How to Change Your Name After Divorce in New Brunswick

Most people assume changing their name after divorce means filling out forms and paying fees. In New Brunswick, it depends entirely on what name you want to go back to — and the difference can save you $130.

There are two completely separate paths, and choosing the wrong one wastes time and money.

Path 1: Restoring Your Birth Name (Free)

If you want to return to your birth surname — or a surname you used in a previous marriage — you don't need to apply for a formal name change at all. New Brunswick treats this as a "name restoration," not a legal change.

Here's what you do:

1. Gather three documents: your original Canadian Birth Certificate, your Marriage Certificate, and your Certificate of Divorce.
2. Visit Service New Brunswick in person with these originals. Present them at the counter.
3. Update your driver's licence at the same visit — they can process the name restoration on your licence immediately.
4. Update your Medicare card by submitting the Medicare Updates and Changes Form with a copy of your birth certificate (if born outside NB) or by indicating your birth name on the form (if born in NB). No fee for this update.

No application fee. No waiting period. No publication in the Royal Gazette. The key requirement is that you're going back to a name already documented in provincial vital statistics records.

Path 2: Formal Legal Name Change ($130)

If you want to adopt a completely new surname — one you've never used before — you must apply through Service New Brunswick Vital Statistics under the Change of Name Act.

This is a more involved process:

Eligibility: You must be at least 16 years old and have lived in New Brunswick for a minimum of three months.

Required documents:

• The "Change of Name for Adults" application booklet from Service New Brunswick
• All original birth certificates (yours and any children included in the application)
• A long-form birth certificate showing parentage
• An original criminal record check from your local police or the RCMP, issued within the last 12 months
• A Declaration of Sponsor — signed by an adult who has known you for at least two years and is not a family member, sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public

Fee: $130 for a surname change. If you're also changing a child's surname at the same time, add $65 per child.

Publication requirement: By law, registered name changes are published in the New Brunswick Royal Gazette. If you have safety concerns, you can request a publication exemption from the Registrar General — but you'll need to provide evidence of a significant threat to personal safety.

Changing a Child's Last Name After Divorce

Changing a child's surname after divorce requires written consent from every person who has legal custody or guardianship of the child. If one parent refuses to consent, you must apply to the Court of King's Bench for an order authorizing the name change.

The court considers the child's best interests, including the child's relationship with both parents and how long the child has used their current name. This isn't a rubber stamp — judges in New Brunswick's Family Division regularly decline these applications when the only motivation is severing a connection to the other parent.

If both parents agree, the process follows the same formal name change path: $65 per child, same documentation requirements, same Royal Gazette publication.

What to Update After Your Name Changes

Once your name is restored or legally changed, you need to update it everywhere — and the order matters because some agencies require documentation from others:

1. Driver's licence — Visit Service New Brunswick in person with your current licence and proof of name change
2. Medicare card — Submit the Medicare Updates and Changes Form (no fee)
3. Social Insurance Number — Contact Service Canada with your Certificate of Divorce or Change of Name Certificate
4. Canadian passport — Submit a completely new passport application to IRCC (passports can't be amended)
5. CRA records — Update via My Account or call 1-800-959-8281
6. Banks and financial institutions — Each requires their own identity verification process
7. Vehicle registration — Update at Service New Brunswick when you update your licence

The New Brunswick After-Divorce Checklist includes the complete name change sequence with every form, fee, and deadline laid out — plus tracking worksheets so you don't miss any account.

See more New Brunswick guides →