---
title: "Legal name change in Manitoba: forms and cost"
url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/manitoba"
description: "Legally change your name in Manitoba: handled by Vital Statistics Branch (Government of Manitoba). Compare all 13 provinces and territories."
site: "Canada Service Map"
author: "Mahmoud Halat"
publisher: "Space & Story"
lastReviewed: "2026-10-13"
licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data."
---
# Legal name change in Manitoba: forms and cost

Manitoba · Identity and documents

Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 13 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word.

## 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)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/bodies/the-government-of-manitoba). Handles it in Manitoba.

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

## Official links

- [Legal change of name](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 12 October 2026

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.
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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.
- Documents must be originals or copies confirmed by an eligible witness, and translated into English or French if needed. Source: [vitalstats.gov.mb.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.
- 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.
- Residential school and Sixties Scoop survivors and their families can have the government fees waived when reclaiming an Indigenous name. Source: [vitalstats.gov.mb.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## In every province and territory

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

| Province or territory | Who handles it | Official link | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| [British Columbia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/british-columbia) | Vital Statistics Agency (Government of British Columbia) | [Apply to change your name](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/legal-changes-of-name/legal-change-of-name-application), checked 12 October 2026 | Applicants 12 and older need a criminal record check done within 30 days before applying. |
| [Alberta](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/alberta) | Alberta registry agents (Vital Statistics, Government of Alberta) | [How to apply](https://www.alberta.ca/legal-name-change), checked 12 October 2026 | Apply in person at a registry agent with electronic fingerprints and a criminal record check. |
| [Saskatchewan](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/saskatchewan) | eHealth Saskatchewan (Vital Statistics) | [Apply for a legal name change](https://www.ehealthsask.ca/residents/birth-marriage-death-certificates/change-your-name), checked 12 October 2026 | Taking a spouse's surname after marriage does not need a legal name change. |
| Manitoba (this page) | Vital Statistics Branch (Government of Manitoba) | [Legal change of name](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 12 October 2026 | Apply by mail or in person by appointment; adults also need a certified criminal record check. |
| [Ontario](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/ontario) | ServiceOntario (Office of the Registrar General) | [Apply to change your name](https://www.ontario.ca/page/change-name), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Quebec](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/quebec) | Directeur de l'état civil | [How to change your name](https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/EN/change-name.html), checked 12 October 2026 | You must have lived in Québec for at least one year and show a serious reason. |
| [New Brunswick](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/new-brunswick) | Vital Statistics (Service New Brunswick) | [How to change your name](https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/family-home-community/vital-statistics/change-of-name.html), checked 12 October 2026 | Apply by mail using the application booklet on this page; there is no online application. |
| [Nova Scotia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/nova-scotia) | Vital Statistics (Service Nova Scotia) | [Change your legal name](https://www.novascotia.ca/change-your-name-or-name-your-spouse-or-child), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Prince Edward Island](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/prince-edward-island) | Vital Statistics (Government of PEI) | None on record |  |
| [Newfoundland and Labrador](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/newfoundland-and-labrador) | Vital Statistics Division (Government Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) | [How to change your name](https://www.gov.nl.ca/gs/birth/legal-name-change/), checked 12 October 2026 | Paper application with a criminal record check; no online option. |
| [Yukon](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/yukon) | Vital Statistics (Government of Yukon) | None on record | You must be a Yukon resident to change your name in the Yukon. |
| [Northwest Territories](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/northwest-territories) | Registrar General of Vital Statistics (Department of Health and Social Services) | [How to change your name](https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/changing-name-adult), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Nunavut](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change/nunavut) | Nunavut Vital Statistics (Department of Health) | None on record | Contact Nunavut Vital Statistics at 1-800-661-0833 or nuvitalstatistics@gov.nu.ca for the application. |

## 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

### 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

### 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

### 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.ca](https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/change_of_name.html), checked 13 October 2026.

## More

- [Legally change your name in every province and territory](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/name-change)
- [Public services in Manitoba](https://canadaservicemap.ca/provinces/manitoba)
- [Get or renew a passport](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/passport)
- [Get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/sin)
- [Get proof of Canadian citizenship](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/citizenship-certificate)
- [Apply for Indian status or a status card](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/status-card)
- [Order a birth certificate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/birth-certificate)
- [Order a death certificate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/death-certificate)

## 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