Affidavit formats: name change, address proof and lost documents
Choose the affidavit you need and fill in your details to get a draft to review. The guide then explains stamp paper in Maharashtra, who can attest your affidavit, and when a gazette notification may help with a name change. Ask the office that will receive it what it accepts.
This is general information, not legal advice for your situation. What you type stays in your browser unless you choose to send it to an advocate.
Step 1: choose your affidavit
Step 2: your draft affidavit
Stamp paper, attestation and gazette in Maharashtra
Stamp paper
| Who will receive it | What to know |
|---|---|
| A private party, such as a bank or a society | Article 4 of the Maharashtra Stamp Act sets Rs 500 for an affidavit. The rate rose from Rs 100 on 14 October 2024. |
| A government office or a court | A circular of the Inspector General of Registration dated 30 October 2024 says stamp duty is waived on affidavits filed in government offices and before courts, under a notification of 1 July 2004. It says offices should not insist on stamp paper, following High Court directions in PIL 58 of 2021 at the Aurangabad bench. A News On AIR report of 5 March 2025 records the same waiver for caste, income and nationality certificate applications. |
Ask the receiving office what form it accepts before you buy any paper. If an office or service centre asks for stamp paper for a government filing, you can show it the circular.
Who attests it
- Print the final text. Do not sign it yet.
- Go to a notary or an oath commissioner with original identity proof and a copy. A notary can take affidavits under Section 8 of the Notaries Act, 1952. Some oath commissioners are appointed for court matters only, so ask first.
- Confirm the contents, then sign in front of that person, who adds a signature, seal and date. Check each detail, because you are stating the contents on oath.
- Ask how many originals you need. Many offices keep the one you give them.
Changing your surname after marriage
Each office has its own list, so ask what it needs before you start. For a passport, the instruction booklet lists these for a woman changing her name or surname in an existing passport because of marriage: the old passport, with an attested copy of the marriage certificate or a joint photo declaration signed by both spouses (Annexure J). The compendium says a deed poll is not required to replace a maiden surname with the husband’s surname.
When a gazette notification may help
For a complete change of name, the passport booklet lists clippings from two local newspapers or the state gazette notification. An office can also ask for a gazette notification in other cases. In Maharashtra:
- Apply through the Directorate of Government Printing or the Aaple Sarkar portal, for publication in Part Two of the gazette.
- The fee listed is Rs 559 for general applicants and Rs 309 for reserved categories, taxes included (checked November 2026).
- Papers listed: identity proof, address proof, photograph, and for a change after marriage, the marriage registration certificate. An affidavit is listed for a middle name change.
- Publication normally follows within 15 days of the application. This part of the gazette comes out weekly.
- Check the old and new names with care, because the directorate says it cannot change details once the application is complete.
Address proof and lost documents
Before you pay for either affidavit, ask the receiving office whether it will accept one. For a lost document, the issuing office decides what it needs for a duplicate. Many ask for a police report as well. Do not state that you have reported the loss unless you have.
Common questions
What stamp paper does an affidavit need in Maharashtra?
Article 4 of Schedule I to the Maharashtra Stamp Act sets Rs 500 for an affidavit, raised from Rs 100 in October 2024. A circular of 30 October 2024 says duty is waived on affidavits filed in government offices and before courts. Ask the receiving office before you buy any paper.
Who can attest an affidavit in Maharashtra?
A notary can take an affidavit under Section 8 of the Notaries Act, 1952. Oath commissioners also administer oaths, though some are appointed for court matters only, so ask first. Sign only in front of the person attesting it, and carry original identity proof when you go there.
Do I need a gazette notification to change my surname after marriage?
Not always. Passport instructions for a woman changing her surname after marriage list the marriage certificate or a joint photo declaration, not a gazette notification. Other offices set their own lists. The Maharashtra gazette route remains open if an office asks for it, and it lists the marriage registration certificate as support.
How much does a Maharashtra gazette name change cost?
The Directorate of Government Printing lists Rs 559 for general applicants and Rs 309 for reserved categories, with taxes included, as checked in November 2026. It says publication normally follows within 15 days of the application. That part of the gazette comes out weekly, so immediate publication is not available.
Will every office accept an address proof affidavit?
No. Many offices keep their own list of address proofs, and an affidavit may not be on it. Ask the office first. An affidavit records your own sworn statement, so it may only help when the office accepts that kind of statement along with your other papers.
What should I do first if I have lost an important document?
Ask the office that issued the document what it needs for a duplicate. Many ask for a police report, an affidavit or both, and the list differs by document. For lost property papers or share certificates, speak to an advocate first, because a public notice may also be needed.
- Maharashtra Stamp Act, Schedule I, Article 4 (text as on 8 April 2025)
- Circular of the Inspector General of Registration dated 30 October 2024, in Marathi, copy on The Tax Talk website
- Name change in the Maharashtra Government Gazette: frequently asked questions, Directorate of Government Printing
- Passport application instruction booklet, Ministry of External Affairs
- Compendium of passport instructions, chapter 3, Ministry of External Affairs
- News On AIR report on the stamp duty waiver for certificate affidavits, 5 March 2025