Having a criminal record does not, in itself, prevent you from changing your name in the UK. There is no law that prohibits people with convictions from using a deed poll, and the process of obtaining a deed poll is identical for everyone. You complete the form, sign in front of two witnesses, and the document is legally valid. However, there are important legal obligations around disclosure that you should understand before proceeding, because a name change does not erase your criminal history.
If you are subject to a Sex Offenders Register notification requirement under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, you are legally required to notify the police of any change of name within three days. This is an absolute legal obligation and changing your name does not alter it — you must inform the police regardless of your reason for changing your name. Failure to notify is a criminal offence. This applies to any name you use, including nicknames or names used only in certain contexts.
Similarly, if you are subject to any court order that requires you to disclose your name or identity — such as a Sexual Harm Prevention Order or a Violent Offender Order — the conditions of those orders continue to apply in your new name. A deed poll does not extinguish any court-ordered obligation.
For those with spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a name change does not reset the rehabilitation period or affect the rules about when convictions must be disclosed. Spent convictions remain spent; unspent convictions remain unspent. Changing your name and then failing to disclose a conviction when legally required to do so — for example, in a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check — could itself constitute an offence.
If you are changing your name for a legitimate reason — to mark a new chapter in your life, to take a partner's name, or for any other personal reason — and you have no notification obligations or court orders that apply to you, then the name change process is identical to anyone else's. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice on your specific obligations; if you are unsure, please seek advice from a solicitor.