Name Change Procedure in Meghalaya
Most guides for this state are copied from somewhere else, and it shows: some tell you to advertise in Hindi, one is written about a city in Uttar Pradesh. Naming here genuinely works differently. This page gives you the real process for all 12 districts, the right newspaper languages, honest fees, and the clan-name problem no other guide covers.
Video: the name change procedure in Meghalaya
Prefer to watch? This walkthrough covers the gazette office question, the affidavit and the notification itself. Fourteen more videos sit further down, each next to the section it explains.
Name Change Procedure in Meghalaya, Gazette Office and Name Correction • every video on this page loads only when you press play, so none of them slow it down
All fifteen Meghalaya videos on this page
Each video sits next to the section it explains, so you can jump straight to the one you need: the procedure itself, the documents, the Aadhaar and passport updates, birth certificates, board and education records, Government employees, and consultants and agents. Most are in Hindi, which is how the process is usually explained at a notary counter.
To change your name in Meghalaya, make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two daily newspapers, one English and one in your local language, then post a signed file to the Central Gazette of India in Delhi with the prescribed proforma and the fee paid on BharatKosh. Your notification appears in Part IV on egazette.gov.in in about 30 to 45 days. Meghalaya has no counter where a private person files a name change.
Search the name change procedure in Meghalaya and you will find pages written for other states with the place name swapped in. One well-ranked page still says Noida in its body text. Several tell you to advertise in a Hindi daily, which is the wrong instruction for this state. And more than one tells you to submit your application physically to a gazette department in Meghalaya, which does not exist for personal name changes.
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 12 districts of Meghalaya
- Legal stages
- Affidavit, newspaper notices, gazette notification
- Citizen route
- Central Gazette of India, Part IV, filed from Meghalaya by post
- Central office
- Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054
- State gazette
- Printing and Stationery Department, Shillong. Government business only, no citizen counter
- Newspapers
- One English daily and one Khasi or Garo daily. Not Hindi
- Central fee
- Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, revised yearly, not refundable
- Payment channel
- bharatkosh.gov.in only. No demand draft, no bank transfer
- Time
- 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi, 3 to 7 weeks end to end
- Where to download
- egazette.gov.in, free, digital only since 1 October 2015
- The local complication
- Clan names pass through the mother, while proformas ask for a father's name
- Not a gazette matter
- A birth certificate error, which is a Registrar correction
Key takeaways
- The process has three stages: a notarised affidavit, newspaper publication, and the gazette notification that makes it legal.
- Meghalaya has no citizen gazette counter. The Printing and Stationery Department publishes the state gazette for Government business. Residents use the Central Gazette of India, and the file travels by post.
- There is exactly one Central Gazette office: Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054. Nothing requires you to travel there.
- The notices go in one English daily and one Khasi or Garo daily. Under the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, promulgated on 27 April 2026, English, Khasi and Garo are the official languages of the State. Hindi is not the instruction here.
- Clan names in Meghalaya pass through the mother, which collides with proformas written for a father's surname. There is a clean way to handle it, and it is covered in full below.
- The Government fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in. The Department of Publication revises it each financial year, so confirm the current amount before paying.
- The whole job takes 3 to 7 weeks. Gazette hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015, so you download the PDF free from egazette.gov.in and it needs no further certification.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. It is not a gazette matter.
How do clan names and the mother's line affect a gazette file?
This is the section every other guide skips, and it matters more here than anywhere else in India.
The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities are matrilineal. Descent, inheritance and the clan name pass through the mother, and children carry the mother's clan name rather than the father's. The Khasi clan is the Kur, and marriage outside your own clan is the rule. Among the Khasi the youngest daughter, Ka Khadduh, traditionally holds the ancestral property and the responsibilities that come with it, and the Garo have their own version through the clan estate. This is a living system that shapes families across the state, not a historical footnote.
Now look at the paperwork. Affidavit formats, newspaper notice wording and gazette proformas used across India ask for the applicant's father's or husband's name, because they were written for a patrilineal default. That mismatch is where Meghalaya files go wrong. It shows up in a few recurring ways:
Where the friction actually appears
- A form field asks for the father's name while your records and clan name follow your mother's line, and the two documents then disagree
- A school certificate records the clan name in one form and a later Aadhaar entry records it in another, or drops it entirely
- A child of an inter-community marriage carries the mother's clan name at home but a father's surname on some document, and no office reconciles them
- Someone moving out of the state finds that systems elsewhere read the clan name as a middle name, or split it wrongly
How a careful file handles it
The fix is not to abandon the customary name. It is to decide the exact final written form of the name you want on record, spell and order it identically on the affidavit, on both newspaper notices and on the proforma, and let the gazette notification declare it once for every office to follow.
Where a form insists on a father's name field and your actual identity runs through the mother's clan, the affidavit should be drafted to state your parentage accurately and declare the name change clearly, rather than forcing your family into the wrong box. A well-drafted affidavit carries both truths without contradiction. That is what a careful drafter is actually for.
Why does a gazette matter in a state that was named before it existed?
Meghalaya's own name arrived decades before the state did, and making it official took two Acts of Parliament.
The geographer S. P. Chatterjee coined the name in 1936, from the Sanskrit for abode of clouds. It took another thirty-six years to attach that name to a state. First the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969 created an autonomous state inside Assam, effective 2 April 1970. A state within a state, an arrangement with no earlier example in Indian federalism. Then the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, enacted on 30 December 1971, granted full statehood, and Meghalaya was born on 21 January 1972 with Shillong as its capital. The same Act made Manipur and Tripura full states and created Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh as Union Territories. The whole movement was peaceful and constitutional.
And the pattern has not stopped. On 27 April 2026 the Governor promulgated the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026 under Article 213(1) of the Constitution, declaring English, Khasi and Garo the official languages of the State and repealing the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005. English continues in all civil and criminal courts.
Is there a gazette office in Meghalaya for a name change?
The honest answer, and the three claims circulating online that are simply wrong.
Meghalaya does publish a Government gazette. It comes out through the Printing and Stationery Department, whose Directorate has been in Shillong since 1982, with a Branch Press at Tura from 1983 and a Branch Press at Jowai from 2011. The department describes itself as a serving department for Government offices, and what the gazette carries is Government business: notifications, orders and departmental matter sent in by departments. There is no public window where a private citizen files a personal name change.
So for a name change that a passport office, UIDAI, a bank, a university or an employer outside the state will accept without argument, Meghalaya residents apply to the Central Gazette of India. The file goes by speed post, and geography costs you nothing: an applicant in Nongstoin follows exactly the same steps as one living in Delhi.
| Point of comparison | Gazette of Meghalaya | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Printing and Stationery Department, Directorate at Shillong, branch presses at Tura and Jowai | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054 |
| Who can file | Government departments and offices. There is no citizen counter for a personal name change | Any Indian citizen, applying directly in their own name |
| What it carries | Government notifications, orders and departmental matter | Part IV carries notices from people rather than from Government |
| How you apply | Not applicable to a private applicant | A signed physical file by post, courier or by hand |
| Fee | Not applicable | Commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, on BharatKosh, revised each financial year |
| Where to get your copy | Published issues appear on the department's own website | Downloaded free from egazette.gov.in |
| Reach | State Government business | All India and international: passport, central boards, banks and consulates everywhere |
How does the name change procedure in Meghalaya work, step by step?
Five stages. Nothing on this list needs you to travel, and nothing needs an agent to submit for you.
Settle the written form
Decide the exact spelling, spacing and order of the new name before anything is drafted, including where the clan name sits. Everything after this has to match it letter for letter.
Affidavit, then notices
Sworn before a notary, then the same notice in two dailies, one English and one Khasi or Garo, with the complete original printed page of each kept as proof.
The Delhi file
Proforma, undertaking, soft copy with a matching-contents certificate, identity of applicant and witness, photographs, fee on BharatKosh, then post it.
Step 1: prepare and notarise the affidavit
Get an affidavit drafted on stamp paper stating your old name, your new name, your parentage, your full address in Meghalaya, and the reason for the change, then sign it before a notary. Stamp paper and the notary fee together usually cost Rs 100 to Rs 500, and notaries sit in the district headquarters.
Decide the exact written form of the new name before this document is drafted. Where your identity runs through the mother's clan and the form expects a father's name, this is the document that has to state your parentage accurately while declaring the change clearly. Get that right here and the rest of the file follows it.
Step 2: which newspapers, and in which languages?
Publish the same notice in two daily newspapers that circulate where you live: one English daily and one in your local language, Khasi for the Khasi and Jaintia hills or Garo for the Garo hills. Under the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, English, Khasi and Garo are the official languages of the State, so those are the natural and accepted choices. A Hindi paper is the wrong instruction for Meghalaya, however many copied guides repeat it, and you can now point at a dated Ordinance rather than argue about preference.
The notice has to carry your old name, your new name, your full address, your age, your parentage and the date of the affidavit. Keep the complete original printed page of each newspaper, not a cutting. Two notices usually cost Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 depending on the titles and the edition.
Step 3: what goes into the Delhi file?
Your file should contain the original newspaper pages carrying both notices, a signed undertaking showing your old and new name with parentage and residential address and declaring the facts are true, two copies of the prescribed proforma signed and attested, a soft copy of the notice text as the department directs, a certificate signed by you declaring that the hard copy and soft copy contents match, self-attested identity proof of the applicant and of the witness, two passport size photographs, and a request letter to the Controller of Publications.
Keep every supporting document recent. The Department expects papers that are not older than one year, so an affidavit or a newspaper page from an earlier abandoned attempt will sink the file.
Step 4: how do you pay the fee?
The fee is paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in, the Government's Non-Tax Receipt Portal. It is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor, with an additional charge per alias name if you publish aliases. The Department of Publication revises these amounts each financial year, so confirm the current figure on deptpub.gov.in before you pay. The fee is not refundable, whether the file is published or returned. Do not arrange a demand draft and do not make a direct bank transfer, because that route closed years ago.
Step 5: where do you send it, and how do you get your copy?
Send the complete signed file by post or courier to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Speed post from Shillong or Tura works exactly as well as walking it in from a Delhi address, and costs Rs 50 to Rs 200. Applications are accepted from the applicant directly, not from agents, which is why an honest consultant prepares and checks your file end to end while you sign and send it.
Your notification then appears in Part IV of the Gazette of India. Physical printing and sale of hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015, so you find your issue on egazette.gov.in, search the PDF for your old or new name, and download the whole gazette as your own copy. It needs no further certification.
Watch: the name change process in Meghalaya
The Name Changing Process in Meghalaya मेघालय में नाम बदलने की प्रक्रिया
How to Change a Name in Meghalaya मेघालय में नाम कैसे बदलें
What documents are required for a name change in Meghalaya?
One list, for the Central Gazette file that every private applicant sends.
The core file
- Notarised name change affidavit, hard copy
- Aadhaar or other Government photo identity in the old name, self-attested
- Address proof in Meghalaya: electricity bill, water bill or rent agreement
- Complete original newspaper pages of both notices, one English and one Khasi or Garo
- Two copies of the prescribed proforma, signed and attested
- A soft copy of the notice text, as the department directs
- A certificate signed by you that the hard copy and soft copy contents match
- Signed undertaking with old and new name, parentage and residential address
- Two passport size photographs
- Self-attested photo identity of one witness
- Request letter to the Controller of Publications
Add these where they apply
- Marriage certificate, if the change follows a marriage
- Divorce decree, if the change follows a divorce
- Birth certificate of the child, where the applicant is a minor
- Deed attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, if you apply from abroad
- Departmental deed, if you are a Government employee
- Where the clan name is involved, any earlier record carrying it, so the final written form can be checked against what already exists on paper
Watch: the documents your file needs
Documents Required for a Name Change in Meghalaya मेघालय में नाम परिवर्तन के लिए दस्तावेज़ की आवश्यकता
Documents Required for a Name Change in Meghalaya, in detail मेघालय में नाम परिवर्तन के लिए आवश्यक दस्तावेज़
Why do people change their name in Meghalaya?
Every one of these is a normal, accepted reason. You do not need an unusual story to apply.
Clan name on record
Settling which written form of the clan name goes on official papers, when documents disagree or split it differently.
Spelling across records
The same name written differently across decades of certificates, so a school record and an Aadhaar entry no longer agree.
Studying or working away
Systems outside the state reading a clan name as a middle name, or splitting it wrongly on a form.
Errors on record
A mistake in a school certificate, a board marksheet or an employment record that has followed you since.
Marriage and divorce
Adding a spouse's name, or keeping your own name and recording it clearly. Both are entirely ordinary here.
Inter-community families
Children carrying the mother's clan name at home and a father's surname on some document, with no office reconciling them.
Numerology or astrology
A widely used reason in India. The gazette treats it like any other stated reason.
Change of religion
A name that matches a change of faith, recorded so identity documents follow.
Gender change
Handled quietly, with the document set that fits your case.
Who can apply
- Any Indian citizen, at any stage of life
- A husband or a wife, independently of each other
- A parent or legal guardian, on behalf of a minor
- A Meghalaya resident studying or working in another state
- An applicant living abroad, through an attested deed
What you need to qualify
- Indian citizenship
- A valid Government photo identity document
- A stated reason for the change, written into the affidavit
- For a minor, a parent or guardian who signs and takes responsibility
What you can change is equally broad: the full name, the spelling, or just the clan or family name. The affidavit states exactly what the old full name was and exactly what the new full name will be.
What does a name change in Meghalaya really cost?
Short answer: the Government fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor, and a realistic self-done total is Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000.
| Item | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp paper and notary | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | Notaries available in the district headquarters. |
| Two newspaper notices | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 | One English daily and one Khasi or Garo daily that circulate where you live. |
| Central Gazette fee, adult | Commonly Rs 1,100 | Paid through BharatKosh. 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. |
| Extra alias names | Charged per alias | Applies if you publish alias names alongside the main change. |
| Speed post to Delhi | Rs 50 to Rs 200 | The only distance cost in the whole process. |
| Applying from abroad | Around Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,000 | Plus embassy or consulate attestation of the deed. |
| Physical gazette copy | Does not exist | Hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015. You download the PDF free. |
| Realistic self-done total | Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 | All stages included, excluding repeat attempts. |
| 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 clan name was written 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 written form in writing before anything is drafted.
How long does a name change take in Meghalaya?
Short answer: 3 to 7 weeks end to end, and there is no paid fast track.
Day 1 to 2
Documents collected, the exact written form of the name confirmed with you in writing, affidavit drafted and notarised at your district headquarters.
Day 2 to 9
Notices booked in one English daily and one Khasi or Garo daily. Publication depends on each paper's schedule, so allow 2 to 7 days, then collect the complete original pages.
Day 9 to 15
Proforma, undertaking and matching-contents certificate prepared, the fee paid on BharatKosh, and the file dispatched to Delhi by speed post.
Day 30 to 45 after arrival
The notification is printed in Part IV. We find the issue on the e-Gazette portal, download the PDF and send it to you with the update checklist.
Plan for 3 to 7 weeks from the first phone call to a notification you can download. Distance adds a few postal days at most, so a file from Baghmara is not meaningfully slower than one from Delhi.
Which parts of Meghalaya do we serve?
The whole process runs online and by post, so hill roads and distance from Delhi change nothing. We support applicants across all 12 districts.
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, in language people actually use.
- Gazette notification
- A formal announcement printed in the official journal of a Government. For a name change it is the document Aadhaar, PAN, passport offices, banks, boards and employers accept as legal proof.
- Central Gazette
- The Gazette of India, published by the Department of Publication in Civil Lines, Delhi. Accepted everywhere in India and by foreign missions, and the route open to a Meghalaya citizen.
- Part IV
- The section of the Gazette of India carrying notices from people rather than from Government. Personal name change notifications appear here. Part IV belongs to the Central Gazette only.
- Gazette of Meghalaya
- The state gazette, published by the Printing and Stationery Department at Shillong with branch presses at Tura and Jowai. It carries Government business and has no citizen counter for a personal name change.
- Kur
- The Khasi clan. Descent, inheritance and the clan name pass through the mother, and marriage outside your own clan is the rule.
- Ka Khadduh
- The youngest daughter in a Khasi family, who traditionally holds the ancestral property and the responsibilities that come with it.
- Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026
- Promulgated on 27 April 2026 under Article 213(1) of the Constitution, declaring English, Khasi and Garo the official languages of the State and repealing the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005.
- Affidavit
- A written statement you swear is true, signed before a notary. For a name change it records your old name, your new name, your parentage, your address and the reason for the change.
- Proforma
- The prescribed application format the Department of Publication requires, submitted in two signed and attested copies with the rest of the file.
- BharatKosh
- The Non-Tax Receipt Portal at bharatkosh.gov.in, the only accepted channel for the Central Gazette fee. Demand drafts and direct bank transfers were discontinued there.
- e-Gazette
- The portal at egazette.gov.in where published Central notifications are searched and downloaded free. A download portal only, and the PDF is the official copy.
- Registrar correction
- A correction to a birth or death record under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths 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 every other service 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 a change of name. This is usually the record that matters most once you leave the state. |
| 5 | Voter ID and driving licence | Straightforward once Aadhaar carries the new name. |
| 6 | EPFO or UAN and insurance | Employer-linked records. Your HR department usually needs the notification on file first. |
| 7 | School, board and university records | Slowest of the lot. Each board runs its own correction procedure and charges its own fee. |
| 8 | Land, property and business records | Handle last. Bear in mind that land here often sits with clans and communities rather than with individuals, so a clan-held record follows its own route. |
Aadhaar rules are published on uidai.gov.in and passport re-issue rules on passportindia.gov.in. Both are listed in the sources at the foot of this page.
Watch: updating Aadhaar and the passport
How to Change a Name in an Aadhaar Card in Meghalaya मेघालय में आधार कार्ड में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to Change a Father Name in a Passport in Meghalaya मेघालय में पासपोर्ट में पिता का नाम कैसे बदलें
Changing a Name in an Aadhaar Card in Meghalaya, step by step मेघालय में आधार कार्ड में नाम कैसे बदलें
Is a birth certificate mistake a gazette matter in Meghalaya?
No, and this is the single most common thing 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. You apply to the body that issued the certificate: the Shillong Municipal Board, your town committee, or the local registrar in your district.
A gazette notification will not change the entry in the birth register. The two documents live in different systems. 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, which happens when you want a new name going forward and a corrected record going backward, we say so and quote the two separately.
Watch: birth certificate corrections in Meghalaya
How to Change a Name in a Birth Certificate in Meghalaya मेघालय में जन्म प्रमाण पत्र में नाम कैसे बदले
How to Change a Father Name in a Birth Certificate in Meghalaya मेघालय मे जन्म प्रमाण पत्र मे पिता का नाम कैसे बदले
Which special situations come up most in Meghalaya?
Four cases we see constantly, on top of the clan-name work covered above.
What settles a child's name in an inter-community family?
Marriages between tribal and non-tribal families, common in Shillong especially, often leave children with two competing naming logics on paper: the mother's clan name in one place and a father's surname in another. A gazette notification is the practical way to settle which form goes on official record, while the family keeps using whatever it wishes at home. Decide the final written form first, then make every document match it. A parent applies on the child's behalf, with the child's birth certificate attached.
What happens when you leave the state?
Meghalaya sends a large number of students and professionals to Guwahati, Delhi, Bengaluru and abroad, and that is usually when a name that worked perfectly at home starts producing problems. Systems elsewhere may read a clan name as a middle name, split it wrongly, or reject an application because a school certificate and an Aadhaar entry disagree. The Central Gazette settles it nationwide, because Part IV is valid in every state, and the file can be sent from wherever you are.
What changes after marriage in Meghalaya?
Customs differ here, and the paperwork should follow the person's actual choice rather than an assumption. Some applicants add a spouse's name, some keep their clan name unchanged, and both are ordinary. If you are changing anything, the same three stages apply with the marriage certificate attached. After a divorce, attach the decree instead. The gazette route works in both directions.
How does a parent apply for a minor child?
A parent or legal guardian applies on the child's behalf. The affidavit is sworn by the parent, the child's birth certificate is attached, and the minor fee applies, commonly Rs 1,700 with the same revision caveat. Both parents signing avoids objections later. The notification publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India, not in any state gazette, whatever some guides claim.
Watch: board and education records
How to Change a Name in a Class 10 Mark Sheet in Meghalaya मेघालय में 10वीं की मार्कशीट में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to Change a Name in an Education Document in Meghalaya मेघालय मे शिक्षा दस्तावेज़ में नाम कैसे बदले
What changes for Government employees in Meghalaya?
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 rather than doing the gazette quietly. A service record that does not match the published name creates a second problem rather than closing the first one. Ask your department one question 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.
Watch: name change for a Government employee
How to Change the Name of a Government Employee in Meghalaya मेघालय में सरकारी कर्मचारी का नाम कैसे बदले
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
- A permanent published record that never expires and never needs renewal
- One written form that Aadhaar, PAN, bank, board and passport records all follow
- A clan name that offices outside the state cannot split or misread
- Marriage, divorce, land and inheritance papers that match your identity documents
- No lawyer and no court order needed, because this is an administrative process
What mistakes get Meghalaya applications rejected?
Every one of these is avoidable, and every one of them costs the fee again, because it is not refundable.
Document problems
- The clan name written differently across the affidavit, the notices and the proforma, or split differently in one of them
- Publishing in Hindi papers because a copied guide said regional language Hindi, instead of English plus Khasi or Garo
- A newspaper cutting sent instead of the complete original printed page
- Soft copy text that does not match the hard copy, when a signed certificate says it does
- Supporting documents older than one year
Process problems
- Trying to submit the application physically at a gazette office in Meghalaya, which does not exist for this
- Advertising in a stack of national dailies that do not circulate where you live, on the advice of a template
- Expecting a minor's notification to publish in the Gazette of Meghalaya
- Paying by demand draft or bank transfer instead of BharatKosh
- Waiting for a printed gazette to arrive by courier, when hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015
- Updating the bank before Aadhaar and PAN agree with each other
Should you do it yourself or take professional help?
You can do the whole thing yourself, entirely by post. The trade is error risk, and in Meghalaya that risk sits mostly in the drafting.
| Point of comparison | Doing it yourself | Using Documentadvisor |
|---|---|---|
| Money out | Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000, if nothing goes wrong | Government charge plus a quoted service charge |
| Your time | A notary visit, two newspaper bookings, the proforma and certificate, the BharatKosh payment and the dispatch, plus follow-up | About 30 minutes of sending scans and confirming the written form |
| Travel | Local trips only. Nothing requires a visit to Shillong or Delhi | None |
| The drafting risk | Real. The affidavit has to state parentage accurately and still satisfy a proforma written for a different naming system | We draft that wording, then keep the exact same name form on both notices and the file |
| Risk of paying twice | The fee is not refundable, and one mismatch sends the file back after weeks | We check the written form with you in writing before anything is drafted |
| Best if | Your case is a plain adult name change with no clan-name complication | A clan name, an inter-community family, a passport, a service record or a minor is involved |
The risk sits in the details: getting the affidavit to state your parentage and clan name accurately while still satisfying a proforma written for a patrilineal default, then keeping that exact form on both notices and the file. One mismatch means the file comes back after weeks with the fee gone and another round of speed post ahead. You can compare the whole range of name change services we run before deciding. Because the Department accepts applications only from the applicant directly, an honest service prepares, checks and tracks your file, which you then sign and send.
Watch: what a consultant and an agent actually do
Name Change Consultant in Meghalaya मेघालय में नेम चेंज कंसल्टेंट
Name Change Agent in Meghalaya मेघालय में नेम चेंज एजेंट
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, we do not add you to a marketing list, and we do not share your papers with anyone outside your case.
We draft around your actual family, not a template
Where the clan name runs through the mother and the proforma asks for a father's name, we word the affidavit so it states your parentage accurately and still declares the change cleanly. We do not ask anyone to fit the wrong box.
Nothing is filed without your written yes
We send you the exact wording, letter by letter, including where the clan name sits, and wait for your confirmation before the affidavit is typed or a notice is booked. The fee is not refundable, so this step 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 notarised affidavit are returned 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 how your clan name should sit, then send clear scans. It takes about ten minutes.
Schedule
We confirm the exact written form with you in writing, draft the affidavit around your actual parentage, then schedule the English and local language notices and the Delhi file in the right order.
Relax
We track the file and send you the published notification, along with a written checklist of which record to update next. No travel, no queues, no counter that does not exist.
The questions Google gets asked most about Meghalaya
How can I change my name legally in Meghalaya?
Make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers, one English and one Khasi or Garo, then apply to the Central Gazette of India in Delhi with the prescribed proforma and the fee paid on BharatKosh. The notification in Part IV on egazette.gov.in is your legal proof, and it is valid across India and abroad.
Is there a gazette office in Meghalaya for a name change?
No. The state gazette, published by the Printing and Stationery Department at Shillong, carries Government notifications and has no counter for private applicants. Personal name changes go to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the file travels by post.
Do I have to submit my application physically somewhere in Meghalaya?
No, and this is the most damaging thing repeated online about this state. There is no gazette counter in Meghalaya for personal name changes. The file goes to Delhi by speed post or courier, and you never need to travel.
Which language should the newspaper notice be in?
One English daily and one in your local language, Khasi in the Khasi and Jaintia hills or Garo in the Garo hills. Under the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, English, Khasi and Garo are the official languages of the State. Hindi is not the requirement here.
My clan name comes from my mother. Will that be a problem in the forms?
It should not be, but the forms are written for a patrilineal default and ask for a father's or husband's name. The answer is careful drafting: an affidavit that states your parentage accurately and declares the name change clearly, with the exact same name form repeated on both notices and the proforma.
What is the Government fee for a gazette name change?
Commonly Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in, with a further charge per alias name. The Department of Publication revises these amounts each financial year, so confirm the current figure before paying, and note that the fee is not refundable.
How many days does a gazette name change take?
Publication takes about 30 to 45 days after your file reaches the Department of Publication. The whole process takes 3 to 7 weeks end to end from Meghalaya, with speed post adding only a few days. There is no official expedited option.
Do I need to advertise in national newspapers?
No. Two dailies circulating in your area is what the file needs. Guides telling Meghalaya readers to publish in all major national newspapers are repeating a template written for somewhere else.
Does India use deed poll like the United Kingdom?
No. India does not use the deed poll system. The Indian equivalent is the affidavit, newspaper and gazette route explained on this page. A deed of change of name is used mainly for Government service records and for applicants living abroad.
Do I need a lawyer or a court order?
No. A simple name change, including after marriage, is an administrative process. You need a notary for the affidavit, not a court. A lawyer becomes relevant only where there is a custody dispute or an existing court matter involving the name.
Start your Meghalaya name change today
Tell us your old name, the complete new name you want, your district and how your clan name should sit. We will tell you exactly what your file needs, what it will cost in total, and how long it will take, 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 Meghalaya
The questions we are asked on the phone every day.
Do I have to submit my application physically somewhere in Meghalaya?
Can I publish my name change in the Gazette of Meghalaya?
My clan name comes from my mother. Will that be a problem in the forms?
Which newspapers should I use for the notices?
Do I need to advertise in national newspapers?
What is the total cost of a name change in Meghalaya?
How do I pay the gazette fee?
Will I get a printed gazette certificate by post?
How do I find my notification on the gazette website?
How do I change my minor child's name in Meghalaya?
My child has a clan name from the mother and a surname from the father on different papers. What fixes it?
Can I change my name after marriage without a court order?
My birth certificate has a spelling mistake. Do I need the gazette?
Do board or university corrections need the gazette?
I am studying or working outside Meghalaya. Can I apply from there?
I am a Government employee. Is my process different?
Are the Rs 999 gazette offers real?
Is the gazette fee refundable if my application is rejected?
People also search for: gazette office in Shillong, Gazette of Meghalaya name change, name change after marriage in Meghalaya, clan name change Meghalaya, name change agent in Shillong, deed poll in India, name change fees in Meghalaya, name change in Tura, name correction in Aadhaar card, gazette name change for minor in Meghalaya.
Where can you verify all of this yourself?
Every fact above can be checked at these sources. Please do check them.
- Printing and Stationery Department, Government of MeghalayaPublishes the Gazette of Meghalaya. Directorate at Shillong since 1982, Branch Press Tura 1983 and Branch Press Jowai 2011, serving Government offices.
- 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. Carries the change of name 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.
- Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, Akashvani NewsKhasi and Garo declared official languages alongside English, under Article 213(1), published in the Extraordinary Gazette of Meghalaya, repealing the 2005 Act.
- Government of Meghalaya official portalDepartment listings and district information for all 12 districts.
- India Code, North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971Enacted 30 December 1971, granting Meghalaya full statehood on 21 January 1972 and reorganising the region.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaAadhaar name update rules, accepted proofs and enrolment centre locations.
- Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsRe-issue of a passport with a change of name, and the documents it needs.
- 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
- Meghalaya has no gazette counter for a personal name change. The file goes to the Central Gazette of India in Delhi, by post.
- The state gazette exists, published by the Printing and Stationery Department at Shillong with branch presses at Tura and Jowai, but it carries Government business.
- The three stages are a notarised affidavit, two newspaper notices, and the Central Gazette file posted to Civil Lines, Delhi 110054.
- The notices go in one English daily and one Khasi or Garo daily. The Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026 made all three official on 27 April 2026, and Hindi is not the requirement.
- Clan names pass through the mother while proformas ask for a father's name. A carefully drafted affidavit carries both truths, and the gazette settles the written form once.
- The fee is commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, paid only on BharatKosh, revised each financial year, and not refundable.
- Plan 3 to 7 weeks and Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000. Speed post from Tura or Baghmara adds only a few days.
- There is no expedited service, no printed gazette by courier since 1 October 2015, and no Central Gazette office anywhere in Meghalaya.
- A minor's notification publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India, not in the Gazette of Meghalaya.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969, through the body that issued it.
Change your name once, and change it properly
Send us your documents on WhatsApp today. We will tell you exactly what your file needs, the total cost and the timeline before you pay anything. Shillong, Tura, Jowai, Nongstoin, Williamnagar, Baghmara and every Meghalaya district.