# Crime and Policing Act 2026, Section 118: Notification of name change

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.
Status: prospective

After section 83 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 insert—
“Notification requirements: name changes
83A (1) A relevant offender must notify a new name to the police—
(a) no less than 7 days before using it, or
(b) if that is not reasonably practicable, but it is reasonably practicable for the offender to notify the name to the police before using it, as far in advance of their using it as is reasonably practicable.
(2) Where it is not reasonably practicable for the offender to notify a new name to the police before using it, the offender must notify the name to the police—
(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after using the name, and
(b) in any event within the period of 3 days beginning with their using it.
(3) A notification under subsection (1) must specify the date on which the offender expects to use the name.
(4) Subsection (5) applies where—
(a) a notification is given under subsection (1), and
(b) the name to which it relates is used more than 2 days before the date specified in the notification.
(5) Where this subsection applies the relevant offender must notify the name to the police—
(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after using the name, and
(b) in any event within the period of 3 days beginning with their using it.
(6) Subsection (7) applies where—
(a) a notification is given under subsection (1), and
(b) the name to which it relates has not been used by the end of the period of 3 days beginning with the date specified in the notification.
(7) Where this subsection applies—
(a) subsections (1) and (2) apply as if the notification had not been given, and
(b) the relevant offender must, within the period of 6 days beginning with the date specified, notify to the police that the name was not used by the end of the period mentioned in subsection (6)(b).
(8) Section 83(6) applies to the determination of the period of 3 days mentioned in subsections (2) and (5) and the period of 6 days mentioned in subsection (7), as it applies to the determination of the period in section 83(1).
(9) A notification under subsection (1), (2) or (5) must include the information set out in section 83(5).
(10) In this section, a name is “new” unless it has been notified to the police under section 83(1), this section, section 84, or section 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997.”

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/20/section/118 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/crime-and-policing-act-2026/section-118
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.