Which form changes a name on a voter ID?

Form 8, the application form for shifting of residence, correction of entries in the existing electoral roll, replacement of EPIC or marking of a Person with Disability, made under Rules 13(3) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Only one of those four options may be ticked per application, and sections that do not apply should be struck off.

Is an application to correct the electoral roll made public?

Yes, briefly. Rule 26 requires the registration officer, immediately on receipt of the application, to direct that one copy of it be posted in some conspicuous place in his office together with a notice inviting objections to the application within a period of seven days from the date of such posting. For almost everybody the period passes without incident, but it makes this a public act rather than a private administrative update.

Will a Booth Level Officer visit the address?

Possibly. Booth Level Officer verification may be required for a name or address correction, and the officer visits the address recorded on the roll to verify the details. A failed visit is a common reason for an application to stall, and the applicant is usually never told it happened, so somebody should be available or a call or meeting requested through the portal.

How many particulars can be corrected in one application?

A maximum of four entries or particulars in a single application. That is a separate matter from the rule that only one option, correction or shifting or replacement or marking of PwD, may be ticked per form.

Can a name and an address be changed on the same form?

No. They are separate applications, because only one option may be ticked per Form 8. A shifting application is also filed with the Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency where the new address is located, not the one being left.

Does the EPIC number change after a correction?

The correction updates the existing entry on the roll. Where a replacement EPIC is issued, the old card is returned, as the form expressly provides, which applicants often do not expect.

How long does a voter ID correction take?

Commonly a few weeks overall, with reported timings for 2026 running to about fifteen to thirty days for most corrections, faster during revision drives and longer for some categories. That includes the seven day objection period, which is a legal requirement, and any verification visit. If nothing has moved after about a month, a grievance may be lodged on the portal or the voter helpline on 1950 called.

Should the voter ID be corrected before or after Aadhaar?

After. The order is Aadhaar, then the Permanent Account Number, then bank accounts, then the passport, then the voter ID and driving licence, because each asks for the one before it. But the electoral roll should not be skipped, since the EPIC is widely used as identity and address proof and an old name on it surfaces awkwardly years later.

Free, and posted publicly for seven days

Name Change in Voter ID

After the fees for Aadhaar, PAN and a passport reissue, this one is a relief: correcting your name on the electoral roll is free. It is also the only record in this series where a copy of your application is posted publicly inviting objections, and where somebody may come to your address to check. Neither is a problem. Both are worth knowing before you file.

📞 Call 9540005002 WhatsApp 9540005064 The objection window

0Rupees. Corrections are free of cost

8The form. One option ticked per application

7Days your application is posted for objections

4Particulars correctable in a single application

Reviewed by the Documentadvisor documentation desk • Updated 23 August 2026

Watch first

How do you change the name on a voter card?

The written answer is directly below in about sixty words, and the section after it explains the two stages that happen without anybody telling you. If you would rather watch it explained once before reading, start here.

Name Change in Voter Card | How to Change name in Voter Card

Quick answer

A name change in voter ID is a correction to the electoral roll, made on Form 8 at voters.eci.gov.in or offline to your Electoral Registration Officer. It is free. Tick only one option per application and correct up to four particulars. Your application is then posted in the ERO's office for seven days inviting objections under Rule 26, and a Booth Level Officer may visit your address.

Start here

How do you change your name on a voter ID card?

One form, no fee, and two stages the other documents in this series do not have.

At a glance

The form is Form 8, the application for shifting of residence, correction of entries in the existing electoral roll, replacement of EPIC, or marking of PwD.
It is free. Current guidance is that all voter ID corrections are free of cost, which after Aadhaar, PAN and a passport reissue is a pleasant change.
Tick only one option per application. Correcting your name and shifting your address are two separate applications, not one.
A maximum of four entries or particulars may be corrected in a single application.
Rule 26 requires a public notice. The ERO posts a copy of your application in a conspicuous place in the office with a notice inviting objections within seven days.
A Booth Level Officer may visit your address to verify a name or address correction. A missed visit is a common reason an application quietly stalls.
Form 8 cannot register you as a voter. That is Form 6. It cannot delete anybody's name either, which is Form 7.
Where a replacement EPIC is issued you return the old card. People expect to keep it.
nvsp.in now redirects to voters.eci.gov.in, and ECINet is the single app the Commission launched in January 2026 in place of some forty separate ones.
Do this after Aadhaar, PAN and the passport, but do not skip it. The EPIC is used as identity and address proof far more often than people expect.

Key takeaways

Rule 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 says it in terms. On receipt the registration officer must direct that “one copy thereof be posted in some conspicuous place in his office together with a notice inviting objections to such application within a period of seven days from the date of such posting”.
That makes this the only correction in the series with a built in public notice stage, which is a small echo of what a gazette notification does for a name change generally.
The same Rule requires applications in duplicate, in whichever of Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 is appropriate. It matters if you are filing on paper.
Rule 13 fixes the forms: a claim for inclusion as a new elector is Form 6, and an objection to inclusion or an application for deletion is Form 7.
Intensive revision has a legal basis too. Rule 25 provides that where a roll is to be revised intensively it shall be prepared afresh. Worth checking your own entry from time to time, whether or not you are correcting anything.
There is an older fault based rule worth knowing about. A Government FAQ described a correction as free where the mistake was the election officials' and Rs 25 in cash where the applicant had supplied the wrong information. No other document in this series prices a correction by whose fault it was.
Current sources say free. So expect free, and if a small charge is mentioned at a centre, that is very likely where it comes from.
Timelines reported for 2026 run to about 15 to 30 days for most corrections, faster during revision drives and longer for some categories.
Blurred, cropped or unreadable uploads are among the commonest reasons an application is refused, and here a refusal means starting again rather than losing a fee.
The same document test applies as everywhere else: whatever you attach should show both the name currently on the roll and the name you want.
The voter helpline is 1950, and a grievance can be lodged on the portal with your reference number if an application has been sitting.

The form

Which form changes your name on a voter ID?

Form 8. And it does four different jobs, which is where most applications go wrong.

Form 8 is the Application Form for Shifting of Residence, Correction of Entries in Existing Electoral Roll, Replacement of EPIC or Marking of PwD. It is made under Rules 13(3) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. One form, four purposes, and you may tick only one of them per application.

Tick two and it comes back. Sections that do not apply to you should be struck off. People tick both the correction option and the shifting option hoping to save a trip, and the form is returned. If you are correcting your name and also moving house, those are two separate applications.

Name change in voter ID: Form 8 with the EPIC card and the self attested document that connects an old name to a new one — Free to file, and the only correction in this series posted publicly for seven days before it is decided.

And make sure Form 8 is the form you actually want

Which electoral roll form you need, by what you are trying to do
What you want	Form
Correct your name, or another particular already on the roll	Form 8
Register as a voter for the first time	Form 6, not Form 8. Rule 13 says a claim for inclusion as a new elector shall be in Form 6
Object to an inclusion, or get a name deleted	Form 7
Overseas elector registration	Form 6A
Replacement EPIC with no correction at all	Form 8, that option ticked
Shift your residence to a new constituency	Form 8, filed with the ERO of the constituency you are moving to

Four particulars, maximum

The form permits a maximum of four entries or particulars to be corrected in one application. Generous for most people, worth knowing if a whole set of details is wrong.

In duplicate, if on paper

Rule 26 requires the application in duplicate, in whichever of Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 is appropriate. Online this is handled for you. On paper it is not.

You give the old card back

Where a replacement EPIC is issued, you return the old one. The form says so expressly, and people routinely expect to keep it as a souvenir.

The money, or the lack of it

What does a voter ID name change cost?

Nothing. And after the rest of this series, that deserves saying plainly.

Current guidance is that voter ID corrections are free of cost. Set against roughly Rs 75 for an Aadhaar update, Rs 72 to Rs 107 for a PAN correction and Rs 2,500 for a passport reissue, the electoral roll is the one record you can put right for nothing.

There is an older rule worth knowing, in case you meet it. A Government FAQ described a fault based arrangement: where the mistake was the election officials' error, the correction was made free of cost; where the applicant was responsible, by supplying incorrect information in the first place, Rs 25 in cash was payable at the registration centre. No other document in this series prices a correction by whose fault it was, which makes it a rather charming rule. Current sources say free, so expect free, and if a small charge is mentioned somewhere, that is very likely where it comes from.

What this means commercially, and we will say it plainly. This is the one document in the series we would actively discourage you from paying anybody for. It is a free online form, the portal is straightforward, and the supporting document is one you already hold. Anybody charging a meaningful fee for a Form 8 correction is charging you for something the Election Commission provides at no cost.

The part nobody explains

Is your voter ID name change really posted publicly?

Yes. And it is in the Rules, in terms, which is why this page leads with it.

Rule 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 requires the registration officer, immediately on receipt of an application, to direct that “one copy thereof be posted in some conspicuous place in his office together with a notice inviting objections to such application within a period of seven days from the date of such posting”.

So a correction to the electoral roll is not a private administrative act in the way an Aadhaar or PAN update is. A copy of your application goes up in the Electoral Registration Officer's own office, briefly, and anybody may object.

In practice it passes quietly

For almost everybody the seven days come and go without a word. There is nothing to be nervous about, and no objection is expected in an ordinary name correction.

But it explains the timeline

Why the process takes longer than a form submission suggests. Seven days of that wait is a legal requirement, not a backlog, and no amount of following up compresses it.

And why the roll is public

The electoral roll is treated as a public document rather than a private record. That is the whole design, and the notice period follows from it.

It is a small echo of what a gazette notification does. A gazette makes a change of name public so that anybody with a reason to object has the chance to. Rule 26 does the same thing for the electoral roll, on a notice board, for a week. Which also means accuracy matters: your application, with the details you put on it, is briefly on display. Fill it in as you would want it read.

The other surprise

Will somebody visit your house to verify a voter ID correction?

Possibly, and being out when they call is one of the commonest ways an application quietly stops.

Booth Level Officer verification may be required for a name or an address correction. The BLO visits the address on the roll to verify the details. Again, this is unique among the records in this series: nobody comes to your house to verify an Aadhaar or a PAN correction.

Make sure somebody is in

Or that a neighbour knows to expect a visit, particularly if you travel or work away. A failed verification visit is a common reason for an application to stall, and the applicant usually has no idea it happened.

You can ask for the BLO instead

The portal lets you request a call or a meeting with your Booth Level Officer. Worth doing if you are hard to find at home, or if an application has gone quiet and you cannot tell why.

The practical point. Between the seven day notice and a possible home visit, this correction has two stages that happen without you being told. Neither shows up as a status change you can watch. So save your reference number, keep your phone reachable, and if nothing has moved in about a month, ask rather than wait.

Name change in voter ID infographic: the correction is free, Form 8 and the four jobs it does with only one option ticked per application, the seven day objection notice required by Rule 26, the Booth Level Officer visit, the proof that must show both names, where to file it on voters.eci.gov.in, why applications are refused, and where the voter ID sits in the order of record updates — The whole page on one sheet: what it costs, which form you need, and the two stages that happen without telling you.

The process

How do you file a voter ID name change, step by step?

Eight steps online, and the first one is the one people skip.

Look up your current entry first

On electoralsearch.eci.gov.in, and note exactly what is recorded. That is what you are correcting from, and people are regularly surprised by what is actually there.

Go to the Citizen Service Portal

voters.eci.gov.in. The old nvsp.in address now redirects there, so an old bookmark still works.

Register or log in

With a mobile number or email, verified by one time password.

Choose correction of entries, and Form 8

Select Self where your EPIC is linked to your profile, then enter your EPIC number to fetch the existing details.

Tick only what you are correcting

Up to four particulars, and one option only. Enter the corrected values exactly as they appear on your supporting document.

Upload clear self attested proof

In support of each claim, plus a new photograph if the photograph is being changed. Blurred or cropped scans are refused.

Submit and save the reference number

It is what you track with, what a grievance needs, and what a call to 1950 will ask for. Save it before you close the tab.

Track it, then download the e-EPIC

On the portal, once the correction is approved. Do not assume it happened because you submitted it.

Offline works just as well. Download Form 8 from the portal, or collect a physical copy from your Booth Level Officer or Electoral Registration Officer. Fill it in, attach self attested copies, and submit it to the ERO, the District Election Office or your BLO. Remember Rule 26 wants the application in duplicate, which the online route handles for you and paper does not.

One 2026 change worth knowing. In January 2026 the Election Commission launched ECINet, a single unified app that consolidates around forty separate election related applications, including the old Voter Helpline app, cVIGIL and Know Your Candidate. It was trialled during the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025. If you have an older Commission app on your phone, that is the one that has been replaced, and the web portal at voters.eci.gov.in continues to work regardless.

The single test

What proof do you attach to a voter ID name correction?

The form asks for self attested documentary proof in support of the claim. What that means depends on why the name changed.

The same test as everywhere else in this series. Whatever you attach should show both the name currently on the roll and the name you want. A document showing only the new name does not establish that the two are the same person.

What supports a correction on the electoral roll, by what you are correcting
What you are correcting	What supports it
The spelling of your name	A document carrying the correct spelling: Aadhaar, a board certificate or a passport. No gazette needed
Your name after marriage	The marriage certificate, showing both names. See our name change after marriage guide
Your name after divorce	The certified decree, showing the name you are reverting to. See our name change after divorce guide
A first name or full name change	The gazette notification
Date of birth	A board certificate, birth certificate or passport
Address	An address proof, which may be in the name of a parent, spouse or adult child already enrolled at the same address

And upload clearly. Blurred, cropped or dark scans are among the commonest reasons an application is refused, and here a refusal means starting over rather than merely losing a fee. Read your own upload on a phone screen before you submit it: if you cannot read it comfortably, neither can the officer.

The sequence

Should you change the voter ID before or after Aadhaar?

After. Voter ID is not usually the document that holds anything up, which is why it comes late.

Aadhaar

Because everything else asks for it, and it is the one with a two changes in a lifetime limit. See our Aadhaar name change guide.

PAN

Which takes its data from Aadhaar on the paperless route, so it has to follow. See our PAN name change guide.

Bank accounts

Once PAN and Aadhaar already agree with each other. See our bank records guide.

Passport

Checked against Aadhaar and PAN, and needing two documents already in the new name. See our passport name change guide.

Voter ID and driving licence

Free, unhurried, and nothing downstream depends on them. See our driving licence guide.

Everything else

Your LIC policy, investments and nominations, employer and board records, property, society and utility records.

But do not skip it because it is not urgent. The EPIC is widely accepted as identity and address proof, and a voter ID carrying an old name is exactly the sort of thing that surfaces awkwardly at a bank counter or a property registration years later, when you have long forgotten it was never updated. It is free. There is no reason to leave it.

And check your entry even when you are not correcting anything. Rule 25 provides that where a roll is to be revised intensively, it shall be prepared afresh. Intensive revisions are conducted periodically, so an entry you assume is fine may not be. Looking yourself up on the portal costs nothing and takes a minute, and it is a better habit than discovering a problem at the wrong moment.

And one that sits above all of them. If the mistake is in the birth certificate itself, that is not a gazette matter and not a matter for any office on this list. It is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, made at the local body that registered the birth, and the correction is written in the margin without altering the original entry. Correct that first, because everything here copies from it. See our birth certificate guide.

And one with the shortest window of all. If a name is wrong on a marksheet or certificate, that is a board correction with its own deadline: CBSE allows one year from the declaration of result, and a genuine change of name is only carried where the gazette predated the result. Every other record on this list can be corrected later. A board window closes and does not reopen. See our education documents guide. A caste certificate differs: only the name can be corrected, not the caste. Caste certificate guide.

Timing

How long does a voter ID name change take?

A few weeks, and two parts of that wait are structural rather than a backlog.

Submission

Minutes online, once you have your EPIC number and a clear scan of the supporting document.

The notice period

Seven days for objections under Rule 26. This is a legal requirement and cannot be shortened by following up.

BLO verification

A visit to your address where required. Unscheduled, which is why being reachable matters.

Decision and updated e-EPIC

Reported at around 15 to 30 days overall for most corrections, quicker during revision drives and longer for some categories.

If nothing has happened after about a month, ask. Lodge a grievance on the portal with your reference number, ring the voter helpline on 1950, or request a call or meeting with your Booth Level Officer through the portal. Applications do occasionally sit, and a polite follow up with a reference number moves them. Waiting silently does not.

What goes wrong

Why do voter ID name corrections get rejected?

Eight causes, and every one of them is avoidable before you press submit.

1. Ticking more than one option on Form 8

One per application. Correcting a name and shifting an address are two separate forms, however inconvenient that feels.

2. Using Form 8 to register for the first time

That is Form 6. Form 8 only corrects or updates an entry that already exists on the roll.

3. Filing a shifting application in the wrong constituency

It goes to the ERO of the constituency you are moving to, not the one you are leaving.

4. Attaching a document that shows only the new name

The single test, failed. It does not establish that the person on the roll and the person applying are the same.

5. Uploading blurred or cropped scans

Among the commonest causes, and entirely within your control. Read it on your own screen first.

6. Correcting several unrelated things at once

Permitted up to four particulars, but a crowded application can slow the file. Where you can, do one thing at a time.

7. Not being reachable when the BLO visits

The failure you never hear about. The visit happens, nobody is in, and the application simply stops moving.

8. Assuming the correction happened

Because you submitted it. Track the reference number and download the updated e-EPIC before you rely on it anywhere.

Anywhere in India

Does a voter ID name change differ from state to state?

No. One Commission, one set of Rules, one portal, and one form everywhere.

One national framework

The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 apply across the country, and Form 8 is the same form in every state and union territory. What changes is which Electoral Registration Officer holds your constituency.

One portal, in your language

voters.eci.gov.in for the whole of India, with electoralsearch.eci.gov.in to look yourself up first. Each state also has a Chief Electoral Officer site for local notices.

And one helpline

1950, the national voter helpline. The Commission also launched state level voter helplines in October 2025 for local support.

The only thing that genuinely varies is your own constituency. Your application is decided by the Electoral Registration Officer for the assembly constituency where you are enrolled, and verified by the Booth Level Officer for your polling area. Both are findable through the portal, and the BLO is the person to contact when an application has gone quiet.

If a gazette notification is genuinely needed, because you are making a first name or full name change rather than correcting a spelling, the Central file goes to one address in the country, the Department of Publication at Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Any other city quoting that pin code has copied it. The route is in our all India name change guide and our gazette office in Delhi page.

Where we work

Where can we help with a voter ID name change?

Across India, and honestly: not with the Form 8 itself.

All 28 states and 8 union territories

The electoral roll process is national and identical everywhere. Only your constituency and your Booth Level Officer change.

The records with fees and limits

Aadhaar, with its two changes in a lifetime, and PAN, and the passport. Those are the ones where a mistake costs money.

Where a gazette genuinely is needed

For a first name or full name change. We prepare the affidavit, both notices and the complete Central file.

What we will not charge you for

A free Form 8. If that is all you need, we will tell you so and you can file it yourself this afternoon.

Uttar PradeshMaharashtraBiharWest BengalMadhya PradeshTamil NaduRajasthanKarnatakaGujaratAndhra PradeshOdishaTelanganaKeralaJharkhandAssamPunjabChhattisgarhHaryanaDelhiUttarakhandHimachal PradeshTripuraMeghalayaManipurNagalandGoaArunachal PradeshMizoramSikkimJammu and KashmirLadakhPuducherryChandigarhAndaman and NicobarLakshadweepDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Call 9540005002, WhatsApp 9540005064, or write to support@documentadvisor.in, Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. For the reason behind your change, see our guides on a name change after marriage, a name change after divorce, a surname change, a minor or child name change and a numerology name change.

Plain meanings

What do the electoral roll terms on this page mean?

Twelve definitions, each written to stand on its own.

Electoral roll: The register of electors for an assembly constituency. It is a public document rather than a private record, which is why an application to correct an entry is posted for objections before it is decided.
Form 8: The application form for shifting of residence, correction of entries in the existing electoral roll, replacement of EPIC or marking of a Person with Disability, made under Rules 13(3) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Only one of those four options may be ticked per application.
Form 6: The claim for inclusion of a name in the roll as a new elector, signed by the applicant. It is the form for first time registration, and Form 8 cannot be used for that purpose.
Form 7: The objection to a proposed inclusion of a name, or the application for deletion of a name from an existing roll. Form 8 cannot be used to remove anybody's name.
EPIC: The Elector's Photo Identity Card, the physical or electronic voter identity card issued against an entry on the roll. Where a replacement is issued, the old card is returned.
Electoral Registration Officer: The officer responsible for the roll of an assembly constituency, who receives applications, posts the notice inviting objections and decides the application. Commonly shortened to ERO.
Booth Level Officer: The officer responsible for a polling area, who may visit an applicant's address to verify a name or address correction and who can be contacted through the portal for a call or a meeting. Commonly shortened to BLO.
Rule 26: The rule requiring an application under Section 22 or Section 23(1) to be made in duplicate in the appropriate form, and requiring the registration officer immediately on receipt to have a copy posted in a conspicuous place in the office with a notice inviting objections within seven days.
Intensive revision: A revision in which the roll or part of it is prepared afresh rather than merely amended, provided for by Rule 25. Such revisions are conducted periodically, which is a reason to check your own entry from time to time.
voters.eci.gov.in: The Election Commission's Citizen Service Portal, where forms are filed, applications tracked and an e-EPIC downloaded. The older nvsp.in address redirects to it.
ECINet: The single unified application launched by the Election Commission in January 2026, consolidating around forty separate election related apps including the earlier Voter Helpline app.
Gazette notification: The publication of a change of name in an official Government journal, with a date. For the electoral roll it is needed only for a genuine first name or full name change, since a certificate or decree already connects the two names in the commoner cases.

Be honest about this

Do you need help with a voter ID name change?

For the Form 8 itself, no. We will say that more plainly here than on any other page in this series.

This is the one document we would actively discourage you from paying anybody for. It is a free online form, the portal is straightforward, and the supporting document is one you already hold. Anybody charging a meaningful fee for a Form 8 correction is charging you for something the Election Commission provides at no cost.

When a voter ID correction is a do it yourself job and when advice is worth having
Your situation	Do it yourself?	Why
A spelling correction, with Aadhaar already right	Yes	A free form and a clear scan. Nothing here is worth a fee
Name change after marriage or divorce, certificate in hand	Yes	The certificate or decree does the work by itself
You have not decided the final form of your name yet	Advice helps	Get it wrong here and every other record has to be redone to match
A first name or full name change	Advice helps	A gazette is genuinely needed, and it has to be right before Aadhaar and PAN
You are unsure whether you need a gazette at all	Ask before paying	Being sold a notification you do not need is the expensive error in this field
Your application has been sitting for months	Yes, but ask properly	Grievance on the portal, call 1950, or request your BLO. That is free too

Where we can genuinely help is upstream. Deciding the exact final form of your name so that every document, this one included, says the same thing. Working out whether your case needs a gazette notification at all. And getting Aadhaar and PAN right first, since those are the ones with fees, lifetime limits and rejection risk attached. Sort that out and the voter ID is a fifteen minute job you do yourself.

Why us

Your Trust and Security First

Your documents stay private

Papers are handled by our own desk in Burari, Delhi, used for your file and nothing else.

We tell you to keep your money

The voter ID correction is free. We say so at the top of this page rather than burying it, because charging for it would be indefensible.

We quote the Rules, not a blog

Rule 26 and its seven day notice, Rule 13 and the forms, Rule 25 and intensive revision. All of it is open for you to read.

We get the sequence right

Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport, then voter ID. Each one asks for the one before it, and doing it backwards means doing it twice.

We settle the spelling once

Letter for letter, before anything is filed anywhere, so that every record ends up saying the same thing.

We read your proof first

The single test is whether the document connects both names. We check that on a photograph, in minutes.

What we do

Everything You Need, In One Place

Settling the exact form of the name

Letter for letter and space for space, before anything is filed, so that Aadhaar, PAN, the passport and the roll all agree.

Checking whether you need a gazette

Most spelling corrections and post marriage changes do not. We would rather establish that than sell you a notification.

Reading your supporting document

Against the one test that decides most outcomes: does this paper carry both your old name and your new one?

Sequencing the whole set of records

Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport, voter ID and licence, in the order that stops one office contradicting the next.

Full gazette file preparation

Affidavit, both newspaper notices, the proforma and the complete Central file, where a first or full name change needs one.

Telling you when to do it yourself

Which for a Form 8 correction is almost always. It is free, and we will point you at the portal rather than invoice you.

Three steps

How It Works

Book

Call or WhatsApp with photographs of the documents you hold and the name you are moving to.

Schedule

We settle the exact spelling, tell you whether a gazette is needed, and give you the order to work in, including where the free steps sit.

Relax

Where a gazette is needed we draft and check the whole file. The Form 8 you file yourself, for nothing, in about fifteen minutes.

The questions people search about a voter ID name change

Which form is used to change a name on a voter ID?

Form 8, the application for shifting of residence, correction of entries in the existing electoral roll, replacement of EPIC or marking of PwD, made under Rules 13(3) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Tick only one of those four options per application.

Is a voter ID name change free?

Yes. Current guidance is that all voter ID corrections are free of cost. An older Government FAQ described a fault based rule under which the correction was free where the error was the officials' and Rs 25 was payable where the applicant had supplied wrong information, so if a small charge is ever mentioned, that is likely where it comes from.

Is my voter ID application really made public?

Yes, briefly. Rule 26 requires the registration officer, immediately on receipt, to have a copy posted in a conspicuous place in the office with a notice inviting objections within seven days. It passes without incident for almost everybody, but it does mean this is a public act rather than a private administrative update.

Will a Booth Level Officer visit my house?

Possibly. BLO verification may be required for a name or address correction, and the officer visits the address on the roll. A missed visit is a common reason an application quietly stalls, so make sure somebody is available, or request a call or meeting with your BLO through the portal.

How many things can I correct at once on Form 8?

A maximum of four entries or particulars in one application. But that is separate from the rule that only one option, correction or shifting or replacement or PwD marking, may be ticked per form.

Can I change my name and address on the same form?

No. Treat them as two applications. Only one option may be ticked per Form 8, and a shifting application goes to the ERO of the constituency you are moving to, not the one you are leaving.

Do I need a gazette notification for a voter ID name change?

Only for a genuine first name or full name change. For a spelling correction, or a name change after marriage or divorce, the ordinary supporting document is usually enough: a document carrying the correct spelling, the marriage certificate, or the certified decree.

Should I update the voter ID before or after Aadhaar?

After. The order is Aadhaar, then PAN, then bank, then passport, then voter ID and licence. But do not skip it: the EPIC is used as identity and address proof far more often than people expect, and it costs nothing to put right.

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Settle the name before you file the free form

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which form do I use to change my name on my voter ID?

Form 8, the application form for shifting of residence, correction of entries in the existing electoral roll, replacement of EPIC or marking of PwD, made under Rules 13(3) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Tick only one of those four options per application and strike off the sections that do not apply.

Where do I apply?

Online at voters.eci.gov.in, the Election Commission's Citizen Service Portal, to which the older nvsp.in address now redirects. Offline, submit Form 8 to your Electoral Registration Officer, the District Election Office, or your Booth Level Officer. Rule 26 requires paper applications in duplicate.

What does it cost?

Current guidance is that voter ID corrections are free. An older Government FAQ described a fault based rule under which a correction was free where the error was the officials' and Rs 25 in cash was payable where the applicant had supplied the wrong information, so if a small charge is mentioned anywhere, that is likely where it comes from.

Is there really a public objection period?

Yes. Rule 26 requires the registration officer, immediately on receipt of the application, to direct that one copy be posted in some conspicuous place in the office together with a notice inviting objections within a period of seven days from the date of posting. For almost everybody it passes without incident, but it does mean the correction is a public act rather than a private one.

Will somebody visit my house?

Possibly. Booth Level Officer verification may be required for name and address corrections, and the BLO visits the address on the roll to verify. Make sure somebody is available, since a failed visit is a common reason for an application to stall and the applicant usually never hears that it happened.

How many things can I correct at once?

The form permits a maximum of four entries or particulars in one application. That is separate from the rule that only one option, correction or shifting or replacement or PwD marking, may be ticked per form.

Can I correct my name and change my address together?

No. Treat them as separate applications, because only one option may be ticked per form. A shifting application also goes to the Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency where your new address is located, not the one you are leaving.

What proof do I attach?

Self attested documentary proof supporting the claim: a document carrying the correct spelling, a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or a gazette notification depending on why the name changed. It should show both the name currently on the roll and the new one, because a document showing only the new name does not establish that the two are the same person.

Do I need a gazette notification?

Only for a genuine first name or full name change. For a spelling correction, or a name change after marriage or divorce, the ordinary supporting document is usually enough. Being sold a notification you do not need is the expensive mistake in this field.

Does my EPIC number change?

The correction updates your existing entry on the roll. Where a replacement EPIC is issued, you return the old card, as the form expressly provides. People often expect to keep the old one.

How long does it take?

Commonly a few weeks overall, with reported timings for 2026 running to about 15 to 30 days for most corrections, faster during revision drives and longer for some categories. That includes the seven day notice period, which is a legal requirement, and any verification visit.

My application has gone quiet. What can I do?

Track the reference number on the portal, lodge a grievance there, ring the voter helpline on 1950, or request a call or meeting with your Booth Level Officer through the portal. Applications do occasionally sit, and a polite follow up with a reference number moves them.

Can I use Form 8 to register as a voter?

No. First time registration is Form 6, and Rule 13 provides that every claim for inclusion of a name in the roll as a new elector shall be in Form 6 and signed by the applicant. Form 8 only corrects or updates an entry that already exists.

Can I use it to remove somebody else's name?

No. An objection to a proposed inclusion, or an application for deletion of a name from an existing roll, is Form 7. Form 8 does not do that job.

I have moved to a new constituency. Where do I file?

With the Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency where your new address is located, not the one you are leaving. Filing with the old constituency is a routine and avoidable delay.

Should I do the voter ID before or after Aadhaar?

After. Aadhaar first, then PAN, then bank, then passport, then voter ID and driving licence. But do not skip it, because the EPIC is widely used as identity and address proof and an old name on it surfaces awkwardly at a bank or a registrar's office years later.

Why was my application rejected?

Commonly because the uploads were blurred, cropped or unreadable, because the supporting document did not match the claim or showed only the new name, or because more than one option was ticked on the form. A rejection here means starting again rather than losing a fee.

Should I check my entry even if I am not correcting anything?

Yes, from time to time. Rule 25 provides that where a roll is to be revised intensively it shall be prepared afresh, and such revisions are conducted periodically, so an entry you assume is fine may not be. Looking yourself up on electoralsearch.eci.gov.in costs nothing and takes a minute.

What is ECINet?

The single unified app the Election Commission launched in January 2026, consolidating around forty separate election related applications including the earlier Voter Helpline app, cVIGIL and Know Your Candidate. It was trialled during the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025. The web portal at voters.eci.gov.in continues to work regardless of which app you use.

Can somebody else file it for me?

The portal offers Self or Other Elector, and offline forms may be handed to the Booth Level Officer. But the supporting documents and the details are yours, so check them yourself before submission rather than after a rejection.

What should I do first?

Look up your current entry on electoralsearch.eci.gov.in and note exactly what is recorded. That is what you are correcting from, and people are sometimes surprised by what is actually there. Deciding the exact final spelling of your name before you file anything anywhere is the other thing worth doing first.

Who wrote and checked this page?

This guide is written and maintained by the Documentadvisor documentation desk, the team that files gazette notifications, affidavits and newspaper advertisements across India from our office in Burari, Delhi.

What we verified in the Rules themselves rather than in other guides. The seven day objection window is not a piece of folklore. Rule 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 requires that every application under Section 22 or Section 23(1) be made in duplicate in whichever of Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 is appropriate, and that the registration officer, immediately on receipt, direct that “one copy thereof be posted in some conspicuous place in his office together with a notice inviting objections to such application within a period of seven days from the date of such posting”. We have quoted it rather than paraphrased it, and we have been careful to say where the copy is posted, which is in the officer's own office and not on a public hoarding.

The two neighbouring rules matter too. Rule 13 provides that a claim for inclusion of a name as a new elector shall be in Form 6, and that an objection to inclusion or an application for deletion shall be in Form 7, which is why Form 8 cannot do either job. Rule 25 provides that where a roll is to be revised intensively it shall be prepared afresh, which is the legal basis for the periodic intensive revisions people hear about.

On that last point, deliberately, we have said only what is useful. Intensive revisions happen, they are provided for by rule, and it is worth checking your own entry on the portal from time to time. This page takes no position on how any particular revision has been conducted, names no party and repeats no allegation. That is not evasion; it is simply not our subject. We prepare documents, and a reader who wants the political argument will have no difficulty finding it elsewhere.

On the fee, we have given the current position and the curiosity behind it. Current sources say voter ID corrections are free. A Government FAQ separately described a fault based arrangement under which a correction was free where the mistake was the election officials' and Rs 25 in cash was payable where the applicant had supplied incorrect information. No other record in this series prices a correction by whose fault it was, so we have kept it as a footnote rather than presenting it as current pricing, and told readers what to expect if a small charge is ever mentioned.

What we added that the source material did not have. In January 2026 the Election Commission launched ECINet, a single unified application consolidating around forty separate election related apps including the earlier Voter Helpline app, after trials during the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025. Anybody following an older guide will be told to download an app that no longer exists as a separate thing, so it belonged on the page.

And the commercial disclosure, which is the point of this page. This is the one document in the series we would actively discourage you from paying anybody for. A Form 8 correction is free, the portal is straightforward, and the supporting document is one you already hold. We have said so at the top of the page rather than at the bottom, because saying it anywhere else would be a way of not really saying it. Where we earn a fee is upstream: settling the exact final form of a name, establishing whether a gazette is needed at all, and getting Aadhaar and PAN right first, since those are the records with fees, lifetime limits and rejection risk attached.

Last reviewed 23 August 2026 • Contact the desk on 9540005002 or support@documentadvisor.in • Documentadvisor is a private documentation consultancy and is not a Government body and not a law firm. This page is general information about documentation and is not legal advice. Rules, forms and portals change; verify them on eci.gov.in and voters.eci.gov.in before acting.

Verify it yourself

Where can you verify all of this yourself?

The first two settle almost everything on this page, and both are free to read.

India Code, national repository of lawsWhere the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 are published, including Rule 13 on the forms, Rule 25 on intensive revision and Rule 26 on applications in duplicate and the seven day notice inviting objections.
Voters' Service Portal, Election Commission of IndiaWhere Form 8 is filed, applications tracked, grievances lodged and an updated e-EPIC downloaded. The older nvsp.in address redirects here.
Electoral search, Election Commission of IndiaLook up your existing entry before you correct anything, so that you know exactly what is recorded and what you are correcting from.
Election Commission of IndiaThe forms themselves, including Form 6, Form 6A, Form 7 and Form 8, together with instructions and the current position on any revision under way.
ICT applications, Election Commission of IndiaECINet and the applications it consolidated, including the earlier Voter Helpline app, for anybody following older guidance that names an app that no longer stands alone.
Unique Identification Authority of IndiaThe Aadhaar step that comes first in the sequence, with its limit of two name updates in a lifetime and the documents accepted at a Seva Kendra.
Income Tax Department, Government of IndiaThe PAN correction, which follows Aadhaar because the paperless route copies its data from the Aadhaar record.
Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsReissue under Change in Existing Personal Particulars, which sits before the voter ID in the sequence and needs two documents already carrying the new name.
Guidelines for Change of Name, Department of PublicationThe Central gazette file, needed only for a genuine first name or full name change: the notice, the undertaking, the proforma and the matching contents certificate.
The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalWhere a published notification is downloaded free of charge, which is the copy you would attach to a Form 8 for a full name change.
Documentadvisor: Affidavit for Name ChangeThe affidavit format this record update is built on: who can attest it, and what it should say.

TL;DR

In short

Everything on this page in twelve lines

Use Form 8 on voters.eci.gov.in, or offline to your Electoral Registration Officer, District Election Office or Booth Level Officer.
It is free, which after Aadhaar, PAN and a passport reissue makes a pleasant change, and it is the one record here nobody should be charging you to correct.
Tick only one option per application. Correcting a name and shifting an address are two separate forms.
You may correct a maximum of four entries or particulars in a single application.
Rule 26 requires the officer to post a copy of your application in a conspicuous place in the office, with a notice inviting objections within seven days.
That makes this the only correction in the series with a built in public notice stage, and seven days of the wait is law rather than backlog.
A Booth Level Officer may visit your address to verify, and being unreachable when they call is a common reason an application quietly stops.
Attach a clear self attested document that shows both the name on the roll and the name you want, because one showing only the new name proves nothing.
Form 8 cannot register you as a voter, which is Form 6, and cannot delete anybody's name, which is Form 7.
Where a replacement EPIC is issued you hand the old card back, which people rarely expect.
Save the reference number, track it, and if nothing has moved in about a month lodge a grievance or ring 1950.
And do not leave it undone because it is not urgent, since the EPIC is used as identity and address proof far more often than people expect and it costs nothing to fix.

Settle the name once, then file the free form yourself.

Send us photographs of the documents you hold and tell us the name you are moving to. We will settle the exact spelling, tell you whether your case needs a gazette notification at all, and give you the order to work in so that Aadhaar, PAN, the passport and the electoral roll all end up saying the same thing. The Form 8 itself we will point you at rather than invoice you for, because the Election Commission provides it free and charging for it would be indefensible.

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