How to change name online in Maharashtra

One of the most common situation faced by newly married couple is the change of name of the bride which is very common in India. It used to be a very complex procedure earlier and it involved following steps:

1. Create a notarized affidavit for changed name
2. Post name change ad in at least one news paper in Maharashtra
3. Application for gazette notification

Since it involved a lot if time energy and money many avoided the name change. This then resulted in a lot of hassles since there is no correlation between husband and wife`s names which proves that they are married and they needed to carry their marriage certificate everywhere. To reduce these Government of Maharashtra & Department of Government Printing & Stationary (DGPS), Mumbai came up with a website for change of name online. The procedure is simple too, just fill in a simple name change form and then pay online. You can also view and download name change notification once it is approved by DGPS.

The change of name is required due to many reasons some of them are:

1. Incorrect name/typos in the documents
2. Change of name due to marriage
3. Change of name due to divorce
4. Change of name due to change in religion

Procedure for change of name in Maharashtra gazette online:

ADHAAR Card/Number along with registered mobile number is REQUIRED: Make sure that you have ADHAAR card/number handy and you ADHAAR card is linked with your active mobile number. Since the name change tool sends to OTP(Online Time Password)  to your registered mobile number. If you don’t have either of them you will not be able to proceed with the change of name application.

If you have ADHAAR card and registered mobile ready with you here are the steps to follow for the name change application:

1. Go to Department of Government Printing & Stationary website: https://dgps.maharashtra.gov.in
2. The website supports English and Marathi languages, choose the language of your choice, this article explains steps in English
3. On the left Online Services panel click on the Change in Name menu
4. This will take you to eGazette online tool https://gazette.mahaonline.gov.in/Account/Login/Login.aspx
5. If you are already registered user then login else register first and then login
6. Click on Gazette Advertisement (Change of Name) under Press Services
7. It takes you to the Instruction to Advertiser regarding change in name, religion and birth date, click on I accept above conditions and click on Download Form as shown below:

   

8. Click on Next, you will be redirected to name change online application form
9. Specify your 12 digit ADHAAR card number also called as UID and click on search
10. It will show a pop-up saying “Dear Customer, Please note that your Mobile Number must be registered with Aadhaar to get your One Time Password(OTP)” click on Continue
11. Check you mobile, you should receive a OTP, click on Validate OTP and enter the OTP which you received on mobile, click Proceed
12. It will fetch all your details as specified along with ADHAAR
13. Select the your caste OPEN/BACKWARD, the application fees are different for them
14. If applicant is minor (below 18 years of age) click on Is Minor checkbox
15. Specify all the details such as old name, new name, address and make sure that the details are correct
16. Tick/select I Accept box and click on Proceed
17. Attach requested documents. Required documents for change of name are:
    • scanned copy of applicant`s photograph
    • photo id proof
    • address proof address proof
    • completely filled up name change form which you downloaded
18. Follow below mentioned steps to upload each of the documents specified below:
    • select Document Type from the drop down
    • Select Document Name from the drop down
    • Browse the respective document, only .jpeg, .jpg, .pdf are allowed with size upto 500 Kb
    • Click on ADD button
19. Click Continue, if the applicant is from BACKWARD categories he/she needs to upload caste certificate as well
20. Pay fees using online payment methods
21. On completion you will get a application number, make a note of the same it can be used to know the status of the name change application
22. The name change request is then reviewed by Department of Government Printing & Stationary and then approved or rejected in case of incorrect application form or invalid documents

Department of Government Printing & Stationary contact details:

• Department of Government Printing & Stationary Helpline Number: 022-6131 6404
• Department of Government Printing & Stationary Email ID: Support@mahaonline.gov.in
• Department of Government Printing & Stationary Website: https://dgps.maharashtra.gov.in