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Manitoba · Identity and documents

Legal name change in Manitoba: forms and cost

Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked

Short answer

To legally change your name in Manitoba, you must have lived there for at least three months. Send the Application for a Legal Change of Name, your birth certificates or citizenship papers, photo ID, proof of residence and fees to the Vital Statistics Branch, or apply in person by appointment. The total is $120.07. Adults get a criminal record check only after Vital Statistics asks.

Who handles it

Vital Statistics Branch (Government of Manitoba)

Handles it in Manitoba.

Apply by mail or in person by appointment; adults also need a certified criminal record check.

Canada Service Map is independent and not a government website. The official page always has the final word.

Who can apply

  • You must have lived in Manitoba for at least three months right before you apply, and be 18 or older, or younger if married, common-law or a parent with custody.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

Steps

  1. Fill in the Application for a Legal Change of Name and mail it with your documents and fees to the Vital Statistics Branch at 254 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, or book an appointment to apply in person.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

  2. Adults must provide a certified criminal record check, but only after Vital Statistics reviews and accepts the application and sends instructions.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

What you need

  • If born in Canada, include all your birth certificates. If born elsewhere, include your citizenship certificate or PR card. Everyone also needs photo ID and proof of Manitoba residence.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

  • Documents must be originals or copies confirmed by an eligible witness, and translated into English or French if needed.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

Cost

  • The fee is $100 plus a $20.07 Manitoba Gazette fee, for $120.07 in total. Each extra family member on the same application costs $70.07. New Manitoba birth certificates are $30 each.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

Good to know

  • You do not need a legal name change to take or combine your spouse's surname after marriage, or to go back to your old surname after divorce or a spouse's death.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

  • Name changes are published in the Manitoba Gazette, except when the reason relates to being transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse or Two-Spirit.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

  • Residential school and Sixties Scoop survivors and their families can have the government fees waived when reclaiming an Indigenous name.

    Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

Questions people ask

How much does a legal name change cost in Manitoba?

$120.07, which is the $100 change of name fee plus the $20.07 Manitoba Gazette fee. Each extra family member on the same application is $70.07. The criminal record check is paid to the agency separately.

Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

When do I get the criminal record check for a Manitoba name change?

Only after Vital Statistics reviews and approves your application and sends you an information sheet with instructions. People 17 and younger do not need one.

Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

Do I need a legal name change to use my spouse's last name in Manitoba?

No. You can keep your surname, take your spouse's, or combine them. Most organizations will ask to see your marriage certificate. Your birth certificate stays the same.

Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

What happens after Vital Statistics gets my criminal record check?

If there are no designated offences or other grounds for refusal, your legal change of name certificate is processed and mailed to you.

Source: vitalstats.gov.mb.cachecked #

In every province and territory

The same service across Canada: who handles it and the official link. Manitoba is marked.

Province or territoryWho handles itOfficial linkGood to know
British ColumbiaVital Statistics Agency (Government of British Columbia)Apply to change your namechecked Applicants 12 and older need a criminal record check done within 30 days before applying.
AlbertaAlberta registry agents (Vital Statistics, Government of Alberta)How to applychecked Apply in person at a registry agent with electronic fingerprints and a criminal record check.
SaskatchewaneHealth Saskatchewan (Vital Statistics)Apply for a legal name changechecked Taking a spouse's surname after marriage does not need a legal name change.
ManitobaThis pageVital Statistics Branch (Government of Manitoba)Legal change of namechecked Apply by mail or in person by appointment; adults also need a certified criminal record check.
OntarioServiceOntario (Office of the Registrar General)Apply to change your namechecked
QuebecDirecteur de l'état civilHow to change your namechecked You must have lived in Québec for at least one year and show a serious reason.
New BrunswickVital Statistics (Service New Brunswick)How to change your namechecked Apply by mail using the application booklet on this page; there is no online application.
Nova ScotiaVital Statistics (Service Nova Scotia)Change your legal namechecked
Prince Edward IslandVital Statistics (Government of PEI)None on record
Newfoundland and LabradorVital Statistics Division (Government Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)How to change your namechecked Paper application with a criminal record check; no online option.
YukonVital Statistics (Government of Yukon)None on recordYou must be a Yukon resident to change your name in the Yukon.
Northwest TerritoriesRegistrar General of Vital Statistics (Department of Health and Social Services)How to change your namechecked
NunavutNunavut Vital Statistics (Department of Health)None on recordContact Nunavut Vital Statistics at 1-800-661-0833 or nuvitalstatistics@gov.nu.ca for the application.

Cite this page

Canada Service Map, "Legal name change in Manitoba: forms and cost", checked 13 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/manitoba