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How to change the name on a Zerodha account

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated . Reading time ~11 min. Level: Intermediate.

To change the name on your Zerodha account, you must first update the name with the Income Tax Department, because Zerodha pulls your name from ITD records linked to your PAN , not from the documents you submit. Once the PAN name is corrected, you run the re-KYC flow at account.zerodha.com, enter your ITD name when prompted, authenticate with Aadhaar , upload the supporting document and e-sign. An account modification charge of Rs 25 plus 18 per cent GST applies, and the change is updated within 72 working hours.

The sequence matters because it is the part people get wrong. Many readers raise a name-change request at Zerodha first, get rejected for a name mismatch, and only then discover the PAN had to change at the ITD before anything at the broker could move. A name change splits into a minor correction, fixing a spelling or expanding an initial, and a major change, a new surname after marriage or divorce, a legal change of name, or removing a middle name. CDSL treats the two differently: a minor correction accepts a PAN or passport, while a major change demands a gazette notification or a marriage certificate carrying a verifiable QR code. This guide walks both the online re-KYC route and the offline courier route, names the exact documents for each case, and flags the Aadhaar e-sign rule that quietly rejects forms when the Aadhaar name does not match.

Conflict-of-interest disclosure. This guide is published by the WebNotes Editorial Team for informational purposes and is written independently. WebNotes operates a Zerodha account-opening referral programme, disclosed on the pages that carry the referral link; this guide does not carry it and earns no referral commission from the procedure described here.

Step-by-step procedure

The numbered box at the top of this guide gives the sequence. The detail below separates the ITD prerequisite, the online flow, and the offline fallback, and explains where each one trips up.

1. Update the name with the Income Tax Department first

This is the step that decides whether everything else works. Zerodha’s support documentation states it plainly: the broker takes your name from Income Tax Department records, so you must first update the name with the ITD before raising a request with Zerodha. Update the name on your PAN through the income-tax e-filing portal or the PAN-issuing agency, and wait until the corrected name reflects in the ITD database. Only then will a Zerodha change pass the name-match check. Skipping this is the single most common cause of a rejected name-change request.

2. Start the re-KYC flow online

Once the PAN name is corrected, visit account.zerodha.com and begin the re-KYC process. If your name on file no longer matches ITD records, the flow shows a prompt to enter your ITD name. The online route needs your Aadhaar linked to your mobile number, because the submission is e-signed with Aadhaar. If Aadhaar is not linked to your mobile, the online flow cannot complete, and you move to the offline route in step 6. The same re-KYC machinery handles other modifications, so the screens will look familiar if you have re-KYC’d before.

3. Complete Aadhaar authentication

Authenticate with the Aadhaar OTP sent to your linked mobile. Watch the name-match rule here: the name on your Aadhaar must match the name in the digital signature produced at the e-sign step. If the Aadhaar name and the e-sign name differ, the Digio e-signed forms are rejected, and the whole submission fails even though the documents are otherwise correct. If your Aadhaar itself carries an old name, update the Aadhaar first through UIDAI, or use the offline route.

4. Upload the supporting document

What you upload depends on the size of the change.

For a minor correction, a spelling fix, expanding an initial, or a small adjustment, upload your PAN or passport.

For a major change, marriage, divorce, a change by preference, or removing a name, CDSL guidelines require either a gazette notification or a marriage certificate carrying a verifiable QR code that can be validated online. A marriage certificate without a verifiable QR code does not satisfy the major-change rule on the online flow; in that case publish the change in the official gazette, or take the offline route with a notarised certificate. The old or existing name on the gazette must match the name on the PAN you submitted while opening the account.

5. Complete the e-sign and submit

E-sign the modification forms via Aadhaar. Zerodha then reviews the documents against government sources before updating the name. The Rs 25 plus 18 per cent GST account modification charge applies, and the name is updated within 72 working hours of Zerodha approving the submission. Submitted documents stay valid for 30 days, so finish the process within that window or you will have to resubmit.

6. Use the offline route if online fails

If Aadhaar is not linked to your mobile, or the online flow rejects the change, use the offline courier route. Fill the account modification form and KYC, attach Annexure B for the change type (minor change, marriage or divorce, or removal of names), a self-attested copy of the PAN with the signature in the applicant signature box, and a self-attested address proof (masked Aadhaar if using Aadhaar). For marriage, divorce or other major changes, add any one of: a notarised marriage or divorce certificate; a passport showing the husband’s or father’s name; or a gazette publication (Karnataka and Punjab residents may use a newspaper publication or notarised photocopy, others need a notarised gazette copy). Courier the set to the Zerodha Customer Support Centre, 192A 4th Floor, Kalyani Vista, 3rd Main Road, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Bengaluru 560076. You do not have to fill the address on the modification forms; if you want to fill it before sending, create a ticket with soft copies first so the team verifies the set.

Why the Income Tax Department comes first

A demat and trading account is keyed to your PAN, and the PAN name is the canonical name across the entire securities chain: the KRA that holds your KYC, the depository that holds your demat, and the broker that holds your trading account. SEBI’s KYC framework runs through the KYC Registration Agencies , which validate your details against authoritative records, and the central KYC records registry carries the same identity. Because all of them anchor to PAN, a name that differs from the PAN name fails validation at every layer. Changing the name at Zerodha without first changing it at the ITD is like changing the label on a folder while the index still points at the old name; the systems reconcile to PAN, so PAN has to move first.

This also explains why the name on your PAN, your Aadhaar and your supporting documents all have to line up. The PAN sets the target name, the Aadhaar drives the e-sign, and the gazette or marriage certificate proves the change is genuine. A mismatch in any one of the three stalls the request.

Minor correction versus major change

The document burden differs sharply, so identify your case before you start.

A minor correction is a typo, a missing initial, or a small spelling adjustment where the person is plainly the same. Zerodha accepts PAN or passport for these, and the online route handles them quickly once the PAN is corrected.

A major change alters the name in substance: a new surname after marriage, reverting after divorce, a legal change of name by choice, or dropping a middle name. CDSL requires documentary proof of the change itself, not just proof of identity, which is why a gazette notification or a QR-verified marriage certificate is mandatory. The gazette is the catch-all that works for every major change; a marriage or divorce certificate works only for that specific event. Plan for the gazette if your change is anything other than a clean, QR-verifiable marriage or divorce.

Cost, timeline and what changes downstream

The account modification charge is Rs 25 plus 18 per cent GST, a flat fee for the modification regardless of the change type. The name updates within 72 working hours of Zerodha receiving your forms or approving the online submission. Once it updates, the new name flows to your demat records at CDSL and to your KRA record, so your Client Master Report and your contract notes carry the new name from the next cycle. A name change does not alter your PAN, your client ID , your demat ID or your holdings; those identifiers are independent of the display name. If you also need to update your signature or address , those are separate modification requests, though they can often be bundled in the same offline courier.

See also

External references

References

  1. Zerodha support, How to change the name in my Zerodha account? (update name with ITD first; minor change via PAN or passport; major change via gazette or QR-verified marriage certificate; Rs 25 plus GST modification charge; updated within 72 working hours; documents valid 30 days) (as of 20 June 2026).
  2. Zerodha support, How to update the name while e-signing through Digio? (Aadhaar name must match the e-sign name) (as of 20 June 2026).
  3. CDSL operating instructions on name change for beneficial owner accounts (gazette notification or marriage certificate with verifiable QR code for major changes).
  4. SEBI KYC framework operated through KYC Registration Agencies, validating client identity against PAN-linked records.
  5. Income Tax Department PAN records as the source of the registered account name at Zerodha.

WebNotes Editorial Team prepares factual how-to guides based on publicly available regulatory documents and broker disclosures. WebNotes is not affiliated with Zerodha Broking Limited. Procedures, documents and charges are subject to change; verify current requirements at support.zerodha.com before acting.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I change my name on a Zerodha account?
Update the name on your PAN with the Income Tax Department first, since Zerodha pulls the name from ITD records. Then run the re-KYC flow at account.zerodha.com, enter your ITD name, authenticate with Aadhaar, upload the supporting document and e-sign.
How do I change my name on Zerodha after marriage?
Update your PAN name with the ITD first. Then re-KYC at account.zerodha.com and upload a gazette notification or a marriage certificate carrying a verifiable QR code, which CDSL guidelines require for marriage changes. Complete the Aadhaar e-sign to submit.
How much does a name change cost on Zerodha?
An account modification charge of Rs 25 plus 18 per cent GST applies. The change is updated within 72 working hours of Zerodha receiving your forms or approving your online submission. Submitted documents stay valid for 30 days from the submission date.
Why does Zerodha say my name does not match?
Zerodha takes your name from Income Tax Department records linked to your PAN, not from the documents you submit. If the ITD name differs from what you typed, you must first update the name with the ITD, then raise the change with Zerodha.
What documents are needed to change my name on Zerodha?
A minor correction needs PAN or passport. A major change, marriage, divorce, preference or name removal, needs a gazette notification or a marriage certificate with a verifiable QR code per CDSL guidelines. The offline route also needs Annexure B and self-attested PAN.
Can I change my name on Zerodha online?
Yes, if your Aadhaar is linked to your mobile number. Run the re-KYC flow at account.zerodha.com, enter your ITD name, authenticate with Aadhaar OTP, upload the document and e-sign. The Aadhaar name must match the e-sign name or the forms are rejected.
How long does a Zerodha name change take?
The name is updated within 72 working hours of Zerodha receiving your forms or approving the online submission. Submitted documents are valid for 30 days from the submission date, so complete the process within that window.

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