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Legal Gender & Name Change

Many  transgender people change their legal name and/or gender marker for their identification documents, including a driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, and more.

After your surgery, our office can provide a letter for a legal gender change anytime, stating you’ve had a surgical procedure related to your transition. Since requirements vary by state, ID type, and country, let us know if there is any specific language that needs to be included.

Note that for many US documents (such as your passport), you do not need to undergo hormone replacement therapy or gender confirming procedures  to update your gender marker. All you need is a simple letter from your physician stating you’ve had “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.” “Clinical treatment” can refer to surgery, hormones, therapy, or any aspect of social transition, in many instances. 

For more information on the step-by-step process of changing your legal name and gender marker, we recommend the following links below:

• Trans Law Center provides a quick guide for federal identity documents (US only)
• California Courts outlines the process of gender marker and legal name changes in California.
• National Center for Transgender Equality is another organization that provides info for legal name and gender marker change for each state (US only)

Related Information:

Name Changes Cases and Domestic Violence

If you are a victim of domestic violence, click to learn more about keeping your change of name confidential or read Information Sheet for Name Change Proceedings Under Address Confidentiality Program (Safe at Home) (Form NC-400-INFO).

Denial of Name Change

In some limited cases, the judge may not agree to change your name. Click to learn about the main reasons why your petition may be denied.