When setting up your myGovID your name needs to match across your Australian identity documents.
If you’ve had a change in name or your name doesn’t match across your Australian identity documents, you may be able to verify this using a marriage certificate. Your marriage certificate needs to:
- be issued in Australia, in print (not handwritten)
- display your full previous name and the name you have taken (your partner’s name).
If your name has changed more than once through marriage and the name on your identity documents are different as a result, you’ll need to verify this using multiple marriage certificates.
Further exceptions may apply to you depending on the state or territory you were born in.
Once verified, you’ll be recognised by your married name in your myGovID.
If you don’t wish to be recognised by your married name or cannot use your certificate to verify your change of name online, see Your name is different for alternative options.
On this page
Examples of marriage certificates
When using a marriage certificate to verify your change in name, you’ll need to enter the following details in your myGovID app:
- First person listed
- Given name/s
- Family name
- Second person listed
- Given name/s
- Family name
- On the marriage certificate I am
- enter ‘First person listed’ or ‘Second person listed’
- Date of marriage
- Registration number (do not include any letters)
- Registration date (QLD only).
These two examples show common locations where you’ll find the details on your marriage certificate.
ACT, QLD, SA, NT, TAS and VIC
NSW and WA
Information by state or territory
How you verify your marriage certificate may depend on state or territory it was issued in:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- New South Wales (NSW)
- Northern Territory (NT)
- Queensland (QLD)
- South Australia (SA)
- Tasmania (TAS)
- Victoria (VIC)
- Western Australia (WA).
Australian Capital Territory
Names with special characters
If your name includes a special character, you’ll need to enter this in English alphabet characters.
Single name
If you only have a family name for either person on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
If you only have a given name for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change in name online.
New South Wales
Registration number
If your certificate was issued between 1952 and 1974, enter the ‘District number’ or the ‘Particulars of Registration’ number in the Registration number field.
If your certificate was issued in Norfolk Island or before 1952 and does not have a registration number it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have a family name for either person on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
If you only have a given name for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change in name online.
Previous family name listed
If your certificate includes extra information on your family, such as a previous family name, you must enter all of these details.
Northern Territory
Registration number
Registration numbers on NT marriage certificates can be made up of numbers and letters.
You should only enter the numbers after the last letter or punctuation element in the Registration number field, for example you would:
- enter 45, for registration number NT 123/45
- enter 40, for registration number 136 book 40.
Single name
If you only have a family name for either person on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
If you only have a given name for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change in name online.
Queensland
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1963, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change in name online.
South Australia
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1999, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
SA Districts
Your certificate cannot be verified online if it was issued by the SA District of:
- Adelaide
- Angaston
- Burra
- Clare
- Daly Encounter Bay
- Flinders
- Frome
- Gawler
- Gilbert
- Grey
- Hindmarsh
- Kapunda
- Mount Barker
- Murray
- Norwood
- Pinnaroo
- Pirie
- Port Adelaide
- Robe
- Talunga
- Willunga.
If your certificate was issued by one of these districts you can apply for a new change of name certificate through the SA Registry of Births, deaths and marriages.
Single name
If you only have a family name for either person on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
If you only have a given name for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Tasmania
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1992, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Victoria
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1992, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) for either person on your certificate and the other field has ‘no registered surname’ or ‘no registered given name’, enter the details as they appear.
If you only have a family name for either person on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
If you only have a given name for either person on your certificate, it cannot be used to verify your change of name online.
Western Australia
If your certificate was issued in the Cocos Islands or Christmas Island, it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) for either person on your certificate, enter it into the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank for that person.
Registration number
If your certificate was issued before 26 November 2001 it will include a registration number and district name. You will need to enter both the district number and registration number in the Registration number field.
For example, registration number 1/234/56/X:
- 1 is the district number
- 234 is the registration number.
You would then enter 0100234 in the Registration number field.
For the list of District numbers, see the Western Australian Registration District Codes.