Once your deed poll is signed, you update your records yourself. There is no single place to register a name change in the UK, and nothing updates automatically, so you work through each organisation that holds your old name one at a time. The good news is there is no deadline, and your deed poll stays valid for life. Start with photo ID, deal with anything tied to money next, and pick off the rest at your own pace.
The checklist below runs in rough priority order. You will not need every line, only the organisations you actually deal with.
What documents do you need to change your name?
For almost everything on the list, one document does the job: your deed poll. Most organisations ask for a certified copy rather than the original, which is simply a photocopy signed by someone confirming it is a true copy. Make a stack of them up front, because you will be sending them to several places at once. If you changed your name through marriage and took your spouse's surname, your marriage certificate works in place of a deed poll for most organisations.
Name change checklist after marriage
If you married or formed a civil partnership, the organisations to notify are the same; only the evidence differs. Taking your spouse's surname is usually proved with your marriage or civil partnership certificate. You only need a deed poll if you are doing something a certificate cannot show: double-barrelling both surnames, blending them into a new one, or changing your first name as well.
Is there a deadline?
No. Nothing forces you to update your records by a set date, and your deed poll does not expire. Most people sort their passport and driving licence quickly, since those prove who they are, then work through the rest over weeks or months. There is no penalty for taking your time.
Do you have to notify everyone?
Only the organisations that actually hold records in your old name. Never had a Blue Badge or a student loan? Skip those lines. The point is consistency: anywhere your old name still appears is worth updating, so your ID, your money and your official records all match.