Blog DVLA guide 2026
Changing your name on your driving licence.
Heaven forbid the DVLA let you do this online. It's a form, your licence and your proof, in the post. Here's exactly what to send, how to send it safely, and your log book too.
By Anna Akinyosoye, founder of My Name Changed. I've changed my name four times, and putting DVLA packs together for my customers is my day job.
Updated October 2026 and checked against GOV.UK. Wherever a rule matters, I link to the official page.
The short version
- You can't do it online. It's by post only, on a D1 form. You pick one up at the Post Office.
- Send the D1, your licence and your original proof to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN. No photocopies, and no laminated certificates.
- It's free to change your name, or your name and address together. It's £17 if you want a new photo, and £20 if you've lost your licence (October 2026).
- Keep driving. You can still drive while you wait for your new licence.
- Do your log book (V5C) too if you've got a vehicle in your name. It goes in a separate envelope.
New here? I'm Anna, and I run My Name Changed. This guide works whether you do it yourself or not. If you'd rather not, you fill in one short form and I put your whole DVLA pack together: the forms filled in, envelopes addressed and stamped, and instructions telling you what goes where. Then I tell HMRC, your council, GP and more. £45, one-off.
What proof do you need?
The DVLA wants one original document that shows your new name. Which one depends on why you're changing it. Certificates have to be signed and dated, and not laminated, or they get sent back.
-
Married or in a civil partnership
Your certificate, if you've taken your partner's surname or double-barrelled. Anything else, like a blended name, needs a deed poll.
Certificate -
Passport already in your new name?
If you married or divorced, just write your passport number on the D1 instead of sending your certificate.
Passport number -
Divorced
Going back to an old name? Your divorce papers (decree nisi or absolute, or conditional or final order), plus your birth certificate. Going to a brand new name? That's a deed poll. Like any deed poll, it needs one bill or letter in your new name with it.
Papers or deed poll -
Any other reason
A deed poll (or a statutory declaration), plus one document in your new name, like a recent bill.
Deed poll
Using a deed poll? Read this bit. The DVLA also wants one document showing you already use your new name, like a utility bill, bank statement or letter from your employer. A bill or letter has to be from the last 12 months, and anything you send has to be dated after your deed poll and after your current licence. I did my licence first, with a deed poll, before I'd changed my name anywhere else. The DVLA sent it back asking for more proof. So update something easy first, like your energy supplier, and you've got a bill to send. Or if you've already updated your passport, write your passport number instead.
Changing your first or middle name? That's always a deed poll, whatever the reason. You can make your own for free. Free deed poll template →
Not sure which proof is you? Tick a few boxes and it'll tell you. What proof do I need? →
Fill in the D1 form
The D1 is the green "Application for a driving licence" form. It's the same one for full and provisional licences, and covers cars and motorbikes.
Drive a lorry, bus or minibus? If your licence has HGV or bus entitlements, you use the D2 form instead, and it goes to a different address: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BR. Everything else on this page works the same way.
- Get the form. Pick one up at the Post Office. You can't download or order it online any more.
- Write your new name in full. Exactly as it is on your proof.
- Moved since your licence was issued? Put your current address on the D1, or your new licence goes to your old house. There's a box for your previous details too: put your old name and old address there, so the DVLA can match you up.
- Want a new photo? Add a printed passport-type photo and £17 (free if you're over 70). Still got an old paper licence? You'll get a photocard back, so you have to send a photo either way.
- Changing your title? Same form, and you don't need any evidence unless it's a hereditary title.
- Post it with your licence and original proof to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN (or SA99 1BR for a D2).
Send your originals safely
The DVLA wants originals, and things do go missing. A customer told me the DVLA asked for her passport, sent it back, and it never turned up. Loads of people on TikTok have said the same about their marriage certificate.
- Going there Send it Special Delivery. If anything in there is expensive or impossible to replace, pay for Special Delivery at the Post Office. It's tracked, so you know it arrived.
- Coming back Add a return envelope. The DVLA sends your documents back second class unless you give them a better option. Pop in a Special Delivery or Signed For envelope, addressed to you and paid for, and they'll send them back in that. They come back separately from your licence, and the DVLA's own guidance says to call them if your documents aren't back two weeks after your licence arrives.
- What I'd do Send a deed poll instead. Me personally? I'd send a deed poll and a utility bill in my new name, just in case. If they get lost, you print another deed poll. No reordering certificates.
If you change your name with me using your marriage certificate and pick the DVLA, I give you a free deed poll too. So you've got backup proof while your certificate's away, and if it ever goes missing.
Lost your licence?
You can still change your name. You just say what happened on the D1 and pay £20 for the replacement (October 2026).
- Pay by cheque or postal order, made out to DVLA. They don't take cards for this. Damaged or altered cheques get rejected.
- No cheque book? Honestly, who has one these days. Get a postal order from the Post Office instead.
- Postal orders are cash only, and there's a fee on top. A £20 one costs you £22.50, and a £17 one (for a new photo) is about £2 extra too (Post Office, October 2026).
Licence expired?
Photocard licences have to be renewed every 10 years, even if nothing else has changed. If yours has run out, or is about to, you can renew it and change your name in one go.
- You can't renew online if your name's changed. And you can't do it at the Post Office counter either. It has to go by post.
- Use the same D1. Send it with your licence, your original proof and a recent printed passport-type photo.
- It's a different address. Renewals go to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DH, not the usual name change one.
- It's £17 by cheque or postal order, made out to DVLA. Free if you're over 70, and there's a separate GOV.UK service for renewing at 70 (October 2026).
- Allow 3 weeks. GOV.UK says it should arrive within that, and you can keep driving while you wait.
Your log book (V5C)
If there's a vehicle in your name, the log book needs your new name too. The DVLA says you must, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't.
- It's usually free. Write your new name in full, no initials, in the section the log book tells you, and post the whole thing to the address printed on it.
- Separate envelope. It goes to a different DVLA address from your licence.
- Add a short letter saying why your name's changed. You don't need proof for marriage or divorce. For anything else, send your deed poll.
- Address out of date? Put your new address on it at the same time, but then you do need proof of your name change, even if you got married. Send your certificate or deed poll with it.
- Tax due in the next 4 weeks? Tax it online before you post the log book.
- Allow up to 6 weeks. Not arrived after 4? Contact the DVLA, or you could end up paying £25 for a replacement.
- Lost it? You need a V62 form, a letter explaining why and £25 instead (October 2026). That goes to a different address again: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DD.
top tip from my ADHD brain
When your new V5C arrives, take a photo of it. Half the time you only need the details on it, like the reference number to tax your car, and you'd be amazed how many people I know have lost theirs.
Or I make your DVLA pack
This is the bit people put off for months. It's also the bit my customers love most.
People tell me the DVLA pack alone is worth the £45, and everything else I do is a bonus. I get the right forms and fill them in, so you're not reading pages of guidance working out which box means what. Your deed polls are in there, the envelopes are addressed and stamped, and the instructions tell you exactly what goes where. Lost your licence or V5C? The form asks, and I add what you need and tell you how to pay. You follow the instructions and post it.
Start my name changeWhat it costs
Mostly nothing. Prices are from October 2026 and can change, so check GOV.UK before you pay.
| Name change on your licence | Free |
|---|---|
| New photo at the same time | £17 |
| Lost licence | £20 |
| Expired licence (renewing by post) | £17, free if you're over 70 |
| Postal order fee | 12.5% on top, so £2.50 on a £20 one |
| Log book (V5C) | Usually free |
| Lost log book (V62) | £25 |
| Deed poll | Free if you make your own |
Licence from Northern Ireland?
- It's the DVA, not the DVLA. You fill in a DL1 form and post it with your proof. It can't be done online there either.
- Your V5C goes through the DVLA, following the GOV.UK steps above.
- Allow at least 6 weeks. That's what NI Direct says for the DVA.
- Heads up: my DVLA pack only covers DVLA licences for now, not ones issued in Northern Ireland. NI Direct's guide →
Or let me do the boring bits.
Your licence is one of about nine places I update for you. You fill in one short form. I prepare your DVLA pack and send your new name to HMRC, your council, GP, energy, water, electoral roll, TV Licensing and State Pension. Your deed poll's included if you need one. £45, one-off, whether you pick one or all of them.
And it's literally just me. Not a big corporation, not a call centre. If you've got a question, you're talking to the person actually doing it.
Anna x
Questions about changing the name on your driving licence
Anything else? Email hello@mynamechanged.com or DM me on Instagram or TikTok. More answers on the FAQs page.
Can I change my name on my driving licence online?
No. Changing your name with the DVLA is by post only. You fill in a D1 form and send it with your licence and original proof to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN.
How much does it cost to change the name on my driving licence?
It's free. It's £17 if you want a new photo at the same time, and £20 if you've lost your licence (October 2026). Both are paid by cheque or postal order.
What form do I need to change my name with the DVLA?
The D1 form for a car or motorbike licence, full or provisional. If you drive a lorry, bus or minibus, it's the D2, sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BR. You pick up a D1 at the Post Office. You can't download or order it online.
What documents do I send to change my name on my licence?
Your licence, plus one original document showing your new name: your marriage or civil partnership certificate, your divorce papers with your birth certificate, or a deed poll. With a deed poll, also send one document in your new name, like a utility bill from the last 12 months or your UK passport number if it's already updated. No photocopies.
How do I change my name on my driving licence after marriage?
Send a D1 form, your licence and your original marriage certificate to the DVLA. If your passport's already in your married name, you can write your 9-digit GB passport number on the form instead of sending the certificate. Changing your name after marriage →
How do I change my name on my driving licence after divorce?
Send your divorce papers (a decree nisi or absolute, or a conditional or final order) with your birth or adoption certificate, or UK naturalisation certificate. Going to a brand new name instead? Use a deed poll, plus one document in your new name like a utility bill. Either way, you don't need to wait for your divorce to finish. Changing your name after divorce →
How long does it take to change the name on my licence?
GOV.UK doesn't give a time for name changes, but postal licence applications usually take about 3 weeks, longer if they need to check anything. You can keep driving while you wait. A new V5C log book can take up to 6 weeks.
Can I drive while the DVLA has my licence?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can keep driving while you wait for your new licence.
My driving licence has expired. Can I still change my name?
Yes, and you can do both at once. You can't renew online if your name has changed, so send a D1 by post with your licence, your original proof, a passport-type photo and £17 (free if you're over 70). GOV.UK says it should arrive within 3 weeks.
Should I change my passport or driving licence first?
There's no right order. With a marriage certificate, do whichever you like. With a deed poll, update something easy like your energy supplier first, so you've got a bill in your new name to send the DVLA.
Can someone change my name with the DVLA for me?
Yes, that's what I do. You fill in one form and I put your DVLA pack together: forms filled in, envelopes addressed and stamped, and instructions telling you what goes where. You just post it. It's £45, and I update HMRC, your council, GP and more too.