Summer is wedding season!

Many couples choose to celebrate their love and commitment by getting married . In Canada, it’s quite common for one spouse to adopt the other’s last name (surname), or for both spouses to adopt a hyphenated name (hyphenated surname).

So how do you do it?

If you’re married to your spouse, you have two options:

1. You can simply assume your spouse’s name, or assume a hyphenated name consisting of your own and your spouse’s.

This is fairly easy to do. All you need is to bring your marriage certificate to the appropriate institutions (e.g., the DMV for your driver’s licence, the bank for your bank statements, Service Ontario for your health card). You may need to bring a piece of photo ID to identify yourself.

There’s generally no charge for the name change.

2. You can elect to change your surname.

This involves formally changing your name on your birth certificate. You will need to complete an Election to Change Surname form and send it to the Registrar General. This will result the publication of your new name in the Ontario Gazette, unless the Attorney General decides otherwise.*

When your name is legally changed under this method, you will be issued a change of name certificate indicating your new legal name(s).  A new birth certificate will be issued if you were born in Ontario. You then can take the certificate to change your name wherever necessary.

For more information, please visit the Government of Ontario website.

*Change of Name Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C4