To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on the circumstances in which registered sex offenders can apply to change their name.
Answered on
10 December 2024
Registered sex offenders are required to notify their personal details to the police as an automatic consequence to a conviction or caution for a Schedule 3 offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
They must provide a record of (among other things) their name, address, date of birth, and national insurance number. They must do this annually or whenever their details change. Registered sex offenders must notify the police within three days of their using a new name. This includes names used online. The Home Secretary publishes guidance on Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act, which is the legislative framework for the police’s management of registered sex offenders: Guidance on part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
As part of the King's Speech, the Government has committed to placing restrictions on registered sex offender's ability to change their names.