Legal Change of Name in Alberta

There is no legal requirements to change a name after marriage for a couple being married in Alberta. When a spouse wishes to use their new married last name, they may use the new last name or combine their current last name and their new married name. In Alberta this change of name is not considered as a legal change of name. In certain cases a change or correction to a person’s last name does not need a legal change of name and may be changed through the amendment process. Restrictions and limitations when choosing a new name must include a first name and a last name, must use the English alphabet, cannot contain a number, non-letter character and/or profanity, may only contain the following punctuation marks, a period, hyphen, and an apostrophe. Can only contain limited types of accents, a name can also be refused by the Director of Vital Statistics. All legal changes that are finalized in Alberta they must be advertised in the Alberta Gazette, unless court order issued by the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. Once you legally change your name you are required to give up all Canadian birth and marriage certificates as part of the change of name application process. If you were born or married in Alberta, the Alberta certificates will be cancelled and replaced free of charge as part of the legal change of name process. To apply for a legal change of name you have to be an Alberta resident and remain a resident of Alberta through the whole process. If you are under the age of 18 and wish to change your name you must be legally married, living in an adult interdependent relationship, the parent of a child, or the guardian of a child. To obtain an application for a legal change of name you can go see a registry agent and the cost to legally change a name in addition to an Alberta government fee of $120 per application and an RCMP Civil Fingerprint Screen Services fee of $25 per person is a registry agent service fee. To submit a legal change of name application it must be requested and submitted through a registry agent.