Queensland Numbered Acts

BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES REGISTRATION ACT 2023 - SECT 15

15 Application to change child’s first name within a year of birth

(1) This section applies if a child’s birth or adoption was registered in Queensland.

(2) The child’s parents may apply to register a change of the child’s first name.

(3) However, 1 of the parents may apply to register a change of the child’s first name if—

(a) the parent is the only parent of the child entered in the relevant child register; or

(b) the other parent is dead and there is no other person with parental responsibility for the child; or

(c) the parent has sole parental responsibility, under a parenting order made under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth) , part VII, to make decisions about—

(i) major long-term issues for the child; or

(ii) the child’s name; or

(d) a Magistrates Court approves the change of name under section 16 .

(4) A person may apply to register a change of the child’s first name if—

(a) circumstances stated in column 1 of the table in schedule 1 , part 1 apply to the person in relation to the child; and

(b) the person is a person mentioned in column 2 of the table opposite those circumstances.

(5) Two or more persons may apply to register a change of the child’s first name if—

(a) circumstances stated in column 1 of the table in schedule 1 , part 2 apply to the persons in relation to the child; and

(b) the persons are persons mentioned in column 2 of the table opposite those circumstances.

(6) An application made under this section—

(a) must be in the form required by the registrar and made in an approved way; and

(b) must be accompanied by the fee prescribed by regulation; and

(c) may be made only once and within a year of the child’s birth.

(7) The registrar may register, or refuse to register, a change of a child’s first name.

(8) The registrar must refuse to register a change of a child’s first name to a prohibited name.

(9) Before registering a change of a child’s first name the registrar may require the applicant to provide evidence to satisfy the registrar of the applicant’s identity.

(10) In this section—

"register a change" , of a child’s first name, means register a change of the child’s first name in the relevant child register.