Affidavit for Name Change in Siliguri
A name-change affidavit is a sworn statement, often called a halafnama, that you are the same person under an old name and a new one. A notary at our Hill Cart Road chamber can attest it if you come in person with identity papers. The affidavit does not, by itself, change your Aadhaar, passport or school record.
What a name-change affidavit is
People ask for this paper when a spelling has been wrong for years, after marriage or divorce, or when one record says a short name and another says the full name. Banks, passport offices and some colleges ask for a sworn line that both names are yours.
An affidavit is not a court order. You state the facts. You sign it. A Notary Public, appointed under the Notaries Act, 1952, attests that you signed it. In everyday speech in Siliguri people still say halafnama.
Which laws matter
The Notaries Act, 1952 is the law that creates notaries and, in broad terms, allows them to attest instruments. The Indian Oaths Act, 1969 is the law people rely on when a statement is made on oath or affirmation. The paper is usually written on stamp paper. The stamp value follows the West Bengal stamp rules for that kind of affidavit, and those rules change, so we check the current practice on the day you come.
Some offices also ask for a gazette notification or a newspaper publication. That is a separate step. Notarising the affidavit does not publish the gazette for you. If your passport or Aadhaar must be corrected, that department has its own form and its own decision.
Papers to carry
Bring originals. A photocopy alone is a weak start. If a paper is already lost, say so before we draft.
Adult changing a spelling or adding a surname
- Photo identity with the old name, such as Aadhaar, PAN or voter card
- Any paper that already shows the new spelling
- Two passport-size photographs if the receiving office asks for them
- The form or letter from the bank, college or passport office, if they gave you one
After marriage or divorce
- Marriage certificate or divorce papers, if you have them
- Identity in the old name
- The name you want on the new records
- A relative's identity only if that office has asked for a witness
Which case is yours?
Find the row that matches your papers. The first step is yours. The last column is the office that still has to accept the paper.
| Your situation | What you do first | Who else is involved |
|---|---|---|
| A spelling differs on two of your cards | Bring both cards and the form that was refused | The bank, college, or passport counter that asked for the affidavit |
| You want the name used after marriage | Bring the marriage certificate if you have it, and your identity in the earlier name | The passport office or Aadhaar centre named on your form |
| The name is a child's | The parent who will swear comes with the child's papers | The school or enrolment centre named on the form |
First 24 hours
Keep the note from the bank, college, or passport counter that refused the name. On the first day, put the identity card with the old name next to any paper that already shows the new spelling.
You come to the Hill Cart Road chamber with those originals and you sign the affidavit yourself. The affidavit supports the request you will file. It does not, by itself, change Aadhaar, a passport, or a school record.
What happens at the chamber
The visit is at Ground Floor, PNB building, Hill Cart Road, opposite Meghdoot Cinema Hall. Come yourself. A notary should see the person who swears.
- Read the draft We write the old name, the new name, and why they differ. You must read it. Do not sign a line that is not true.
- Sign before the notary You sign in the office. Identity is checked against the original card you brought.
- Take the attested set You leave with the notarised affidavit. The next office, not the notary, decides whether it is enough for their file.
When you know which row matches your papers, call or send them on WhatsApp.
What goes wrong
The usual mistake is a draft that does not match the card. If Aadhaar says one spelling and the affidavit says another, the passport counter will stop the file. Another mistake is using the affidavit as if it had already changed the government record. It has not.
A false statement on oath is serious. Do not invent a parent's name or a date to make two records match. If the records conflict, tell us. We will describe the conflict instead of hiding it.
What this paper cannot do
There is no general time limit for making a name affidavit. The office you are applying to may have its own last date. Making the affidavit does not change Aadhaar, PAN, a marksheet or a passport. It does not replace a gazette notice if that office insists on one. It does not decide a family dispute about what your name should be.
Why people come to a chamber
A rejected file often means a second trip, a fresh stamp paper and a missed appointment. Reading the receiving office's note before the affidavit is typed saves that loop. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost before you buy stamp paper on your own, because the wrong value is a common reason a counter sends people back.
If this feels personal
A name is not a small clerical detail. It can be a marriage, a divorce, or a spelling you have been correcting since school. You do not have to explain your whole life at the counter. You do have to tell the truth in the affidavit. Many people in Siliguri do this paper every month. You are not the first.
How this office helps
Our work on this paper is the notary work, not a promise that another department will accept it.
- Draft the affidavit for the old name and the new name
- Check the identity papers you bring
- Attest it as Notary Public at the Hill Cart Road chamber
- Explain what the paper does not change
- Tell you if the note from the bank or passport office asks for something this affidavit is not
Questions people ask
How much does a name change affidavit cost in Siliguri?
Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
How long does the notary visit take?
If you come with the identity cards and a clear old name and new name, the chamber work is often finished in one visit. A gazette, a newspaper or the passport office will take their own time after that.
Is a notarised affidavit enough to change Aadhaar?
No. The affidavit supports your request. UIDAI, or the centre that updates Aadhaar, follows its own checklist. Ask them what they want before you assume the affidavit is the last paper.
Do I need a gazette notification?
Some banks and passport files ask for it. Others accept the affidavit with identity cards. Read the note they gave you. If you do not have a note, call us and describe the office that asked.
Can someone else sign for me?
No. The person whose name is changing should be at the chamber, unless a law lets a guardian swear for a minor. Tell us if the person is a child.
What if my father's name is also different on two cards?
Say that plainly. Do not hide it inside a name-change line. A second fact may need its own sentence, or a different paper.
Is this the same as a deed poll?
People use that English phrase for a name change. In this chamber the usual paper is an affidavit on stamp paper, attested by the notary. The office that receives it may still want the gazette.
Talk to the office
Bring the papers you have. Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
This page is general information for people in Siliguri and North Bengal. It is not legal advice for your papers. Rules, stamp requirements and office practice change. Call the chamber before you rely on it.