Name Change Procedure in Maharashtra
Maharashtra runs one of the few genuine citizen e-Gazette systems in India, and it publishes something the Central Gazette flatly refuses to publish. Most guides miss both facts, and one popular page puts the Delhi gazette office inside Maharashtra. This page gives you the real process for all 36 districts: both routes, the correct portal, verified fees, timelines, and what to do when the Government misses its own deadline.
Video: the name change procedure in Maharashtra
Prefer to watch? This covers both routes and the gazette office question. Fifteen more sit beside the sections they belong to: the gazette office, the procedure, surname, divorce and minor cases, birth certificate corrections, and the Aadhaar, licence and school updates.
Name Change Procedure in Maharashtra and the Gazette office in Maharashtra
Maharashtra residents have two routes. The state route: a notarised affidavit and newspaper publication, then an online application through the Aaple Sarkar portal, published in Part II of the Maharashtra Government Gazette by the Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, with a 15 day service standard. The central route: affidavit, two newspaper notices and a signed file posted to the Gazette of India in Delhi, published in Part IV in about 30 to 45 days and accepted across India and abroad.
Search the name change procedure in Maharashtra and the results contradict each other on the office, the portal, the fee and even which state the gazette sits in. One widely shared guide prints the Central Gazette address as Civil Lines, Maharashtra 110054. That pincode is North Delhi, and the page has been mass produced with a state name pasted into a template. Another invents eligibility rules that appear nowhere in the Government's own service listing. A third tells you to search Google and open whichever official looking website comes up, which is how people end up paying an agent site by mistake.
A Gazette notification is a formal announcement of your name change printed in the official journal of a Government. Once it carries a date and a number, passport offices, banks, boards, employers and foreign missions accept it as the legal record of your new name. An affidavit on its own is the beginning of the change, not the end.
At a glance
- Where it applies
- All 36 districts of Maharashtra, across six divisions
- State route
- Aaple Sarkar, aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, published in Part II of the Maharashtra Government Gazette
- State department
- Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Mumbai, an allied office of the Industries department
- State service standard
- 15 days, with a designated officer and two appeal levels under the Right to Public Services Act
- Central route
- Gazette of India, Part IV, signed file posted to Delhi
- Central office
- Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054
- Newspapers
- One Marathi daily and one English daily. Marathi is the official language of the State
- Central fee
- Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, revised yearly, not refundable
- Payment channels
- State: the portal payment gateway. Central: bharatkosh.gov.in only, no demand draft
- Where to download
- State: the Gazette Gallery e-Gazette system. Central: egazette.gov.in, free, digital only since 1 October 2015
Key takeaways
- Applications are filed through Aaple Sarkar, not through a separate departmental form. On that portal the services are literally named Gazzette Part 2 for change of Name, Gazzette Part 2 for change Date of Birth and Gazzette Part 2 for change of Religion, so a Maharashtra personal notification sits in Part II of the State Gazette.
- Maharashtra publishes date of birth changes. The Central Gazette does not publish them at all. For that correction the state route is the only gazette route that exists.
- The change of name service carries a 15 day delivery standard, with a named Designated Officer and First and Second Appellate Officers under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015.
- The department's own published user manual lists the state application form fee as Rs 522.47 for open category and Rs 272.47 for backward category, with an old name caste certificate attached in the second case. Confirm the figure the portal shows you at the application stage, because Government fees are revised.
- The Central Gazette fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in, and the Department of Publication revises it each financial year.
- There is exactly one Central Gazette office: Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. It is in North Delhi, not anywhere in Maharashtra, whatever a widely copied page says.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the BMC, your municipal body or gram panchayat. It is not a gazette matter.
Did Maharashtra change its own name the same way you will?
Almost exactly the same way, and the wording of the Act reads like a gazette notification.
After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 created a bilingual Bombay State, the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement pushed for a single Marathi speaking state with Bombay as its capital, while the Mahagujarat Movement pushed for Gujarat. It was costly. 106 protesters were killed in police firing during the 1950s, and Flora Fountain in south Bombay was renamed Hutatma Chowk, the Martyrs' Square, in 1961. A memorial with an eternal flame and the names of the dead stands there today.
Parliament passed the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 (Act 11 of 1960), assented on 25 April 1960, which defines the appointed day as the 1st day of May, 1960, now Maharashtra Day. Section 3 carries the sentence that made the state: the residuary State of Bombay shall be known as the State of Maharashtra. The capital followed in 1995, when Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai.
Is there a gazette office in Maharashtra for a name change?
Yes, and this is the part most guides get wrong in both directions. Some say there is no state route at all. Others send you to the wrong website.
The state gazette is run by the Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Mumbai, usually shortened to DGPS, an allied office of the State's Industries department. It operates eight Government presses across the state, in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Wai, and it publishes the Maharashtra Government Gazette along with Acts, Rules and Government publications.
Its own website lists four citizen services: change of name, change of religion, change of date of birth, and Part Two miscellaneous advertising. Every one links straight through to aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, which is where applications are actually filed. That is where most competing pages go wrong: they tell readers to apply on the departmental site, when that site itself routes you to Aaple Sarkar.
| Point | Maharashtra e-Gazette (state) | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Mumbai | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054 |
| How you apply | Online through Aaple Sarkar, aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in | Signed physical file, by post, courier or in person |
| Where it publishes | Part II of the Maharashtra Government Gazette | Part IV of the Gazette of India |
| Services offered | Change of name, change of religion, change of date of birth, Part Two miscellaneous | Change of name and public notices only. Date of birth changes are not published |
| Fee | Rs 522.47 open category and Rs 272.47 backward category in the department's user manual. Confirm what the portal shows you | Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, via BharatKosh, revised each financial year |
| Service standard | 15 days, with a Designated Officer and two appeal levels under the 2015 Act | About 30 to 45 days, with no service guarantee and no appeal route |
| Getting your copy | Search and download from the state Gazette Gallery e-Gazette system | Download free from egazette.gov.in |
| Best for | A fast online process inside the state, and the only gazette route for a date of birth change | All India and international acceptance: passport, boards, banks anywhere |
Gazette Office in Maharashtra and its address
Doing both is common before a passport application: the state notification quickly, then the central one for nationwide records. NRIs holding a permanent Maharashtra address can use the state route, and anyone relying on the name abroad usually wants the Central Gazette as the anchor too. If you run both, the affidavit, both notices, the Aaple Sarkar form and the Delhi proforma must carry identical wording.
Can the gazette change your date of birth?
In Maharashtra, yes. In the Central Gazette, no. This single difference is worth the whole page for some readers.
Alongside change of name and change of religion, the department lists change of date of birth as a citizen service on its own website, filed through the same Aaple Sarkar portal, and the state Gazette Gallery lets you track the application and search the published notification afterwards.
The Central Gazette does not publish date of birth changes at all. So if your problem is a wrong date of birth rather than a wrong name, no amount of money spent on a Central Gazette application will help you, and any agent who accepts that job is selling something the Department of Publication does not do. For a Maharashtra resident, the state gazette is the route that exists.
Change of religion works the same way. It is the third of the four listed citizen services, filed through the same portal and published in the same Part II. Very few states offer it as a straightforward online service, and almost no guide mentions that Maharashtra does.
How do you apply for the Maharashtra gazette name change, step by step?
Four stages, all of them online after the notary and the newspaper. Nothing here needs a visit to a counter in Mumbai.
Affidavit
Draft it on stamp paper with the old name, the new name, parentage, date of birth, your Maharashtra address and the reason, then sign it before a notary. Everything after this has to match it letter for letter.
Newspaper notices
The same notice in a Marathi daily and an English daily that circulate where you live, with the printed pages kept and the dates clearly visible.
Aaple Sarkar
Register, choose the Part 2 gazette change of name service, fill the form, upload the documents, pay on the portal gateway and note your reference number.
Step 1: what must the affidavit say?
Get an affidavit drafted on stamp paper stating your old name, your new name, your father's or husband's name, your date of birth, your full address in Maharashtra, and a clear reason for the change, and sign it before a notary. Stamp paper and the notary fee together usually cost Rs 100 to Rs 500. For a minor, the parent or legal guardian makes the declaration with their own details, attaching the child's birth certificate.
Step 2: which newspapers, and in which languages?
Publish the notice where you live: one Marathi daily and one English daily is the standard pair. Marathi is the official language of the State under the Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964, whose Section 1A says the official language of the State of Maharashtra shall be Marathi. Keep the printed pages with the dates clearly visible, and match the affidavit wording exactly, because the gazette prints what you submit. Two notices cost Rs 800 to Rs 4,000.
Step 3: where exactly do you file the application?
File it at aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, the state's citizen services portal, where the department routes every one of its gazette services. Create an account, verify with the Aadhaar based one time password, choose the change of name service, fill in the old and new name and address, and upload your scans and photograph. The department publishes an official user manual for this service on dgps.maharashtra.gov.in. If you would rather not file it yourself, the same site links a list of CSC common service centres through mahaonline.gov.in.
On the portal the service appears under the Industries department as Gazzette Part 2 for change of Name, in Marathi भाग ई-राजपत्र जाहिरात (नावात बदल). That is the correct service. Two other entries alongside it cover the date of birth change and the religion change.
Step 4: how do you pay, track and download?
Payment is made on the portal's own gateway. The department's published user manual lists the form fee as Rs 522.47 open category and Rs 272.47 backward category, the second needing an old name caste certificate attached. Government fees are revised, so the figure the portal shows you at the application stage governs.
Status is tracked on the Gazette Gallery at egazzete.mahaonline.gov.in, where you select the service and enter your Applicant ID and Registration Number. Published gazettes are searched on the same system. For portal problems the department publishes a helpline on 022 61316404 and the email dgps.support@mahait.org, plus complaint registration on the MahaOnline Suvidha portal.
Watch the state process and the notification itself
How to make a Gazette Notification in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में गजट नोटिफिकेशन कैसे बनाएं
Name changing process in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में नाम बदलने की प्रक्रिया
What if the Government misses its own deadline?
The state route is not a black hole. Maharashtra has a statutory appeal ladder, and the gazette service sits inside it.
The change of name service is notified under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015 (Maharashtra Act XXXI of 2015), assented 19 August 2015 and published in the Maharashtra Government Gazette on 21 August 2015. Its own words: every eligible person has a right to obtain notified public services within the stipulated time limit. Aaple Sarkar carries that line across the top of the portal.
For the gazette change of name service the portal publishes the delivery standard and the officers by designation:
| What is published | For the change of name service |
|---|---|
| Service delivery standard | 15 days |
| Designated Officer | Junior Assistant Manager |
| First Appellate Officer | Assistant Manager |
| Second Appellate Officer | Manager, Directorate of Government Printing and Stationery |
How the appeal actually works
Under the Act a first appeal is filed within 30 days of a rejection or of the time limit expiring, extendable to 90 days for sufficient cause. A second appeal is filed within 30 days of the first appellate order, or within 45 days of filing the first appeal where no order arrives. A designated officer who fails without sufficient cause faces a penalty of Rs 500 to Rs 5,000, and above the departmental ladder sits the Maharashtra State Commission for Right to Service.
So a complete application that goes quiet is not something you have to chase through an agent. There is a designated officer, a documented first appeal, a second appeal above that, a helpline and a complaint facility. The Central Gazette has no equivalent guarantee and no appeal ladder at all, which is worth weighing when you choose a route.
How does the Central Gazette route work from Maharashtra?
Four stages, and the whole thing moves by post. Nobody from Maharashtra needs to travel to Delhi.
Step 1: affidavit and two newspaper notices
The same affidavit works, followed by the notice in two dailies that circulate where you live, one Marathi and one English. Keep the complete original printed page of each paper, not a cutting, because the Department checks the masthead and the date as well as the notice. The notice must carry your old name, your new name, your full address, your age, your parentage and the date of the affidavit.
Step 2: what goes into the Delhi file?
The file contains the original newspaper pages, a signed undertaking with old and new name, parentage and address, two copies of the prescribed proforma, computer typed and not handwritten, a soft copy of the notice text, a certificate signed by you that the hard and soft copies match, self-attested identity of the applicant and one witness, two photographs, and a request letter to the Controller of Publications. Keep every document less than one year old.
Step 3: paying the fee and posting the file
Pay only through bharatkosh.gov.in, the Government's Non-Tax Receipt Portal. The fee is commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, plus a charge per alias name, revised each financial year, so confirm the current figure on deptpub.gov.in before paying. It is not refundable. Do not arrange a demand draft; that route closed years ago, and any page asking for a draft in favour of a Controller of Publications in your own state is describing an office that does not exist. Post the signed file to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054. Speed post costs Rs 50 to Rs 200.
Applications are accepted from the applicant directly, not from agents, which is why an honest service prepares, checks and tracks your file while you sign and send it.
Step 4: getting your copy
Your notification appears in Part IV of the Gazette of India, in weekly Saturday dated issues, about 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi. Since 1 October 2015 the Gazette has been digital only, so you open the issue on egazette.gov.in, search the PDF for your old or new name, and download the whole gazette as your copy. It needs no further certification and it costs nothing.
What documents are required for a name change in Maharashtra?
Two lists, because the two routes want different things. The state route is upload only. The central route is a physical file.
For the state route, uploaded on Aaple Sarkar
- Notarised name change affidavit, scanned
- Aadhaar or other Government photo identity in the old name, self-attested
- Address proof in Maharashtra: electricity bill, water bill or rent agreement
- Scanned newspaper pages carrying both notices
- Passport size photograph
- Old name caste certificate, where you apply in the backward category
- Marriage certificate, divorce decree, birth certificate or adoption papers, as your case requires
For the central route, posted to Delhi
- Notarised name change affidavit, hard copy
- Complete original newspaper pages of both notices, one Marathi and one English
- Two copies of the prescribed proforma, computer typed, signed and attested
- A signed undertaking with old and new name, parentage and address
- A CD with the notice text in MS Word, without the witness portion, and a certificate signed by you that the hard and soft copies match. The Department of Publication guidelines still list this
- A certificate signed by you that the hard copy and soft copy contents match
- Self-attested photo identity of the applicant and of one witness
- Two passport size photographs
- Request letter to the Controller of Publications
What else applies to your case?
- Marriage certificate, if the change follows a marriage
- Divorce decree, if you are reverting to a maiden name, plus the other parent's consent or sole custody proof where a child's surname is changing
- Birth certificate of the child, where the applicant is a minor and a parent or guardian applies
- Adoption papers, where relevant
- Deed attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, if you apply from abroad
- Departmental deed, if you are a Central Government employee, under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12 March 1987
What you do not need
- A demand draft in favour of a Controller of Publications in Maharashtra. No such office exists. The central fee goes through BharatKosh only
- A lawyer or a court order for an ordinary change. You need a notary, not a court
- A visit to a Government office with the child for a minor's application, which several copied pages still demand
Why do people change their name in Maharashtra?
Every one of these is a normal, accepted reason. You do not need an unusual story to apply.
Marathi to English spelling
The same name reaching English differently across decades of records: Deshmukh and Deshmuk, Sawant and Sawanth, Shinde and Shinday.
The middle name problem
The Maharashtrian convention of carrying a father's or husband's given name in the middle, written in full on one paper and as an initial on another.
Marriage and divorce
Taking a husband's surname, sometimes a new first name as well, or reverting to a maiden name after a decree.
Change of religion
A name matching a change of faith. Maharashtra publishes the religion change itself as a listed service.
Date of birth correction
Handled only by the state gazette, because the Central Gazette does not publish date of birth changes.
Who can apply, and what you need
Any Indian citizen at any stage of life: a husband or a wife independently, a parent or guardian for a minor, a Maharashtra resident living in another state, or an NRI with a permanent Maharashtra address. You need Indian citizenship, a valid Government photo identity, and a stated reason written into the affidavit. Nothing more: there is no six month residence rule and no criminal record condition in the Government's own service listing, whatever a competing page says.
What does a name change in Maharashtra really cost?
Short answer: the state application fee published in the department's own manual is Rs 522.47 open category, and the Central Government fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult.
| Item | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp paper and notary | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | A local notary in any district. |
| Two newspaper notices | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 | One Marathi daily and one English daily that circulate where you live. |
| State e-Gazette fee, open category | Rs 522.47 | As published in the department's own user manual. Confirm what the portal shows you at the application stage. |
| State e-Gazette fee, backward category | Rs 272.47 | Requires an old name caste certificate to be attached with the application. |
| Central Gazette fee, adult | Commonly Rs 1,100 | Paid through BharatKosh only. The Department of Publication revises it each financial year. |
| Central Gazette fee, minor | Commonly Rs 1,700 | Applies to anyone under 18. Also paid through BharatKosh. |
| Speed post to Delhi | Rs 50 to Rs 200 | Central route only. The state route needs no post at all. |
| Applying from abroad | Around Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,000 | Central route, plus embassy or consulate attestation of the deed. |
| Realistic self-done total | Rs 1,500 to Rs 6,000 | Depends on the route and on which newspapers you choose. |
| Documentadvisor assistance | Quoted per case | Charged separately from Government charges. Call 9540005002 for a fixed quote before you commit. |
One more thing worth knowing before you commit. The Central Gazette fee is not refundable. If the file comes back because the surname was spelled one way on the affidavit and another way on a notice, you pay it again and wait again. That is the entire reason we settle the exact wording in writing before anything is drafted.
How long does a name change take in Maharashtra?
Short answer: about 2 to 4 weeks on the state route, 3 to 7 weeks on the central route, and there is no paid fast track on either.
Day 1 to 2
Documents collected, the exact wording confirmed in writing, affidavit drafted and notarised at a local notary.
Day 2 to 9
Notices booked in one Marathi and one English daily. Publication follows each paper's schedule, so allow 2 to 7 days, then collect the printed pages.
State route, then 15 days
The Aaple Sarkar application is filed with the uploads and the fee, against a 15 day delivery standard with an appeal ladder behind it.
Central route, then 30 to 45 days
Proforma and certificate prepared, fee paid on BharatKosh, file posted to Delhi, then Part IV about 30 to 45 days after it arrives.
Plan 2 to 4 weeks on the state route and 3 to 7 weeks on the central route. If you are running both, start them together rather than one after the other.
Which parts of Maharashtra do we serve?
Both routes run online and by post, so your district changes nothing. We support applicants across all 36 districts and six divisions.
Call 9540005002, WhatsApp 9540005064, or write to support@documentadvisor.in. Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. For the all-India process, see our complete name change service guide.
Related guides
Other states written up in the same detail, plus the national process, in case your records sit in more than one place.
What do the gazette terms actually mean?
The words that appear on every name change website, and the Maharashtra specific ones, in language people actually use.
- Gazette notification
- A formal announcement printed in the official journal of a Government. For a name change it is what Aadhaar, PAN, passport offices, banks, boards and employers accept as legal proof.
- DGPS
- The Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Mumbai, which publishes the Maharashtra Government Gazette and runs the four citizen gazette services.
- Aaple Sarkar
- The Maharashtra citizen services portal at aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, where every state gazette application for a name, religion or date of birth change is filed.
- Part II
- The part of the Maharashtra Government Gazette carrying personal notifications. The portal names the services after it: Gazzette Part 2 for change of Name.
- Part IV
- The section of the Gazette of India carrying notices from private people rather than Government. Part IV belongs to the Central Gazette only.
- Gazette Gallery
- The Maharashtra e-Gazette system where you check status with your Applicant ID and Registration Number, and search published state gazettes.
- Right to Public Services Act
- The Maharashtra Act of 2015 giving every eligible person the right to a notified service within a stated time, with two appeals and a penalty for failure.
- Designated Officer
- The official responsible for delivering a notified service in time. For the gazette change of name service the portal shows a Junior Assistant Manager.
- Affidavit
- A written statement you swear is true, signed before a notary. It records your old name, new name, parentage, date of birth, address and the reason for the change.
- Proforma
- The application format the Department of Publication requires on the central route, computer typed in two signed and attested copies.
- BharatKosh
- The Non-Tax Receipt Portal at bharatkosh.gov.in, the only accepted channel for the Central Gazette fee. Demand drafts and bank transfers were discontinued.
- Registrar correction
- A correction to a birth or death record under Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969, through the body that issued the certificate. Not a gazette matter.
What do you update after the gazette, and in what order?
The gazette is the middle of the journey, not the end. Doing this in the wrong order turns a four week job into a four month one.
| Order | Record | Why it comes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar | Almost everything else verifies against Aadhaar. Update it first at an enrolment centre with the notification, the affidavit and your identity document. |
| 2 | PAN card | The correction form asks for proof, and an updated Aadhaar makes this straightforward. |
| 3 | Bank accounts | Banks check the PAN and Aadhaar pair. Updating the bank before both agree creates a mismatch. |
| 4 | Passport | Re-issue with the change of name, checking the given name and surname fields are filled the way you intend. The middle name treatment matters most here. |
| 5 | Voter ID and driving licence | Straightforward once Aadhaar carries the new name. |
| 6 | EPFO or UAN and insurance policies | Employer linked records. HR usually needs the notification on file first. |
| 7 | School, board and university records | Slowest of the lot. Each board runs its own procedure and charges its own fee. |
| 8 | Property, society, GST and business records | Handle last, once the identity documents all agree with each other. |
Aadhaar rules are published on uidai.gov.in and passport re-issue rules on passportindia.gov.in.
Aadhaar and the driving licence
How to change a name in the Aadhaar card in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में आधार कार्ड में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to change the father name in the Aadhaar card महाराष्ट्र में आधार कार्ड में पिता का नाम कैसे बदलें
How to change a name in the driving licence in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस में नाम कैसे बदलें
School, board and marksheet records
How to change a name in the class 10 marksheet in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में 10वीं की मार्कशीट में नाम कैसे बदलें
Name change in the class 10 marksheet in Maharashtra, step by step महाराष्ट्र में 10वीं की मार्कशीट में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to change a name in a school record in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में स्कूल रिकॉर्ड में नाम कैसे बदलें
Is a birth certificate mistake a gazette matter in Maharashtra?
No, and this is one of the most common things people here are sold wrongly. If the error sits in a birth certificate, a wrong spelling, a wrong parent's name or a missing child's name, the fix is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the body that issued it: the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai, your municipal corporation or nagar parishad elsewhere, or your gram panchayat.
A gazette notification will not change the entry in the birth register. The two live in different systems, and the Civil Registration System portal is crsorgi.gov.in. Anyone pushing every birth certificate case into a gazette application is charging you for the wrong process. Where a case genuinely needs both, we say so and quote the two separately.
Birth certificate corrections, on video
How to change a name in a birth certificate in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में जन्म प्रमाण पत्र में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to change the father name in a birth certificate महाराष्ट्र में जन्म प्रमाण पत्र में पिता का नाम कैसे बदलें
Which special situations come up most in Maharashtra?
Five cases we see constantly, starting with the one that is almost unique to this state.
Marathi to English spelling mismatches
The most common real case in the state. The same name reaches English differently across decades of records: Deshmukh and Deshmuk, Shinde and Shinday, Sawant and Sawanth. Add the Maharashtrian convention of carrying the father's or husband's given name as the middle name, recorded in full on one paper and as an initial on another, and one person ends up with several written identities. A gazette declaring one final written form gives every office the same version.
Name change after marriage or reverting after divorce
Both directions are ordinary. Taking a husband's surname, or in some families a new first name too, follows the same stages with the marriage certificate attached. Reverting to a maiden name after a divorce follows the same route with the decree attached. If you simply keep your maiden name and change nothing, no gazette is needed at all.
A minor child's name
A parent or legal guardian applies and makes the declaration, attaching the child's birth certificate. Where a surname changes after a divorce, expect to provide the other parent's consent or proof of sole custody. On the central route the minor fee applies, commonly Rs 1,700. Nothing requires you to take the child to a Government office, whatever an old page says.
NRIs with a Maharashtra address
An NRI with a permanent Maharashtra address can use the state route. For a name that has to work on foreign paperwork the Central Gazette is the stronger anchor: execute the deed abroad, get it attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, and apply to Delhi, budgeting around Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,000.
Surname, divorce and a minor child, on video
How to change a surname in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में सरनेम कैसे बदलें
How to change your name after divorce in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में डायवोर्स के बाद नाम कैसे बदलें
How to change a minor child name in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में माइनर का नाम कैसे बदलें
What changes for Government employees in Maharashtra?
Central Government employees follow the Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12 March 1987: a deed of change of name is executed and routed through the department, so that the service book is updated alongside the gazette notification.
State Government employees should likewise inform their department. A service record that does not match the published name creates a second problem, usually at promotion or pension, years later. Ask your department one thing before you spend anything: what they need on the service record, and in what order. Send us any departmental circular and we build the file around it.
What names does the law not allow, and what do you gain by doing it properly?
You may take almost any name you like. Almost.
Names that will not be accepted
- A name taken in order to hide your identity
- A name taken to escape a debt, a liability or a legal proceeding
- A name that is obscene or offensive
- A name containing punctuation marks or symbols
- A name that impersonates another person for gain
A change of name does not erase anything behind you. Your old records stay linked through the notification itself, which names both the old and the new name. That is the point of publishing it.
What you gain by doing it legally
- Official recognition that every department works from, public or private
- One written form that Aadhaar, PAN, bank, board and passport records all follow
- An end to the Deshmukh and Deshmuk problem across old and new documents
- Marriage, divorce, land and society papers that match your identity documents
- No lawyer and no court order needed, because this is an administrative process
What mistakes get Maharashtra applications rejected?
Every one of these is avoidable, and every one of them costs the fee again, because it is not refundable.
On the state route
- A typing error in the new name on the portal, because the gazette publishes exactly what you enter
- Newspaper wording that does not match the affidavit, even by one letter or one initial
- Selecting the backward category without attaching the old name caste certificate
- Losing the Registration Number, which is what status checks and any appeal are built around
- Reaching the portal through a search result instead of typing the official address, and paying a private site that looks official
On the central route
- Submitting cuttings instead of complete original newspaper pages
- Handwritten proforma, when it must be computer typed
- Paying by demand draft instead of BharatKosh, or to an office that does not exist
- Applying for a date of birth change to the Central Gazette, which does not publish them at all
Should you do it yourself or take professional help?
Maharashtra's state route is genuinely self serviceable, and we will say so plainly.
| Point of comparison | Doing it yourself | Using Documentadvisor |
|---|---|---|
| Money out | Rs 1,500 to Rs 6,000, if nothing goes wrong | Government charge plus a quoted service charge |
| Your time | A notary visit, two newspaper bookings, portal registration and uploads, or the proforma and dispatch on the central route | About 30 minutes of sending scans and confirming the wording |
| Travel | Local trips only. Neither route needs a counter visit | None |
| The judgement calls | Real. Which route your case needs, whether the problem is a name, a date of birth or a Registrar correction, and the exact wording | We work that out first, then keep one written form across every paper |
| Risk of paying twice | The central fee is not refundable, and one variation sends the file back after weeks | We check the wording with you in writing before anything is drafted |
| Best if | A plain state route change, records all inside Maharashtra, comfortable with the portal | A passport, a service record, both routes together, or a case that is not actually a name change |
Plenty of people finish the state route without paying anyone, and the department has made that possible with a user manual, a status tracker, a helpline and CSC centres. The value of help sits in the judgement calls: which route your case needs, whether the problem is a name change or a date of birth change or a Registrar correction, the exact affidavit and advertisement wording, and holding one written form across every document. On the central route one mismatch means the file comes back with the fee gone. Compare the whole range of name change services before deciding. Since the Central Gazette accepts applications only from the applicant directly, an honest service prepares and tracks your file rather than claiming to submit it for you.
Name change consultant in Maharashtra महाराष्ट्र में नेम चेंज कंसल्टेंट
Your Trust and Security First
A name change means handing your identity documents to someone you have never met. We take that seriously, and we would rather be slow and correct than fast and wrong.
Your documents stay private
Your scans go to one advisor and one file. We do not resell your details, add you to a marketing list, or share your papers outside your case.
We tell you which route you actually need
State e-Gazette, Central Gazette, both, or neither because your case is really a Registrar correction. We work that out before quoting, and we say so when the state route is something you can finish yourself.
Nothing is filed without your written yes
We send the exact wording, letter by letter, including the middle name treatment, and wait for your confirmation before anything is typed or booked. The central fee is not refundable, so this protects your money.
Government charge shown separately
Our charge and the Government charge are always quoted as two lines. You see exactly how much reaches the Government and how much is for our work, before you pay anything.
One advisor, start to finish
The same person handles your file from the first scan to the published notification, on the same number you first called. You never repeat your case to somebody new.
Your originals come back to you
Original newspaper pages and the affidavit come back once the file is accepted, and we keep a scanned set so a lost document years later is not a fresh problem.
Everything You Need, In One Place
One place for the paperwork people find hardest: gazette notifications, affidavits, newspaper advertisements, rental agreements and property papers. Drafted, checked and filed by a team that does it daily.
Document Services
India's trusted documentation consultant and newspaper ad portal
How It Works
Booking a service with Documentadvisor is as easy as 1-2-3. Sit back and let our team do the work.
Book
Call, WhatsApp or fill the form. Tell us your old name, the complete new name you want, your district and where the name has to be accepted, then send clear scans. It takes about ten minutes.
Schedule
We confirm the route and the exact wording with you in writing, draft the affidavit, then schedule the Marathi and English notices and either the Aaple Sarkar filing or the Delhi file in the right order.
Relax
We track the application, send you the published notification, and give you a written checklist of which record to update next. No travel, no queues, no wrong office.
The questions Google gets asked most about Maharashtra
How can I change my name legally in Maharashtra?
Two routes. State: a notarised affidavit and newspaper publication, then an online application on Aaple Sarkar, published in Part II of the Maharashtra Government Gazette. Central: affidavit, two newspaper notices and a signed file posted to the Gazette of India in Delhi, published in Part IV in about 30 to 45 days.
Which website is the official Maharashtra gazette name change portal?
Applications go through aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, and the department's own site is dgps.maharashtra.gov.in, which publishes the user manual, the CSC list and the status links. Type these directly rather than opening whichever official looking site a search returns.
Can I change my date of birth through the gazette?
In Maharashtra, yes. Change of date of birth is one of the four listed citizen services, filed on the same portal. The Central Gazette does not publish date of birth changes at all, so no Central application helps with that correction.
What is the fee for the Maharashtra state gazette name change?
The department's own published user manual lists the form fee as Rs 522.47 open category and Rs 272.47 backward category, the second needing an old name caste certificate. Government fees are revised, so the amount the portal shows at the application stage governs.
Start your Maharashtra name change today
Tell us your old name, the complete new name you want, your district and where the name has to be accepted. We will tell you which route your case needs, what the file requires, the total cost and the timeline, before you pay anything.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️support@documentadvisor.in
- 📍Near Hanuman Mandir, Metro Pillar No. 376, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. 2nd Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Plot No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Frequently asked questions on name change in Maharashtra
The questions we are asked on the phone every day.
Where do I actually apply for the Maharashtra gazette name change?
What does the Maharashtra state gazette cost?
Which part of the gazette does my notification appear in?
Can the gazette change my date of birth?
Can I change my religion through the state gazette?
What if my application crosses the timeline?
Is there a residence period or criminal record condition?
Where is the Central Gazette office?
How do I pay the Central Gazette fee?
Do I need a CD, and will anyone courier me a printed gazette?
My birth certificate has a spelling mistake. Do I need the gazette?
Are the Rs 999 gazette offers real, and can I pay extra to publish faster?
People also search for: DGPS Maharashtra gazette, Aaple Sarkar name change, Maharashtra gazette status check, gazette office in Mumbai, gazette name change Pune, name change agent in Mumbai, date of birth change in Maharashtra gazette, religion change gazette Maharashtra, name change fees in Maharashtra, name correction in Aadhaar card, gazette name change for minor in Maharashtra.
Where can you verify all of this yourself?
Every fact above can be checked at these sources. Please do check them.
- Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, MumbaiThe state gazette department: the four citizen services, the user manual, the CSC list and the helpline.
- DGPS e-Gazette name change user manual (PDF)The department's own walkthrough, and where the Rs 522.47 open category and Rs 272.47 backward category fees are published.
- Aaple Sarkar, Maharashtra citizen services portalWhere the name, date of birth and religion applications are actually filed, with the service standard and appeal officers.
- Gazette Gallery, Maharashtra e-Gazette systemStatus by Applicant ID and Registration Number, and search of published state gazettes.
- Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015Maharashtra Act XXXI of 2015: the right to a notified service in time, the 30 day first appeal, and the penalty for failure.
- Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964Section 1A states that the official language of the State of Maharashtra shall be Marathi, which is why the notice belongs in a Marathi daily.
- Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960Act 11 of 1960, assented 25 April 1960, appointed day 1 May 1960, and the words that made Bombay the State of Maharashtra.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalSearch and download published Central Gazette notifications free. Your Part IV notification appears here.
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe single Central Gazette office, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, with the guidelines, the proforma and the current fee.
- BharatKosh, the Non-Tax Receipt PortalThe only accepted channel for the Central Gazette fee. Demand drafts and direct transfers were discontinued.
- Civil Registration System, Registrar General of IndiaBirth and death registration, and the framework for Registrar corrections under the RBD Act, 1969.
The short version
Everything on this page in ten lines
- Maharashtra has two real routes: the state e-Gazette through Aaple Sarkar, and the Central Gazette of India in Delhi.
- The state gazette publishes date of birth changes and religion changes. The Central Gazette does not publish date of birth changes at all.
- The state change of name service carries a 15 day standard, with a Designated Officer and two appeal levels under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015.
- The department's own user manual lists the state fee as Rs 522.47 open category and Rs 272.47 backward category, the second requiring an old name caste certificate.
- The Central fee is commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, paid only on BharatKosh, revised each financial year and not refundable. No demand draft.
- There is exactly one Central Gazette office, in Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Nothing with that pincode sits in Maharashtra.
- The notices go in one Marathi daily and one English daily. Marathi is the official language of the State under the 1964 Act, and Hindi is not the requirement.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969, through the BMC, your municipal body or gram panchayat.
Change your name once, and change it properly
Send us your documents on WhatsApp today. We will tell you which route your case needs, the total cost and the timeline before you pay anything. Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Thane, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and every Maharashtra district.