the gazette?+
Yes. We help update Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, passport, driving licence, bank records, BSEB and university certificates, and insurance policies with your gazette PDF. Birth certificate corrections are handled through the local Registrar route, not the gazette.
Can I change my name online in Bihar?+
The state gazette is applied for online on egazette.bihar.gov.in. For the Central Gazette, fee payment and the gazette download are online, while the affidavit, newspaper ads and file submission are offline, though you can run all of it remotely.
Where do I download my gazette once it is published?+
For the Central Gazette, from egazette.gov.in under Weekly Gazette, Part IV. For the state gazette, from egazette.bihar.gov.in. Keep several printouts.
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Bihar?+
No. A notary attests the affidavit. Help from a consultant mainly saves you from format mistakes and rejections.
Can I change my name without a gazette notification?+
For small local needs an affidavit may pass, but for passport, PAN, bank and job records most departments now ask for the gazette.
Which newspapers should I use in Bihar?+
One Hindi paper such as Hindustan, Dainik Jagran or Prabhat Khabar, and one English paper such as The Times of India or Hindustan Times.
I want to change my surname after marriage. What extra do I need?+
Add your marriage certificate to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. The rest is the same.
Do I need signatures from two gazetted officers on my affidavit?+
For an ordinary name change, no. That extra step mainly applies to government employees, who follow their department's deed rules.
What if there is a spelling mismatch in my documents?+
Mismatched spellings across the affidavit, newspaper ad and ID proof are the biggest cause of rejection. Every spelling must match exactly.
How do I update Aadhaar and PAN after the gazette?+
Use the gazette PDF as proof and apply through the normal Aadhaar and PAN update routes, or let us handle it for you.
Can NRIs from Bihar change their name?+
Yes, with valid Indian ID. Someone living abroad needs the deed attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission.
Will the department return my original documents?+
No. The Department of Publication does not return submitted documents. Keep your own extra copies.

People also search for: Name change agent in Patna, gazette office in Bihar, name change in birth certificate Bihar, surname change after marriage, name change affidavit format, passport name change process, Aadhaar name change online.

Official Sources & References for Name Change in Bihar

The fees, offices and timelines on this page are checked against official Government portals, not copied from other blogs.

Government fees and timelines can be revised from time to time. Always confirm the current figures on the official portals above before you apply.

The Short Version: Name Change in Bihar

Changing your name in Bihar comes down to three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Any Bihar resident can apply to the Central Gazette, which is the stronger proof and valid across India, while the online state portal (egazette.bihar.gov.in) suits local use. The Central Gazette fee is Rs 1,100 for adults, and the whole thing takes about 30 to 45 days. Whether you are in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur or Purnia, you can get your name changed from home, and we update your Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID and passport once it is done. Share your details, and our Delhi team does the standing in line for you.

Ready to change your name in Bihar?

Three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Any resident can use the Central Gazette, valid across India. Or let our Delhi team do the standing in line for you, wherever you are in Bihar.

📞 Call Now 💬 WhatsApp
💬 📞