Mobile SIM Ownership and Name Change in Jharkhand: Relatives, Legal Heirs and the 2026 Telecom Rules
In some homes in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Giridih and Deoghar, the mobile number a person has used for years is in a parent's or a late husband's name. Or the SIM carries a wrong spelling of the user's own name. The Telecommunications (User Identification) Rules, 2026, notified on 21 August 2026 as G.S.R. 750(E), as reported, changed how this works. As reproduced by PolicyIndex, Rule 6(3) allows a change of user only to "relatives or legal heirs of such user", with "submission of no objection certificate from the existing user and biometric based identification of both the existing user and the new user". We publish Gazette notices, and we say this first: correcting your own name on a SIM needs no Gazette notice.
Five points, in the order you will need them. First, decide whose name the SIM is in: yours with a slip, a relative's, or someone who has died. Second, to correct your own name, the 2026 rules call for biometric identification again; fix Aadhaar first, then visit the operator's store. Third, to take over a relative's SIM, you need their no objection certificate, and both of you are biometrically identified. Fourth, if the holder has died, a death certificate and the new user's biometrics are needed. Fifth, a friend's or an employer's SIM is not covered by the relative rule, as reported; ask the operator. We publish Gazette notices, and we say plainly that fixing your own name on a SIM needs none.
What the 2026 Telecom User Identification Rules Say About SIM Ownership
The rules were notified on 21 August 2026 and are "in force on publication", as reported by the Internet Freedom Foundation. We read the rule text through PolicyIndex, not the Gazette copy itself, so each quote below is marked that way.
| Rule | What it says, as reproduced |
|---|---|
| Rule 6(3), change of user | Only to "relatives or legal heirs of such user, or any other class of users as specified on the portal" |
| Rule 6(3), what is needed | "no objection certificate from the existing user and biometric based identification of both the existing user and the new user" |
| Rule 6(3), death | "submission of his death certificate and biometric based identification of the new user" |
| Rule 6(1)(b), your own name | A user who "seeks to change his name, gender or date of birth" is identified again biometrically |
| Rule 8(1)(a)(iii), no resale | A user must "not resell or transfer or lease" the connection, except under Rule 6 |
Which SIM Name Problem You Have
SIM name problems usually fall into a few kinds. This sorting is ours.
| Situation | What it is under the 2026 rules |
|---|---|
| SIM in your name, spelling wrong | A change of your own name, Rule 6(1)(b) |
| SIM in your maiden name, now married | A change of your own name, Rule 6(1)(b) |
| SIM in a parent's, spouse's or sibling's name | A change of user to a relative, Rule 6(3) |
| SIM in the name of someone who has died | A change of user to a legal heir, Rule 6(3) |
| SIM in a friend's, shopkeeper's or employer's name | Not a relative; covered only if a class is "specified on the portal" |
How to Change the Name or Owner of a Mobile SIM
Each case goes to the telecom operator. This table is our practical advice, built on the rules as reproduced. The operator decides the exact papers.
| Case | What we usually advise |
|---|---|
| Your own spelling slip | Correct Aadhaar first if it is wrong, then ask the operator for a name change with biometric identification |
| Married name | Update Aadhaar first. See married women. Then the operator |
| Relative's SIM to you | A written NOC from the relative; both of you go for biometric identification |
| Holder has died | The death certificate and your biometrics. See the next section |
| Non-relative's SIM | Ask the operator whether any class on the portal covers you. We print no workaround |
Transferring a Mobile Number After the SIM Holder Dies
When a husband, father or mother dies, the family may want to keep the number, because it may be linked to bank accounts and other services. Rule 6(3), as reproduced, allows this for a legal heir, with the death certificate and the new user's biometrics.
| Paper | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | Named in Rule 6(3), as reproduced. See death and legal heir certificate if its name is wrong |
| Your biometrics | The new user's identification, per the rule |
| Proof you are a relative or heir | Our advice; the operator decides what it accepts |
| Incapacitated holder | A medical certificate, as reported by the Internet Freedom Foundation |
Does a SIM Name Change Need a Gazette Notice?
No, for a slip. The rules, as reproduced, ask for biometric identification, and for a transfer an NOC or death certificate. A Gazette notice is for a genuine change of name, and then it goes to Aadhaar first.
| Situation | What usually applies |
|---|---|
| Your own spelling slip | Aadhaar, then operator. No Gazette |
| Relative's SIM to you | NOC and biometrics. No Gazette |
| Holder has died | Death certificate and biometrics. No Gazette |
| Genuine new name | A Central Gazette notice, then Aadhaar, then the operator |
How to Change SIM Ownership or Name, Step by Step
Check whose name the SIM is in
Ask the operator or check the app.
Decide your case
Slip, relative or death.
Fix Aadhaar first if wrong
It is your base.
Get the NOC for a relative's SIM
In writing, signed.
Get the death certificate if needed
Check its name.
Collect proof of relationship
Our advice.
Visit the operator's store
Both of you, for a transfer.
Give biometrics
Per the 2026 rules.
Keep the request number
Track it.
Check the SIM name after
Every letter.
Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and Where It Fits a Mobile SIM
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so a genuine file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar or anywhere else in the state to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the notice publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India. As reported in July 2025 the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect, so there is no state alternative to fall back on.
The Eight Steps of a Name File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final name first
Letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that everywhere, Aadhaar included. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
A genuine change of name is change of Name Adult or Major. A wrongly typed spelling is the public notice for a wrongly written name. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. A change of name is signed in the old name; a public notice is signed in your own name.
Fill the employment field if it is a change of name
The adult proforma asks for the post of the applicant and the office or company name. A student or a homemaker should still complete it rather than leaving it blank, because a blank field brings the file back.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying both names in full, the father or husband name and the residential address. The whole original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.
Pay only through BharatKosh
The Non Tax Receipt Portal and nowhere else since October 2018. Select the Department of Publication by name, read the amount the portal shows on the day, pay in your own name and print the e-receipt.
Check every date, then post it yourself
Nothing in the file older than one year. Personally or by post or courier only, never through an agent or advocate. Photocopy everything first, because nothing sent in comes back.
Read the notice, then update in the right order
Check every word the day it publishes and download the e-Gazette copy. Then update Aadhaar, then ask your operator to change the SIM name.
The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each
| The paper | What is checked in it, clause by clause |
|---|---|
| 1. The proforma, in duplicate | That it is the right category format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it; the new full name exactly as settled; the father or husband name; the full address with pin code; the post and office or company name where it is a change of name; the signature in the right name for the category; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | The same names and address as the proforma, word for word, with wording matching the category. On Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper name and date of publication visible; both names carried; the father or husband name and residential address; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self attested passport photographs; self attested identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses proofs; and, in a public notice file, the attested photocopy of the connected document carrying the error |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, with the name typed in place of the signature; the certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy are the same; the forwarding letter to the Controller of Publication with a telephone number and email; the e-receipt |
The posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the change of name wording on the proforma format page and the public notice wording on the public notice proforma page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, the reasons files come back on the rejection reasons page, and the download on the download page.
What a SIM Name or Ownership Change Costs
The rules, as reproduced, name no fee for a change of user or name. We print no operator charge, because we did not verify one. Ask the store. It is usually not a Gazette notice.
| Item | What we can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|
| Operator's change of user or name | No charge printed. Ask the store |
| Aadhaar correction | UIDAI's current charge. Check at the centre |
| NOC | A signed letter. Stamp paper only if the operator asks |
| Affidavit, if asked | Stamp paper, Rs 100 as our safe default, plus the notary's fee |
| Gazette notice | Only for a genuine new name. Paid on BharatKosh, revised each year and non-refundable |
| What we charge | Quoted on the call. For telling you which case you have, nothing |
Myths About SIM Ownership and Name Change
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| Any SIM can be moved to anyone | Only to relatives or legal heirs, or a portal class, as reproduced |
| The old user need not come | Both are biometrically identified, as reproduced |
| A verbal okay from the relative is enough | An NOC is named in the rule |
| A late holder's SIM cannot be kept | A legal heir can, with the death certificate |
| Fixing my own name is just a form | Rule 6(1)(b) calls for biometric identification |
| Selling a SIM is fine | Rule 8 says not to resell or lease |
| A SIM name slip needs a Gazette | No |
| Fix the SIM, then Aadhaar | Fix Aadhaar first |
| The old rules still apply | The 2026 rules are in force on publication, as reported |
| The Jharkhand Government Press can publish my notice | Personal notices were stopped in July 2025, as reported |
| An agent can transfer it without you | Biometrics need you there |
Key Terms in a SIM Ownership Change
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| SIM | Subscriber identity module, the card in your phone |
| User | The person the connection is registered to |
| Change of user | Moving the connection to another person |
| Relative | A family member, as the rule allows |
| Legal heir | A person entitled after the holder's death |
| NOC | No objection certificate from the existing user |
| Biometric identification | Checking a person by a live capture, as reported |
| G.S.R. 750(E) | The notification number of the 2026 rules, as reported |
| Operator | The telecom company that gives the connection |
| Portal class | Any other class of users the portal allows |
| Death certificate | The registrar's record of a death |
| One-and-the-same affidavit | A sworn statement that two names are one person |
SIM Name and Ownership Help Across Jharkhand
For a family whose number is in a relative's or a late member's name, the first question is which case it is. We read your Aadhaar, the relative's details and any death certificate, and tell you what the operator will need. For a SIM name slip, we will tell you that you need no Gazette notice, and we charge nothing for telling you. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send your Aadhaar and the SIM holder's details
Send your Aadhaar first, then the name the SIM is registered in, and the death certificate if the holder has died. Our first reply tells you which case you have and what the operator will need. For a SIM name slip, we will tell you that no Gazette notice is needed and charge you nothing. Details on the contact page.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️info@jharkhandnamechange.com
- 📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
- 🏛️Head office (Gazette filing desk): Metro Pillar No. 377, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. B-1, Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Khasra No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
SIM Ownership and Name Change: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my father's SIM to my name?
My husband has died. Can I keep his number?
Can a friend's SIM be moved to me?
My name is spelt wrong on my own SIM.
I got married. How do I change my SIM name?
When did these rules start?
Does the old user have to come to the store?
What if the holder is too ill to come?
Can I sell my number?
What does the operator charge?
Do I need a Gazette notice?
How much of this can you do for us?
Official Sources on SIM Ownership Rules
| Source | What it is used for on this page |
|---|---|
| Telecommunications (User Identification) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 750(E), as reproduced by PolicyIndex | The most important source on this page. Rule 6(3) change of user; Rule 6(1)(b) own name; Rule 8 no resale |
| Internet Freedom Foundation, on the 2026 rules | Notified 21 August 2026; in force on publication; medical certificate; 30 November 2026 integration deadline, as reported |
| What we could not verify | The Gazette copy itself; operator store steps; any charge; classes on the portal |
| Our other pages on the neighbouring questions | Aadhaar name change; death and legal heir certificate; married women |
SIM Ownership and Name Change in Nine Lines
The short version
- New telecom user identification rules came in August 2026, as reported.
- A SIM can pass only to a relative or legal heir, as reproduced.
- A transfer needs the existing user's NOC.
- Both people are biometrically identified.
- After a death, the heir gives the death certificate.
- Changing your own name also needs biometrics.
- Fix Aadhaar first.
- A SIM must not be resold or leased.
- A SIM name slip needs no Gazette notice.