Surname Change in the Gazette for Jharkhand Residents
A surname does not have one gazette route, it has two. The Department of Publication's published guidelines carry a category for adopting a maiden surname and a separate one for adopting a different surname, and each has its own form and its own requirements. Two things on this page are not on any competitor site. The different surname guidelines ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, which is a step above the notary most people expect. And the maiden surname route carries a requirement that was publicly criticised and challenged in the Delhi High Court in 2024, reported as asking a married woman for a divorce decree or a no objection certificate from her husband. If you are planning to go back to your maiden surname, read that section before you spend anything.
If your surname change needs a gazette notice at all, the first job is picking which of the Department of Publication's categories it belongs to, because a surname has two of its own. The published guidelines list carries Guidelines for Adopting Maiden Surname and Guidelines for Adopting different Surname as separate documents, alongside change of name for an adult and for a minor. The different surname guidelines carry a requirement most people are not expecting: an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, rather than the notary that is enough for ordinary work. For a woman going back to her maiden surname there is a further thing to check before spending anything. An undated notification of the Department was reported in March 2024 as requiring a married woman to furnish either a divorce decree or a no objection certificate from her husband, with his identity proof and mobile number attached, and as saying that where divorce proceedings are ongoing the change cannot be processed until the final verdict. It drew public criticism and was challenged in the Delhi High Court, which issued notice and asked the central government to respond, with a hearing listed for May 2024. We do not know the position after that hearing, so this page tells you what was reported and asks you to confirm the current requirement with the Department before you prepare a file. Before any of this, check whether you need a gazette at all: a change following marriage, remarriage or divorce is treated as needing no further proof, and the file only becomes necessary in the narrower cases.
The Two Surname Categories in the Gazette Guidelines
Open the Department's published guidelines list and you will find twelve categories. Two of them are about surnames specifically, and neither is the one most people assume they need.
| Category | When it applies | What is distinctive about it |
|---|---|---|
| Adopting Maiden Surname | A married woman going back to the surname she carried before marriage | Reported as requiring a divorce decree or a no objection certificate from the husband. Read the next section before spending |
| Adopting different Surname | Taking a surname that is neither the one on your records nor a maiden surname you are returning to | The guidelines ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, not merely notarised |
| Change of Name, Adult or Major | The whole name is changing, or a surname is being added where none existed, since a surname addition is counted as a name change | The proforma asks for your employment, the post and the office or company's name, which the surname categories do not |
| Change of Name, Minor | The same for a child, published by the parent or guardian | Signed by the guardian, not the child |
| Notification of Public Notice | The surname on a record was written wrongly and nothing about your name actually changed | The wording is that a name has been wrongly written, and the certificate carrying the error goes into the file |
Going Back to a Maiden Surname in the Gazette
This is the section we would want a member of our own family to read first, and it is the reason this page exists.
We are telling you this as it was reported, with its dates, and not as the rule today. We have not seen the notification itself, and we do not know what the court did after that hearing or whether the Department has changed its position since. What we do know is that a woman in Ranchi or Dhanbad planning to revert her surname should find out the current requirement before she pays a newspaper or a notary, because the answer decides whether the route is open to her at all.
What to Do About It, Practically
Ask the Department in writing
Before preparing anything, ask what the current requirement is for adopting a maiden surname. Keep the reply. A written answer is worth more than any website, this one included.
Check whether you need the gazette at all
If you are divorced, the decree does the work at most offices and a notice may be unnecessary. If you are widowed, the position is different again. Find out what the office actually refusing you wants.
Try the affidavit and the office route first
A one and the same person affidavit, or a direct application at the office holding the record, costs a few hundred rupees against well over a thousand and is ready the same day.
If a lawyer is the right answer, we will say so
Where a marriage is ending, or where a requirement of this kind stands between you and your own name, that is a matter for a family lawyer rather than a documentation desk, and we would rather tell you that than take a file we cannot finish.
Adopting a Different Surname, and Why a Notary May Not Be Enough
This is the category for taking a surname that is neither the one on your records nor a maiden surname you are returning to. A person in Jharkhand adopting a family surname that the household uses but no record carries, or moving to a different surname for their own reasons, is normally here.
What That Means in Practice in Jharkhand
Where you go
To the court complex of your own district rather than a notary's desk. A Judicial Magistrate First Class sits at the district and sub-divisional courts, so this is a visit to be planned rather than squeezed in.
What to carry
The typed affidavit, your identity and address proof, and the documents carrying the existing surname. Have the wording settled before you go, because a magistrate's time is not the place to be drafting.
Why it matters to the file
An affidavit that only carries a notary's stamp, where the category asks for a magistrate, is a file that can come back with the Government charge already spent and not refundable.
The affidavit wording itself, and the three different situations it can cover, are on the surname change affidavit page. Where you are adding a surname where no record ever carried one, that is counted as a name change rather than a surname adoption, and the route is on the adding a surname page.
The Order to Publish a Surname Change in the Gazette
Ask whether you need a gazette at all
Marriage, remarriage and divorce are treated as needing no further proof. Find out in writing what the office refusing you actually wants before you spend.
Pick the category
Maiden surname, different surname, change of name, or a public notice where a surname was written wrongly. Each has its own guidelines and its own proforma.
Read that category's guidelines, only
Download the one document and follow it. The maiden surname requirement and the magistrate attestation are both category specific, and mixing instructions is how files come back.
Settle the final surname
Letter by letter, and then use that spelling in the affidavit, the newspaper and the proforma alike.
Get the affidavit attested correctly
Notary for the ordinary categories, and a First Class Magistrate where the different surname guidelines apply. Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper is the safe default.
Publish and keep the whole paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers for the gazette file, carrying the old surname, the new one, the father's or husband's name and the address.
Pay on BharatKosh, then post it yourself
Select the Department of Publication by name, print the e-receipt, check that nothing in the file is older than one year, and post it in your own name.
Read the notice, then move the records
Check both surnames letter by letter the day it publishes, download the e-Gazette copy, then Aadhaar, PAN, bank and the rest, with the passport last.
Central Gazette Surname Change Process From Jharkhand, Step by Step
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so the file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh 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.
The Eight Steps of a Central Gazette File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final surname first
Letter by letter, and then use that spelling in every paper in the file. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
Maiden surname, different surname, change of name for an adult or a minor, or a public notice where the surname was written wrongly. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals, signed in the existing name for a change, with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies.
Get the affidavit attested at the right level
A notary for the ordinary categories, and a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area where the different surname guidelines apply. This is the step that catches people out.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying the old surname, the new one, the father's or husband's name and the address. The whole original paper goes in the file.
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, 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 download it
Check both surnames letter by letter the day it publishes, note the page and issue number, and download the e-Gazette copy of that Part IV issue.
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's format; the existing surname exactly as your documents carry it; the new surname; the father's or husband's name; the full address with pin code; the signature in the right name; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | Signed by the applicant; the same names and address as the proforma, word for word; attested at the level the category asks for, which is a First Class Magistrate for the different surname route; on Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper's name and date of publication visible; both surnames carried; the same spelling as the proforma; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self-attested passport photographs; identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses' proofs; and whatever the category itself demands, such as a decree or a no objection certificate where the maiden surname requirement applies |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, name typed in place of the signature; the certificate that hard and soft copies 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 wording on the proforma format page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, and the download on the download page.
What a Gazette Surname Change Costs in Jharkhand
| Item | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Where no gazette is needed at all | The certificate or decree you already have, plus the office fees. Nothing to the Department | A few weeks across the offices |
| Government printing charge | The Department's guidelines print Rs 1,100 for a change of name of an adult or major for the financial year 2016 to 2017, adding that it varies each financial year and from case to case, and Rs 3,500 for an Indian living abroad. A public notice is printed at Rs 1,400 for the same year | Part IV publishes weekly, so allow several weeks from posting |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper plus the attestation. A magistrate attestation for the different surname route costs time more than money | Notary the same day; a magistrate needs a planned court visit |
| Newspaper | Paid to the paper, charged by length | Same week |
| Post or courier to Delhi | Sent in your own name from any district, and keep the receipt | A few days each way |
| Updating the records afterwards | Aadhaar charges a fee per attempt with no refund, and the other offices have their own small charges | Several weeks across all of them |
| Our charge | Quoted on your papers before you pay anything, and confirmed in writing. We print no service price on any page of this site | |
Myths About Changing a Surname in the Gazette
"A surname change has one gazette route"
It has two of its own. Adopting a maiden surname and adopting a different surname are separate categories with separate guidelines, and neither is the ordinary change of name form.
"A notary is enough for any affidavit"
The different surname guidelines ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area. A notarised affidavit where the category wants a magistrate can send the file back.
"A woman can revert her surname with just an affidavit"
Check first. A requirement reported in March 2024 asked for a divorce decree or a husband's no objection certificate, and it was challenged in the Delhi High Court. Confirm the current position with the Department before spending.
"Every married woman needs this page"
Most do not. A change following marriage, remarriage or divorce is treated as needing no further proof, so the certificate or decree usually does the whole job.
"Adding a surname is a surname category"
It is counted as a name change, not a surname adoption, which means a gazette or two newspapers plus two documents already in the desired name.
"A wrongly spelt surname needs a change of name"
No. If the surname was written wrongly and nothing about your name changed, that is a public notice, a different category with a different proforma and a different charge.
"An agent can file it at the Delhi counter"
The Department states only personal submission or post and courier are entertained, and names agents and advocates as not permissible.
"There is a gazette office in Jharkhand"
There is not. No district has a counter for personal notices, and as reported the state press stopped these notifications in July 2025.
"The fee is the same for every category"
It is not. The guidelines print different charges by category, and each says the amount varies each financial year and from case to case.
Key Terms in a Gazette Surname Change
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Maiden surname | The surname carried before marriage. The Department has a guideline category for adopting it again |
| Different surname | A surname that is neither the one on your records nor a maiden surname being resumed. Its guidelines ask for a magistrate attested affidavit |
| First Class Magistrate | A judicial officer at the district or sub-divisional court. A higher attestation than a notary, and a planned visit rather than a walk-in |
| No objection certificate | A written statement of no objection. Reported as being required from a husband in the maiden surname route, with his identity proof and mobile number attached |
| Surname addition | Taking a surname where no record carried one. Counted as a name change rather than a surname adoption |
| Public notice | The category for a surname that was written wrongly, where nothing about your name actually changed |
| Part IV | The weekly Part of the Gazette of India that carries personal notices |
| Corrigendum | A follow-up notice correcting a published one, at its own charge |
Surname Gazette Help Across Jharkhand
The magistrate and the notary are in your own district. The category check, the wording and the file are done on your scans over WhatsApp, for every district in the state.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send your papers for a category check
Photograph the documents carrying the existing surname, your Aadhaar, and the marriage certificate or decree if there is one. Tell us which office is asking and what exactly it said. The first reply tells you whether a gazette is needed at all, which of the Department's categories your case falls in, whether your affidavit needs a notary or a First Class Magistrate, and the total before you pay anything. If you are a woman planning to go back to your maiden surname, say so at the start, because there is a requirement to check before any money is spent. 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
Surname Change in the Gazette: Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one gazette process for a surname change?
Do I need a magistrate or a notary for the affidavit?
I want to go back to my maiden surname. What should I check first?
Do I need a gazette at all to change my surname after marriage?
My records have no surname at all. Which category is that?
My surname is simply spelt wrongly. Same route?
What does a gazette surname change cost?
Can I publish the notice from Ranchi or Jamshedpur?
How long does it take?
What happens after the notice publishes?
Is my Class 10 certificate reprinted with the new surname?
Can somebody else prepare and file it for me?
Official Sources on Gazette Surname Categories
- Department of Publication, guidelines for change of nameWhere the separate guidelines for adopting a maiden surname and for adopting a different surname sit, alongside the other categories.
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe office at Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the place to confirm the current requirement before preparing a file.
- e-GazetteWhere a published Part IV notice is searched for and downloaded free.
- BharatKosh, Non Tax Receipt PortalThe only channel for the Government charge, and where the current amount is shown.
- UIDAI list of supporting documentsWhere a Government-issued marriage certificate is accepted as proof of identity, which is why most married surname changes need no gazette.
- Passport application instruction bookletThe name rules, including that a surname may be two words.
The Gazette Surname Change in Eight Lines
The short version
- A surname has two gazette categories of its own, not one.
- Adopting a maiden surname and adopting a different surname are separate.
- The different surname route asks for a First Class Magistrate attested affidavit.
- A maiden surname requirement reported in 2024 asked for a decree or a husband's NOC.
- It was challenged in the Delhi High Court, so confirm the current position first.
- Marriage, remarriage and divorce are treated as needing no further proof.
- A wrongly spelt surname is a public notice, not a change of name.
- Adding a surname where none existed is counted as a name change.
Pick the category first, and find out whether you need a notice at all.
Send your papers and tell us what the office asked for, and we will tell you the category, the attestation level and the total.