Requirements for Changing Gender Marker on DL by State

Requirements for changing gender markers on driver's licenses by state

State

Pre- or Post-Operative

Required Documentation

Alaska

Alabama

Arkansas

Unclear

Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.

Arizona

Pre-op

The Arizona Motor Vehicles Division requires a letter from a physician stating that the person is currently undergoing hormone therapy in preparation from transition from one gender to another, and that the changes have reached a point where they are "irreversible and permanent." Wording of the letter is critical and must include the words "irreversible" and "permanent."

California

Pre-op

Secure a copy of DMV Form DL 328, Change of Name and Gender. This is a one-page form that will require both your input as well as input by a licensed California Physician. Generally, this will be your psychiatrist, endocrinologist, or general practitioner.
Return to DMV with the form. Upon payment of the $12 fee, a Temporary License will be issued in your new name and gender. A DMV Supervisor will sign the form. We recommend you ask for a copy for your records.
Even though you have a Temporary License at this point, your Permanent License will not be issued until your name on the DMV and Social Security records match and are verified by computer run. The sex flag is no longer compared.

As soon as reasonably possible, go to a Social Security office to change your name, and optionally, your sex on its records.
You will need your old Social Security card, proof of your old identity, your temporary drivers license, and proof of your new identity. If you question the sufficiency of the proof of your new identity, bring anything you might have, such as invoices from a health care provider, letters and envelopes addressed to you, or receipts.
info

Colorado

Pre-op

Colorado does require that formal name changes go through the county clerk and recorder. That's an extra 42 bucks in Douglas County (perhaps more in other counties), plus another 50 to run a legal notice.
The good news is that all it takes is a letter from a therapist, stating that a gender change is appropriate, plus a court order for change of name. To get a new photo, you renew the license; there's another 15 (or 16 if you also have Motorcycle) -- if you're willing to stick with the old photo on a license for the new you, that will only cost 5 dollars, or 10 if you've ever had to have it reissued.

Conneticut

Pre-op

Requires a letter from a health care provider attesting that the applicant is in active treatment and is living full time according to the requirements mandated by the Standards of Care for Sexual Reassignment is sufficient documentation to effect the license change.

The wording above is taken verbatim from a memorandum by the Conneticut Legal Services Division Chief, dated October, 1993. Current website info for Conneticut mentions a "court ordered gender change document." It is unclear whether this changes the standards defined above.

Deleware

Florida

Post-op

A letter from a physician certifying that SRS has been performed on the person in question.

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Post-op

Louisiana requires:

A medical statement signed by a physician stating that this person has undergone an operation for a sex change from _______ to ______ and that the sex or gender change has been successfully made.
A corrected, certified copy of the birth certificate showing the change of sex.
In addition to the above, should the applicant or holder of a Louisiana driver's license/i.d. card seek a name change, a certified or true copy of a court order must be presented. (The court order is required only for the name change.)

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Unclear

Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.

Michigan

Pre-op

Amazingly, it is a simple "on-demand" process to change the gender marker in Michigan. This is anecdotal information from a friend of mine who lives there.

Minnesota

Missouri

Unclear

Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

Pre-op

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Post-op

A letter from surgeon performing SRS.

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Pre-op

In the Lone Star State, you need a court order from a judge to get the gender marker changed. That's done when you file a petition to get your name changed at the same time.
IF you are successful, and that depends on where in the state you live, the court order is then taken to any Texas Department of Public Safety (our state troopers) office where you'll be issued a new license.

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Pre-op

A letter from your therapist, recommending that a name change and gender change is appropriate. It does NOT have to specifically say that you intend to have surgery -- just that the changes are appropriate for you.
Information taken from Anne Lawrence's website.

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Post-op (unclear)

Wisonsin's DMV web page only says:
"...truly changed gender (requiring proof by court order or physician's report)"
If anyone can help clarify this, I'd appreciate it. It sounds like they only make the gender marker change post-op, but I can't be sure.

Wyoming

Additional notes on changing your gender marker.

Social Security Card

To get your name changed on your Social Security records and be issued a new social security card, it is just a matter of filling out another form(Form SS-5). To change your name Social Security will need one or more documents identifying you by your OLD NAME on their records and your NEW NAME. Some of the documents that Social Security accepts as proof of identity are: Driver's License, employer ID card, passport, marriage or divorce record, adoption record, health insurance card, military records, insurance policy, or school ID card. This time you will not need any other signature besides your own. You will be able to keep the same account number that you have always had so there is no need to worry about loss of benefits. Your sex will not be changed until such time as you have your sex reassignment surgery and present them with a letter from your doctor, but that information does not appear on your card anyway.
From my own experience, I was able to change my name with Social Security by simply going to their office with a notaried copy of my court ordered name change and presenting it to a clerk, along with my driver's license (old or new doesn't matter as noted above, they just want documentation of either the old or new identity).

Arizona Driver's License

While Arizona will issue a new driver's license under your new name, and they will change your gender marker provided you have the appropriate documentation, there will be a note in your MVD entry referencing your previous name. This is ostensibly for documentation and traceability purposes, e.g. should someone come looking for "John Doe" they would be able to track back through the computer system and see that name attached to "Jane Doe's" records, or vice versa, to know that "Jane Doe" used to be "John Doe" and that prior records will be found under "John Doe".
According to the MVD, this is not publicly accessible information, but strictly for law enforcement purposes.

California Driver License

In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles DL 328 Form is a confidential medical information authorization form for change of name and gender that can be picked up at any Department of Motor Vehicles office. This form calls for a doctor's signature. Usually the Doctor who is prescribing hormones for you is the doctor who signs this form. So the first step is to pick up the Name and Gender Change form (DL 328) and take it to your Medical Doctor and have it filled out and signed by the doctor. Then return this form to a Department of Motor Vehicles office.
Upon presentation of this form and paying a fee of $12 to the Department of Motor Vehicles your photo will be taken. Therefore it is important to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles in your chosen gender. You will be issued a temporary new Driver's License. If you had previous identification, you will give it to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as it is no longer valid identification. Your new license with your new name, gender, and picture will arrive in the mail within 90 days.
Once the Department of Motor Vehicles processes your Name and Gender Change application, they will place your records in a closed file that is not open to public inspection. In this way they are attempting to protect your privacy. To get a printout of your records for auto insurance or other purposes, you will need to go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office and present your I.D. to a supervisor who will have the password to access your file.

Colorado Driver License

The bad news is that Colorado will keep your old name in the system and it WILL show up on the line 'previous name' in your Motor Vehicle Record. That line shows up on every copy of a Colorado MVR. Therefore, if you ever apply for a driving job (or any other where the employer wants MVR) you're outed whether you like it or not.

Texas Driver License

Unfortunately, the GOP in Texas was one of the first parties taken over by the Reich in 1994, and if you get a GOP judge, they will do one of four things:

They will deny the petition totally.
They will deny the petition and disrespect you at the same time.
Grant the name change, but not the gender code change
Make you add a line to you petition that states that you can never get married to the opposite sex before they will grant the name and gender change.

Tips

State	Pre- or Post-Operative	Required Documentation
Alaska
Alabama
Arkansas	Unclear	Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.
Arizona	Pre-op	The Arizona Motor Vehicles Division requires a letter from a physician stating that the person is currently undergoing hormone therapy in preparation from transition from one gender to another, and that the changes have reached a point where they are "irreversible and permanent." Wording of the letter is critical and must include the words "irreversible" and "permanent."
California	Pre-op	Secure a copy of DMV Form DL 328, Change of Name and Gender. This is a one-page form that will require both your input as well as input by a licensed California Physician. Generally, this will be your psychiatrist, endocrinologist, or general practitioner. Return to DMV with the form. Upon payment of the $12 fee, a Temporary License will be issued in your new name and gender. A DMV Supervisor will sign the form. We recommend you ask for a copy for your records. Even though you have a Temporary License at this point, your Permanent License will not be issued until your name on the DMV and Social Security records match and are verified by computer run. The sex flag is no longer compared. As soon as reasonably possible, go to a Social Security office to change your name, and optionally, your sex on its records. You will need your old Social Security card, proof of your old identity, your temporary drivers license, and proof of your new identity. If you question the sufficiency of the proof of your new identity, bring anything you might have, such as invoices from a health care provider, letters and envelopes addressed to you, or receipts. info
Colorado	Pre-op	Colorado does require that formal name changes go through the county clerk and recorder. That's an extra 42 bucks in Douglas County (perhaps more in other counties), plus another 50 to run a legal notice. The good news is that all it takes is a letter from a therapist, stating that a gender change is appropriate, plus a court order for change of name. To get a new photo, you renew the license; there's another 15 (or 16 if you also have Motorcycle) -- if you're willing to stick with the old photo on a license for the new you, that will only cost 5 dollars, or 10 if you've ever had to have it reissued.
Conneticut	Pre-op	Requires a letter from a health care provider attesting that the applicant is in active treatment and is living full time according to the requirements mandated by the Standards of Care for Sexual Reassignment is sufficient documentation to effect the license change. The wording above is taken verbatim from a memorandum by the Conneticut Legal Services Division Chief, dated October, 1993. Current website info for Conneticut mentions a "court ordered gender change document." It is unclear whether this changes the standards defined above.
Deleware
Florida	Post-op	A letter from a physician certifying that SRS has been performed on the person in question.
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana	Post-op	Louisiana requires: A medical statement signed by a physician stating that this person has undergone an operation for a sex change from _______ to ______ and that the sex or gender change has been successfully made. A corrected, certified copy of the birth certificate showing the change of sex. In addition to the above, should the applicant or holder of a Louisiana driver's license/i.d. card seek a name change, a certified or true copy of a court order must be presented. (The court order is required only for the name change.)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts	Unclear	Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.
Michigan	Pre-op	Amazingly, it is a simple "on-demand" process to change the gender marker in Michigan. This is anecdotal information from a friend of mine who lives there.
Minnesota
Missouri	Unclear	Court ordered gender change document. They aren't specific about the details of the document and whether it is issued pre- or post-operatively.
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada	Pre-op
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio	Post-op	A letter from surgeon performing SRS.
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas	Pre-op	In the Lone Star State, you need a court order from a judge to get the gender marker changed. That's done when you file a petition to get your name changed at the same time. IF you are successful, and that depends on where in the state you live, the court order is then taken to any Texas Department of Public Safety (our state troopers) office where you'll be issued a new license.
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington	Pre-op	A letter from your therapist, recommending that a name change and gender change is appropriate. It does NOT have to specifically say that you intend to have surgery -- just that the changes are appropriate for you. Information taken from Anne Lawrence's website.
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Wisconsin	Post-op (unclear)	Wisonsin's DMV web page only says: "...truly changed gender (requiring proof by court order or physician's report)" If anyone can help clarify this, I'd appreciate it. It sounds like they only make the gender marker change post-op, but I can't be sure.
Wyoming

Social Security Card
	To get your name changed on your Social Security records and be issued a new social security card, it is just a matter of filling out another form(Form SS-5). To change your name Social Security will need one or more documents identifying you by your OLD NAME on their records and your NEW NAME. Some of the documents that Social Security accepts as proof of identity are: Driver's License, employer ID card, passport, marriage or divorce record, adoption record, health insurance card, military records, insurance policy, or school ID card. This time you will not need any other signature besides your own. You will be able to keep the same account number that you have always had so there is no need to worry about loss of benefits. Your sex will not be changed until such time as you have your sex reassignment surgery and present them with a letter from your doctor, but that information does not appear on your card anyway. From my own experience, I was able to change my name with Social Security by simply going to their office with a notaried copy of my court ordered name change and presenting it to a clerk, along with my driver's license (old or new doesn't matter as noted above, they just want documentation of either the old or new identity).
Arizona Driver's License
	While Arizona will issue a new driver's license under your new name, and they will change your gender marker provided you have the appropriate documentation, there will be a note in your MVD entry referencing your previous name. This is ostensibly for documentation and traceability purposes, e.g. should someone come looking for "John Doe" they would be able to track back through the computer system and see that name attached to "Jane Doe's" records, or vice versa, to know that "Jane Doe" used to be "John Doe" and that prior records will be found under "John Doe". According to the MVD, this is not publicly accessible information, but strictly for law enforcement purposes.
California Driver License
	In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles DL 328 Form is a confidential medical information authorization form for change of name and gender that can be picked up at any Department of Motor Vehicles office. This form calls for a doctor's signature. Usually the Doctor who is prescribing hormones for you is the doctor who signs this form. So the first step is to pick up the Name and Gender Change form (DL 328) and take it to your Medical Doctor and have it filled out and signed by the doctor. Then return this form to a Department of Motor Vehicles office. Upon presentation of this form and paying a fee of $12 to the Department of Motor Vehicles your photo will be taken. Therefore it is important to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles in your chosen gender. You will be issued a temporary new Driver's License. If you had previous identification, you will give it to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as it is no longer valid identification. Your new license with your new name, gender, and picture will arrive in the mail within 90 days. Once the Department of Motor Vehicles processes your Name and Gender Change application, they will place your records in a closed file that is not open to public inspection. In this way they are attempting to protect your privacy. To get a printout of your records for auto insurance or other purposes, you will need to go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office and present your I.D. to a supervisor who will have the password to access your file.
Colorado Driver License
	The bad news is that Colorado will keep your old name in the system and it WILL show up on the line 'previous name' in your Motor Vehicle Record. That line shows up on every copy of a Colorado MVR. Therefore, if you ever apply for a driving job (or any other where the employer wants MVR) you're outed whether you like it or not.
Texas Driver License
	Unfortunately, the GOP in Texas was one of the first parties taken over by the Reich in 1994, and if you get a GOP judge, they will do one of four things: They will deny the petition totally. They will deny the petition and disrespect you at the same time. Grant the name change, but not the gender code change Make you add a line to you petition that states that you can never get married to the opposite sex before they will grant the name and gender change.
Tips