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How to change your name after marriage or divorce in Canada

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Just married, or going back to your former name? Start here.

Most Canadians do not need a formal legal name change after marriage. You simply update your ID using your marriage certificate. This guide explains exactly what to do, in what order, for every province and territory.

Choose your province or territory

Ontario →British Columbia →Alberta →Saskatchewan →Manitoba →Quebec →Nova Scotia →New Brunswick →Prince Edward Island →Newfoundland and Labrador →Yukon →Northwest Territories →Nunavut →
  1. 1

    Common Questions

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    How much does it cost to change your name in Canada?

    It depends which route you need. Assuming a spouse’s surname after marriage is not a formal name change, so there is no provincial name-change fee: you update your ID with your marriage certificate. Updating your SIN at Service Canada is free. A passport costs $163.50 for a 10-year adult book or $122.50 for a 5-year adult book as of 2026-03-31. A formal legal name change is a separate provincial process with its own fee, and those differ by province: choose yours below for the exact amount.

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  2. 2

    The most important thing to understand

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    Assumed surname (what most people do): In all 12 common-law provinces and territories, after marriage you may assume your spouse's surname, a hyphenated combination, or revert to your birth name, without any formal legal name change. You just update your ID with your marriage certificate. This does NOT change your birth certificate.

    Legal name change (a separate, formal process): Required only if you want to change the name on your birth certificate itself, or to adopt a name not covered by the assume-a-spouse's-surname rule. Involves Vital Statistics (or the courts in Nunavut), fees, and in some provinces, a criminal record check and Gazette publication.

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  3. 3

    Quebec is a major exception

    Under the Civil Code of Québec, marriage does not change your name.Open this section ↓

    Under the Civil Code of Québec, marriage does not change your name. Both spouses keep their birth name on all civil and legal documents. There is no assumed surname and nothing to revert after divorce: your legal name is always your birth name. A formal name change through the Directeur de l'état civil requires a “serious reason” and mandatory public notice.

    Quebec name change guide →↑ Close this section
  4. 4

    The national order of operations

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    The sequence matters. Updating provincial ID before the passport is a hard dependency: IRCC requires the submitted provincial ID to already show your new name.

    1

    Marry

    Officiant registers the marriage with provincial Vital Statistics. This takes a few weeks.

    2

    Order your marriage certificate

    From the province or territory WHERE you married (not the licence, the registered certificate issued by Vital Statistics).

    3

    Update your SIN (Service Canada)

    Free. Can run at the same time as step 4. Your SIN number does not change.

    4

    Update provincial driver's licence + health card

    Critical: do this BEFORE the passport application. Use your marriage certificate.

    5

    Apply for a new passport (IRCC)

    Only after provincial ID already shows the new name. Full fee: no amendment option. Fee as of 2026-03-31: $163.50 (10-yr) / $122.50 (5-yr); indexes annually.

    6

    Update CRA, banks, employer

    None of these update automatically. CRA: phone (single name) or mail/fax (both names). Banks: online or branch.

    Critical: Step 4 (provincial ID) MUST come before step 5 (passport). IRCC requires the submitted provincial ID to already show your new name.
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    Choose your province or territory

    Select your province or territory for the full guide: assumed-surname rules, legal name change details, marriage certificate ordering, provincial ID update steps, and a free downloadable checklist.Open this section ↓

    Select your province or territory for the full guide: assumed-surname rules, legal name change details, marriage certificate ordering, provincial ID update steps, and a free downloadable checklist.

    ONOntarioBCBritish ColumbiaABAlbertaSKSaskatchewanMBManitobaQCQuebecExceptionNSNova ScotiaNBNew BrunswickPEPrince Edward IslandNLNewfoundland and LabradorYTYukonNTNorthwest TerritoriesNUNunavut
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  6. 6

    Federal pieces (same in every province)

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    SIN: Service Canada (free)

    Updating your legal name on your SIN record is required by law. Your SIN number does not change. Bring your marriage certificate (or legal change-of-name certificate/court order) showing both old and new name, plus primary and secondary ID.

    Online (~5 business days), by mail (~20 business days), or in person at a Service Canada centre.

    canada.ca: SIN update

    Passport: IRCC

    After provincial ID

    A name change requires a NEW passport at the full fee: there is no amendment or reduced rate. Submit your marriage certificate or divorce order / resumption-of-surname certificate / court order.

    Your submitted provincial ID must already show the new last name before IRCC will accept the application. Update your driver's licence and health card FIRST.

    Fee as of 2026-03-31: $163.50 (10-yr adult) / $122.50 (5-yr adult). Passport fees index annually under the Service Fees Act. Verify the current fee on the IRCC website before applying.

    IRCC live fee page

    CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)

    CRA cannot update a name fully online. Changing a single name (first OR last) can be done by phone. Changing both names requires mail or fax with a vital-statistics name-change certificate or court order.

    Call the CRA to change your name, which takes effect immediately, or send or fax a letter to your tax centre, which takes 4 to 6 weeks after they receive it. There is no online option, and the CRA does not pass a name change to other departments.

    CRA does not share your name change with other departments. Update banks, employer, and other accounts separately.

    CRA: update personal information
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    Related guides

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    Change of Address

    Who to notify when you move: free per-province checklist.

    Replace Lost Documents

    Lost birth certificate, SIN, licence, health card, or passport.

    Separation Agreement

    Property, support, and parenting when a relationship ends.

    When Someone Dies

    Administrative checklist after a death, including name updates.

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Facts checked July 2026

Guidepost is not a law firm. This guide is for general information only. Full disclaimer