A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Himachal Pradesh. Affidavit, newspaper notice, the HP Rajpatra and Central Gazette routes, real fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Shimla, Dharamshala, Mandi, Solan or a hill town in Kinnaur.
A Hindi walkthrough of the affidavit, newspaper and gazette steps for a Himachal name change.
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains how to make a gazette notification for a name change in Himachal Pradesh: 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 Himachal Pradesh 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 Shimla, Dharamshala, Mandi, Solan or a hill town in Kinnaur.
To change your name in Himachal Pradesh, 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 HP 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.
Here is a point many people miss. The Central Gazette, the Gazette of India, is not limited to any one state. Every HP 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 Himachal record, this is the route to choose from the start.
Himachal Pradesh runs its own online State Gazette, the HP Rajpatra, so it helps to see both side by side.
| Point | HP State Gazette (Rajpatra) | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Controller of Printing & Stationery, Himachal Pradesh | Department of Publication, Government of India, Delhi |
| Who can apply | HP residents | Any HP resident, no restriction |
| How you apply | Published online through rajpatrahimachal.nic.in | File sent to Civil Lines, Delhi, by post, courier or in person |
| Government fee | Set by the state schedule | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh) |
| Valid for | State-level records only | All over India and abroad, including passport, PAN, Aadhaar, banks, PSU jobs |
| Strength | State-level proof | The stronger, more widely accepted proof |
The HP State Gazette is published online through rajpatrahimachal.nic.in, managed by the Controller of Printing and Stationery Department, Himachal Pradesh (email ps-hp@nic.in, phone 0177-2830373). The HP Gazette is published online only. The Central Gazette file goes to the Department of Publication, Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, and is downloaded from egazette.gov.in.
Yes, and for a hill state this matters more than most places. 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. If you live in a remote district like Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti or Chamba, travelling down the hills makes no sense. You do not need to go. Our own office is in Delhi. You share your details from your home in Himachal, 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.
Every legal name change through the Central Gazette follows the same three steps, in this order.
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.
Announce the change in two papers, one Hindi and one English. This is a public notice, so anyone can object if something is wrong.
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.
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 around Rs 20 to Rs 100 in Himachal.
You announce the name change in two newspapers, one Hindi and one English. For Hindi you can use Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar or Divya Himachal. For English you can use The Tribune or The Times of India. 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.
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.
Keep these ready. Missing or mismatched papers are the top reason files get held up.
| Document | Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarised name change affidavit (original) | Yes | Base document for the file |
| Old name ID proof | Yes | Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or passport |
| Address proof (Himachal Pradesh) | Yes | Shows your Himachal address |
| Two passport-size photos | Yes | Self-attested |
| Full copies of both newspaper ads | Yes | Complete original pages |
| Typed proforma with two witnesses | Yes | Signed by you and witnesses |
| Soft copy on CD (MS Word) | Yes | Without the witness column |
| BharatKosh fee receipt | Yes | Proof of the government fee |
| Marriage certificate | If applicable | For a surname change after marriage |
| Divorce papers | If applicable | For restoring your maiden name |
| Birth certificate | If applicable | For a minor's name change |
| Deed as per rules | If applicable | For government employees |
If you are from Himachal but living abroad, your deed must be attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission of that country.
Two costs sit inside a name change: the government publication fee, and the side costs like stamp paper, notary and newspaper ads that vary.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Central Gazette fee (adult) | Rs 1,100 (BharatKosh) |
| Central Gazette fee (minor) | Rs 1,700 (BharatKosh) |
| Central Gazette fee (living abroad) | Higher, check current amount on BharatKosh |
| HP State Gazette fee | Set by the state schedule |
| Stamp paper and notary | About Rs 100 to Rs 300 |
| Newspaper ads (two papers) | Varies by paper and city |
Publishing the notice is a real step, not a formality. Use one Hindi paper and one English paper that circulate in your area. Across Himachal, Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar and Divya Himachal have strong reach, and The Tribune is a common English choice.
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.
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 Himachal residents.
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 gazette and newspaper ads.
Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.
Records for the HP board (HPBOSE), CBSE and universities.
Correction through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
Name change on policies and insurance records.
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.
We handle name change work for people all across Himachal Pradesh, from the main towns to remote hill districts. Wherever you are in the state, the process runs the same way, and you never have to travel to Delhi.
Do not see your town? We still cover it. Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.
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.
| Document | How to update |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar | Update at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with the gazette as proof |
| PAN | Apply for name correction through NSDL or UTIITSL |
| Passport | Apply for re-issue with the gazette and newspaper ads |
| Driving licence | Visit the RTO with the gazette copy |
| Bank accounts | Visit your branch with the gazette, affidavit and ID |
| Voter ID | Submit Form 8 for correction |
| HPBOSE & university records | Contact your board or university with the gazette |
| Employer records | Inform 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.
Add your marriage certificate to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. The three steps stay the same.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Himachal's online Rajpatra is handy, 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.
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.
A Central Gazette notification is treated as final proof by UIDAI, the passport office, banks and universities, so you rarely face follow-up questions.
The gazette is digital. If you lose your copy, you download it again free, with no office visit.
The whole process runs on paperwork, so a resident of Chamba or Kinnaur completes it without travelling to Delhi.
Between the affidavit, the newspaper wait and gazette processing, plan for 30 to 45 days for the Central Gazette. It is not instant.
A wrong fee category or a spelling gap can mean a rejection, a fresh payment and a restart. Careful checking up front matters.
Fee payment and download are online, but the Central Gazette file still has to reach the Delhi office by post, courier or in person.
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Different spellings across affidavit, ad and ID | Top cause of rejection |
| Picking the State Gazette when the name is needed for a passport or abroad | You may have to redo it through the Central Gazette |
| Wrong stamp paper value | Can make the affidavit invalid |
| Signing the form with the new name instead of the old name | File gets held up |
| Not keeping the full original newspaper pages | You cannot prove the publication |
| Using an affidavit more than six months old | Often not accepted |
| Missing father's or husband's name in the notice | Notice may be treated as incomplete |
| Wrong fee category or amount on the payment portal | Payment rejected or mismatched |
We are based in Delhi, beside the Central Gazette office, so your file is handed in personally and not left to the post.
We handle both newspaper advertisements for you, in the right format.
Everything runs on call, WhatsApp and a short form. No long trip down winding mountain roads.
The gazette plus updating Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, passport and the rest, with clear pricing and no hidden charges.
Can Himachal Pradesh residents apply to the Central Gazette? Yes. There is no state restriction. Any HP resident can apply to the Central Gazette, and it is the stronger, pan-India valid option.
Does Himachal Pradesh have its own online gazette portal? Yes, the HP Rajpatra at rajpatrahimachal.nic.in, run by the Controller of Printing and Stationery. It is published online only. 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 Himachal, including remote hill districts.
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.
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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.
Changing your name in Himachal Pradesh comes down to three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Any HP resident can apply to the Central Gazette, which is the stronger proof and valid across India, while the online HP Rajpatra 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 Shimla, Mandi, Dharamshala or a village high in Kinnaur, 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.
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 Himachal.
