Legal Change of Surname?
There is an option for parties of a marriage to legally change their surname, which would in effect, amend their original birth registration, replacing their last name on that record with their new last name while retaining the last name at birth in brackets. The spouse elects this option under the Change of Name Act, completes the appropriate forms and submits these to the Office of the Registrar General. If the person is born in Ontario, the birth registration is notated, and a birth certificate in the new name is issued, as well as a change of name certificate. If this is done within 90 days of the marriage, there is no charge. These forms can be obtained by contacting the ORG at 1-800-461-2156 or 416-965-1687. If the spouse wishes to return to the use of his/her former name, they must apply once more for a change of name.
