Name Change Request Letter to Bank Manager: Format and What to Attach in Jharkhand
Most letter formats online are a polite paragraph and a signature. A good one does two more jobs: it quotes the rule the branch must follow, and it asks for a written acknowledgement. The Reserve Bank's own KYC FAQs say that if your identity document does not carry the new name, you can submit "an OVD containing the earlier name along with a copy of the Gazette notification, or marriage certificate issued by the State Government, as applicable, indicating the change in name." They say a customer whose documents have changed "shall submit the updated OVD/ other documents to the RE within 30 days of the update/ change/ modification", and that "the RE shall acknowledge the receipt of the KYC documents to the customer." Below are two letter formats built on those sentences, one for a Gazette notice and one for a marriage certificate, and the exact papers to attach.
Five points, in the order you will need them. First, address the letter to the Branch Manager of the branch where the account is, and give the account number, the old name and the new name exactly as they will appear. Second, say what proves the change. The Reserve Bank's KYC FAQs accept "an OVD containing the earlier name along with a copy of the Gazette notification, or marriage certificate issued by the State Government, as applicable, indicating the change in name." OVD means officially valid document: the passport, the driving licence, proof of possession of Aadhaar number, the Voter's Identity Card, the NREGA job card and the National Population Register letter. A PAN card is not one of them. Third, mention the 30 days. The FAQs say the customer "shall submit the updated OVD/ other documents to the RE within 30 days" of the change, so write the letter soon after the notice or the marriage certificate. Fourth, ask for an acknowledgement in the letter itself. The FAQs say "the RE shall acknowledge the receipt of the KYC documents to the customer." Fifth, keep a signed copy with the branch's stamp and date. If the branch later refuses, that copy is the written complaint the Reserve Bank's Ombudsman scheme needs first. Ask separately for a new specimen signature if you want to sign in the new name.
What a Name Change Request Letter to the Bank Must Say
A bank officer reading your letter has one question: is this the same customer, and is the new name proved? Everything in the letter should help answer that quickly. Anything else slows it down.
| Part of the letter | What to write, and why |
|---|---|
| To | The Branch Manager, bank name, branch name and branch address. The branch where the account is held |
| Subject | "Request for change of name in account number ______". The account number in the subject saves a search |
| Old name and new name | Exactly as the bank holds the old one, and exactly as the proof shows the new one, letter by letter |
| What proves the change | The Gazette notification with its date, or the marriage certificate issued by the State Government |
| The identity document | An officially valid document, even in the old name. Say which one you are attaching |
| The Reserve Bank's words | One sentence quoting the KYC FAQs. It prevents most refusals before they happen |
| A request for acknowledgement | The FAQs say the bank "shall acknowledge the receipt". Ask for it in writing |
| Signature | Sign as the bank knows you, in the specimen signature it holds, until it records a new one |
Name Change Request Letter to Bank Manager Format After a Gazette Notice
This is our own format, not a bank's form. If your bank gives you its own form, fill that and attach this letter to it. Replace everything in brackets, and remove any line that does not apply.
To,
The Branch Manager,
[Bank name], [Branch name] Branch,
[Branch address], Jharkhand [PIN]
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Subject: Request for change of name in account number [account number]
Respected Sir or Madam,
I hold [savings / current] account number [account number] at your branch in the name of [old name exactly as in the bank].
I have changed my name to [new name]. The change is published in the Gazette of India, Part IV, dated [date of the Gazette], a copy of which is attached.
I also attach my [passport / driving licence / Aadhaar / Voter's Identity Card], which is an officially valid document and carries my earlier name. The Reserve Bank's FAQs on the Master Direction on KYC say that in such a case "an OVD containing the earlier name along with a copy of the Gazette notification ... indicating the change in name" can be submitted.
I request you to change the name in my account, and in any fixed deposits, passbook and debit card linked to it, to [new name], and to give me a written acknowledgement of receipt of these documents.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature as recorded with the bank]
[Old name] (now [new name])
Account number: [account number]
Mobile: [number]
Address: [address]
Attached: 1. Copy of the Gazette of India notification dated [date]. 2. Self-attested copy of [officially valid document]. 3. Copy of the first page of the passbook.
Application to Bank for Name Change After Marriage: Letter Format
After marriage, the marriage certificate issued by the State Government usually does the job a Gazette notice would, because the Reserve Bank names both. So for a surname change after marriage, you may not need a Gazette notice at all for the bank. See name change after marriage.
To,
The Branch Manager,
[Bank name], [Branch name] Branch,
[Branch address], Jharkhand [PIN]
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Subject: Request for change of name after marriage in account number [account number]
Respected Sir or Madam,
I hold [savings / current] account number [account number] at your branch in my maiden name, [maiden name exactly as in the bank].
I was married on [date of marriage] and now use the name [married name]. I attach my marriage certificate issued by [issuing authority], Government of Jharkhand, which shows the change.
I also attach my [passport / driving licence / Aadhaar / Voter's Identity Card], which is an officially valid document and carries my earlier name. The Reserve Bank's FAQs on the Master Direction on KYC say that in such a case "an OVD containing the earlier name along with a copy of the ... marriage certificate issued by the State Government ... indicating the change in name" can be submitted.
I request you to change the name in my account, and in any fixed deposits, passbook and debit card linked to it, to [married name], and to give me a written acknowledgement of receipt of these documents.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature as recorded with the bank]
[Maiden name] (now [married name])
Account number: [account number]
Mobile: [number]
Address: [address]
Attached: 1. Copy of the marriage certificate. 2. Self-attested copy of [officially valid document]. 3. Copy of the first page of the passbook.
Documents to Attach With a Name Change Letter to the Bank
The letter asks. The attachments prove. The Reserve Bank's rule needs two things together: an officially valid document, which may still carry the old name, and the paper that shows the change.
| Attach | Why |
|---|---|
| One officially valid document | The passport, the driving licence, proof of possession of Aadhaar number, the Voter's Identity Card, the NREGA job card or the National Population Register letter |
| The Gazette notification, or the State Government marriage certificate | The paper "indicating the change in name", in the Reserve Bank's words |
| A copy of the passbook's first page | Shows the account and the old name the bank holds |
| Your new PAN card, if already updated | Useful for the bank's tax records. But not as the identity document |
| A PAN card as your only identity proof | Not enough. A PAN card is not on the Reserve Bank's list of officially valid documents |
The Reserve Bank's 30 Days and the Acknowledgement Your Bank Must Give
Two sentences in the Reserve Bank's KYC FAQs matter for every name change. The first sets a time for you: a customer "shall submit the updated OVD/ other documents to the RE within 30 days of the update/ change/ modification in the documents for the purpose of updating the records at RE's end." RE, regulated entity, here means your bank.
The second sets a duty for the bank: "the RE shall acknowledge the receipt of the KYC documents to the customer." So ask for the acknowledgement in the letter, and do not leave the branch without it.
| The point | What it means for your letter |
|---|---|
| Within 30 days of the change | Write soon after the Gazette notice or marriage certificate, and after updating Aadhaar or the identity document you will attach |
| The bank shall acknowledge receipt | Ask for it in the letter. A stamped, dated copy of your letter serves the purpose |
| If the branch refuses | Your stamped copy is the written complaint the Ombudsman scheme needs first |
| If there is no reply | After 30 days with no reply, the Ombudsman route opens. See bank not accepting the Gazette |
How to Submit a Name Change Request Letter to Your Bank, Step by Step
Get the proof of the change first
The Gazette notification, or the marriage certificate issued by the State Government.
Pick one officially valid document
Passport, driving licence, Aadhaar, Voter's Identity Card, NREGA job card or NPR letter. Not a PAN card.
Copy the right letter format
The Gazette format or the marriage format.
Fill the old name exactly as the bank holds it
Check the passbook, letter by letter.
Fill the new name exactly as the proof shows it
The same spelling you will use everywhere from now on.
Sign as the bank knows you
In the specimen signature it holds. A new signature is a separate form.
Make two copies of everything
One set for the bank, one for you.
Hand it in at the branch within 30 days of the change
Show the originals, hand over self-attested copies.
Get your copy stamped and dated
The bank "shall acknowledge the receipt", in the Reserve Bank's words.
Check the passbook after the update
If refused or unanswered after 30 days, your stamped copy starts the complaint route.
Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and Where Your Bank Letter Fits
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, download the e-Gazette copy, and then update the Aadhaar first, because the system leverages it for unique identification, and let the PAN, the bank account and any investment records follow after it in that order. Take the notice to the bank with a listed identity document and the letter on this page, and keep a stamped copy.
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 Bank Name Change Costs in Jharkhand
Writing the letter costs nothing. What costs money is getting the proof, and paying for proof you did not need. Here is what we can and cannot tell you.
| Item | What we can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|
| The request letter | Nothing. Use the formats on this page |
| The bank's own charge, if any | Set by each bank. We print no figure; ask at the branch |
| A new passbook, cheque book or debit card | Set by each bank. We print no figure |
| A State Government marriage certificate | From the marriage registration office. May make a Gazette notice unnecessary for the bank |
| A Central Gazette notice, if you need one | Paid only through BharatKosh, revised each financial year, never refunded |
| An affidavit | Not named in the Reserve Bank's rule, which names the Gazette notification or the State Government marriage certificate |
| What we charge | Quoted on the call. If the letter on this page is all you need, we will say so and charge nothing |
Myths About Name Change Letters to Banks
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| A polite letter is enough on its own | The attachments decide it: an officially valid document plus the proof of change |
| I need a new Aadhaar or passport in the new name first | No. An OVD "containing the earlier name" plus the proof is accepted |
| My PAN card and the Gazette are enough | A PAN card is not an officially valid document on the Reserve Bank's list |
| After marriage I must get a Gazette notice | A State Government marriage certificate is named in the same sentence |
| An affidavit does the same job | The rule names the Gazette or the marriage certificate, not an affidavit |
| There is no time limit | The FAQs say within 30 days of the change |
| The bank does not have to give me anything in writing | "the RE shall acknowledge the receipt" |
| I should sign in my new name | Sign as the bank knows you until it records a new specimen |
| One letter can change the name and signature | Better as two requests. The signature is usually the bank's own form |
| A spoken refusal can go to the Ombudsman | A written complaint to the bank must come first |
| Every bank uses the same form | Each bank has its own. Our format goes with it, not instead of it |
Key Terms in a Bank Name Change Request
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Branch Manager | The officer the letter is addressed to, at the branch where the account is held |
| OVD | Officially valid document, the identity documents on the Reserve Bank's list |
| RE | Regulated entity, your bank, in the Reserve Bank's words |
| KYC | Know your customer, the bank's identity records |
| Gazette notification | The published notice of your change of name in the Gazette of India |
| State Government marriage certificate | The registered marriage certificate the Reserve Bank's words name |
| Self-attested copy | A photocopy you sign yourself to confirm it is a true copy |
| Acknowledgement | The bank's written receipt of your documents, which the FAQs say it shall give |
| Specimen signature | The signature the bank holds on record, changed by a separate request |
| Written complaint | What the Ombudsman scheme needs first if the bank refuses |
| Integrated Ombudsman Scheme | The Reserve Bank's complaint route for customers of banks |
| BharatKosh | The only portal for paying a Gazette charge |
Bank Name Change Letter Help Across Jharkhand
Most bank name changes we see go through at the first visit when the letter quotes the rule and the right papers are attached. We check your identity document, your Gazette notice or marriage certificate and your passbook, and fill the letter on this page for you, for State Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank or any other bank. If your State Government marriage certificate already does the job, we will tell you that you need no Gazette notice. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send your proof, your ID and your passbook
Send your Gazette notice or marriage certificate first, then the identity document you plan to attach, and the first page of your passbook. Tell us the bank and branch in one line. Our first reply tells you whether your papers meet the Reserve Bank's rule, and we fill the letter for you to sign. If the letter on this page is all you need, we will tell you that 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
Name Change Request Letter to Bank: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I write a name change request letter to a bank manager?
What documents should I attach to the letter?
Which documents count as officially valid documents?
Can I use my PAN card with the Gazette notice?
Do I need a Gazette notice to change my name in the bank after marriage?
Is there a time limit to inform the bank?
Will the bank give me anything in writing?
Should I sign the letter in my new name?
Can I give the letter at any branch?
What if the bank refuses my letter?
Should I write the letter in Hindi or English?
How much of this can you do for us?
Official Sources on Bank Name Change and KYC
| Source | What it is used for on this page |
|---|---|
| Reserve Bank of India, FAQs on the Master Direction on KYC, 9 June 2025 | The most important source on this page. Question 9 on the earlier-name OVD with the Gazette or marriage certificate; question 32 on the 30 days and the acknowledgement |
| Reserve Bank of India, Master Direction on Know Your Customer | The list of officially valid documents, which does not include the PAN card |
| The Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021 | The written complaint to the bank first, and the thirty days |
| What is ours, not the Reserve Bank's | Both letter formats, and the advice to keep a stamped copy and to keep the signature request separate |
| Our other pages on the neighbouring questions | The refusal and complaint route on bank not accepting the Gazette; the bank update on bank records; the signature on signature change |
Name Change Letter to Bank in Nine Lines
The short version
- Address it to the Branch Manager of your own branch.
- Put the account number in the subject.
- Give the old and new names exactly, letter by letter.
- Attach an officially valid document, even in the old name.
- Attach the Gazette notice or State Government marriage certificate.
- A PAN card is not an officially valid document.
- Submit within 30 days of the change.
- Ask for, and keep, a stamped and dated acknowledgement.
- Keep the signature change as a separate request.