Name Change & dvla

You can get a statutory declaration from a solicitor if you don't want to send your original marriage certificate. I'm not sure I'd trust the DVLA with mine. When I originally sent in a change of name, I sent a solicitor certified copy (we hadn't realised the DVLA won't accept these, as literally everyone else accepts them, and a stat dec from a solicitor is basically just confirming that they've seen your marriage cert. which is exactly what a certified copy from a solicitor does, so it's bizarre they will accept one and not the other!) which was returned to me after 3 months, covered in coffee stains!!! I didn't want that happening to my original certificate!

I didn't include a return envelope with mine and my certificate came back pristine after a week. I had bought multiples from the registrar just in case so it wouldn't have been a problem if it never came back or came back damaged.


You may need to balance the cost of special delivery with the risk it may take longer than a week and not be used, vs £11 to order a new one if it returns damaged.

View quoted message

Hi, thanks for the reply. I did get two copies from the day but still want to send it off safely. Solicitor may be an option. It all seems such a faff and costly! Thanks again 😁

Thanks Hayley...just saw your reply too! Maybe that's the way to go.....

My husband sent his off after the wedding, with a certified copy of the certificate, we bought a spare certificate when we got married, as the £11 seemed worth it. The new driving licence came back 2.5 weeks later, and the certificate in a separate envelope was a couple of days after that. We just let the DVLA post it back to us, save on postage fees, and as Hayley mentioned it’s only £11 if they do lose it to get a new one.

I've just done mine. Used normal post. The new licence came back after 2 weeks and the marriage certificate was sent separately a few days later.