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For
persons who are U.S. Citizens but were born outside the
United States:
You can change your
name and gender on your U.S. Department of State issued
birth certificates.
One must obtain a
legal name change (original or certified copy) from the
court of the county for which they reside, the original
birth certificate, plus an original letter of SRS from
the surgeon and forward such information to:
U.S. Dept of State
1111 19th Street N.W., Suite 510
Washington D.C. 20502-1705
(202) 955-0307
The State Department
will then re-issue a new birth certificate (not amended)
and the process takes approximately 6-8 weeks. As of
1999, the fee was $40, but one should call them to obtain
the current fee for this process.
Alabama will issue an
"amended" birth certificate noting change of
name and sex, but will not issue a new birth certificate
replacing the original.
The fees are $15.00
for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy.
You will need an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change, as well as an original or certified copy of
a COURT ORDER for change of sex (not just the surgeon's
letter). This enters another step into the procedure and
is best handled through an attorney, although at extra
cost. You must file a "petition to amend a vital
record," state what you want to amend, provide
documentation of the reason for your petition, and name
the Center for Health Statistics as defendant.
On the positive side,
if you live in another state they will accept the court
order from that state (according to one source; other
sources say non-Alabama residents must file for a court
order in Montgomery County, Alabama). The fee for the
court order is a separate fee, and varies from one court
to another.
Contact information:
State Board of Health
Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
(334) 206-5418; (334) 206-5426
Alaska will issue an
amended birth certificate noting change of name and sex.
You will need an original or certified copy of the court
order for the name change, and an original or certified
copy of the letter from your SRS surgeon.
Mr. Alfred G. Zangri
Chief, Health Research and Vital Statistics
Department of Health and Social Services
azangri@health.state.ak.us
Arizona will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one. The original certificate
is "closed" to further inspection.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
IMPORTANT: The court order must specifically state
"the name may be changed on the Arizona birth
certificate."
Contact information:
Office of Vital
Records
Arizona Dept. of Health Services
P.O. Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030-3887
(602) 255-3260
Fax: (602) 249-3040
http://www.hs.state.az.us/vitalrcd/index.htm
Ms. Renee Gaudino
Administrator and Assistant State Registrar
Arizona Department of Health Services
rgaudino@hs.state.az.us
Arkansas will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
if the court order so specifies. The request for the
court order must include medical documentation (letter
from SRS surgeon).
Mr. Douglas R. Murray
Director
Center for Health Statistics
dmurray@mail.doh.state.ar.us
California will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one. California Health and
Safety Code, Section 103425-103445, states: "A
petition for the issuance of a new birth certificate in
those cases shall be filed with the superior court of the
county where the petitioner resides."
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
If you do not have a court order for your name change,
you may petition the court for change of name at the same
time you petition for the new birth certificate.
Fees are determined by
the superior court of the county receiving the petition.
Michael Rodrian
State Registrar and Chief
Center for Health Statistics
mrodrian@dhs.ca.gov
Colorado will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
There is a fee of $20.00.
Carol J. Garrett,
Ph.D.
State Registrar and Chief
Health Statistics Section, CHEIS
carol.garrett@state.co.us
Connecticut will
change both name and sex.
NOTE: Connecticut has
enacted a new law on Oct. 1, 2001. Birth certificates are
now amended without the asterisks that were previously
used. The law is
available on the State of Connecticut web site:
The amendment to P.A.
19a-42 is in section 32 of the bill.
A court order is not
required. Documentation from your SRS surgeon is
required, and the fee is $15.00.
Mr. Daniel J. Savino
Registrar of Vital Records
Department of Public Health
daniel.savino@po.state.ct.us
Delaware will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Mr. Michael L.
Richards
Director
Office of Vital Statistics
mrichards@state.de.us
The District of
Columbia will NOT issue a new birth certificate, but will
amend the original birth certificate upon receipt of
certified copies of the court order for name change and
the letter from the surgeon who performed SRS.
Mr. Carl W. Wilson,
M.P.H.
Registrar and Director
DC State Center for Health Statistics
cwilson27@aol.com
Florida
(updated June 2002!)
Florida WILL change
name and sex on the birth certificate, and will issue an
amended certificate. This is a significant change in
policy.
To process a request
for birth certificate amendment as a result of gender
reassignment surgery:
· The registrant must present a court order entered
pursuant to Section 68.07, Florida Statutes OR if the
order is from another state, there must be evidence that
the proceeding for name change is substantially similar
to that outlined in Section 68.07, Florida Statutes. The
registrant may submit a copy of the petition for change
of name or the applicable state statute that indicates
what procedures the foreign court utilized.
· The existing birth record must be amended to reflect
the name change prior to processing for gender
reassignment surgery.
· Once the name change is recorded, the registrant must
file a notarized affidavit, i.e., DH 430, Affidavit of
Amendment to Certificate of Live Birth. Additionally,
pursuant to Section 382.003, the applicant must submit
medical records indicating that the patient has completed
sexual reassignment in accordance with appropriate
medical procedures and that they are now considered to be
of (male/female) gender) for all medical purposes . The
medical records must be signed by the physician who
performed the reassignment surgery. The physician must
include his/her medical license number.
· The required amendment fee must be submitted and the
record will be amended as outlined in Florida
Administrative Code Rule. 64-V.1.003 (1)(f) to correct
the gender, which conflicts with the given name as
recorded.
Here are the details:
(1) the court order for
a name change must be effected first - and the person
should choose a clearly female name,
e.g., don't change your name to Pat, Dana,
Frances/Francis, Meredith or any other name that could be
construed as a male name.
(2) the birth
certificate must be amended to reflect the new, clearly
female name.
(3) After
the birth certificate has been amended to reflect the new
"clearly female" name, then you can apply to
change the gender based on the fact that the
gender is clearly in conflict with the name.
You should include an affidavit from the physician who
performed operation and who will state that you are
female.
Office of Vital
Statistics
Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
(904) 359-6929
Georgia will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
Contact Information:
Vital Records Service
State Dept. of Human Resources
47 Trinity Avenue SW, Room 217-H
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-4750
Email: GDPHINFO@dhr.state.ga.us
Mr. Michael R. Lavoie
Director, Vital Records Unit
mrl0600@dhr.state.ga.us
Please contact the
Legal Section of the Vital Records office (404-656-4901)
and ask for instructions for correcting a vital record.
Hawaii will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original or certified copy of the letter from your SRS
surgeon. A court order is not required.
Alvin T. Onaka, Ph.D.
State Registrar and Acting Chief
Office of Health Status Monitoring
alvino@hawaii.edu
Idaho does NOT change
sex on the birth certificate. A bill to permit the
changes was rejected by the Idaho legislature. Idaho
will, however, change the name on the birth certificate.
Details on how to accomplish this can be found at the
state site: http://www2.state.id.us/dhw/vital_stats/appmenu.html
Illinois will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one. Previous information
stated that the new birth certificate contained the words
"copy of the original," but my correspondents
now tell me the certificated does not say
"copy."
First you must write
to the following address:
Department of Public
Health
Division of Vital Records
605 W. Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702
She will fax you what
you need to get signed by the doctor and notarized, top
and bottom (see below). Make sure you specify name and
sex aka gender change form. They can also mail it to you
snail mail; but it is easier to get it faxed then signed,
notarized, and send in your fifteen dollars for one copy,
two dollars for each one after that.
(Or call 217.782.6554
and ask for Vital Records, then ask for the birth
certificate change department)
and ask for a
"request for change of name and sex form."
This form has two
parts. The top is "affidavit by physician as to
change of sex designation." If you get the form
before SRS, you can ask your surgeon to fill it out and
get it notarized. Otherwise you can send a separate
notarized letter from the surgeon as usual. The bottom
part is "affidavit by parent, guardian, or
applicant, if of legal age." That part is obvious
except for the line:
"THAT the
following were the personal particulars at the time of
birth of_____________ " Complete this line using
"John Doe, now Jane Doe" or the opposite as
indicated.
Complete this form and
return it to this address:
Department of Public
Health
Division of Vital Records
605 W. Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702
IMPORTANT: Send it by
Priority Mail!
Include the original
letter from your SRS surgeon (unless the surgeon complete
the top part of the form as above) and a certified copy
of the name change order, and a check for $15.00 made out
to "Vital Records". Additional copies are $2.00
each.
Merwyn Nelson, Ph.D.
Chief, Illinois Center for Health Statistics
Illinois Department of Health
mnelson@idph.state.il.us
Indiana will issue a
new birth certificate with your new name. My sources tell
me that Indiana does not note the sex on the birth
certificate, so this is not an issue.
You will need a copy
of your old birth certificate and a copy of the court
order for your name change, along with fees of $5.00 for
the procedure and $5.00 for each additional certificate
you request.
Contact the health
department of the county in which you were born.
Ms. Barbara Stultz
State Registrar and Director
Vital Records Division
bstultz@isdh.state.in.us
Iowa will change both
name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Ms. Jill France
Chief, Bureau of Vital Records
Iowa Department of Public Health
jfrance@idph.state.ia.us
Kansas will issue an
amended birth certificate. The following information is
required: Affidavit from applicant documenting dressing
and living as new gender; documentation of hormone
treatment and surgery ("physiological OR hormonal
change").
Lorne A. Phillips,
Ph.D.
State Registrar and Director
Center for Health and Environmental Statistics
lphillip@kdhe.state.ks.us
Kentucky will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Ms. Barbara F. White
State Registrar, Vital Statistics
Department for Health Services
bwhite@mail.state.ky.us
Louisiana will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the order for your name change, which
must be approved by the district attorney. If you are
married, your spouse must give written consent for the
changes.
Mr. William H. Barlow
State Registrar and Director
Division of Records and Statistics
wbarlow@dhhmail.dhh.state.la.us
Updated information as
of January 2002:
RS 40:62
PART II. BIRTH RECORD AFTER CHANGE IN SEX DESIGNATION
§62. Issuance of new birth certificate after
anatomical change of sex by surgery
A. Any person born in Louisiana who has sustained sex
reassignment or corrective surgery which has changed
the anatomical structure of the sex of the individual
to that of a sex other than that which appears on the
original birth certificate of the individual, may
petition a court of competent jurisdiction as
provided in this Section to obtain a new certificate
of birth.
B. Suits authorized by this Section shall be filed
contradictorily against the state registrar in the
judicial district court having jurisdiction over the
parish in which the petitioner resides or over the
parish in which the petitioner was born. A
nonresident born in Louisiana shall file the petition
in the parish of birth. The suit of any petitioner
born in Louisiana shall be filed contradictorily
against the state registrar. In the event the
petitioner is married, the spouse shall also be a
necessary party to the suit. To the extent that the
petitioner's name is to be changed, the district
attorney shall also be a necessary party. In all
cases the petition shall be accompanied by a
certified copy of the petitioner's original birth
record, in which case the short-form birth
certificate card shall not be sufficient.
C. The court shall require such proof as it deems
necessary to be convinced that the petitioner was
properly diagnosed as a transsexual or
pseudo-hermaphrodite, that sex reassignment or
corrective surgery has been properly performed upon
the petitioner, and that as a result of such surgery
and subsequent medical treatment the anatomical
structure of the sex of the petitioner has been
changed to a sex other than that which is stated on
the original birth certificate of the petitioner.
If the court shall find that the evidence sustains
the required proof, the court shall render a judgment
ordering the issuance of a new birth certificate
changing the sex designated thereon from that shown
upon the petitioner's original certificate of birth.
The petitioner may in the same suit seek to have the
name of the petitioner changed, and the court may
render judgment in accordance with law upon this
additional petition at the same time.
D.(1) A certified copy of the petition and judgment
for a new certificate pursuant to this Section shall
be furnished to the state registrar of vital records
at New Orleans within ten days after the judgment is
rendered. The registrar shall issue to the petitioner
a new certificate or certified copy thereof;
whereupon the original birth certificate and the copy
of the petition and judgment received by the
registrar shall be sealed in a package and filed in
the archives of the vital records registry.
(2) This sealed package shall be opened only upon
demand of the individual to whom the new certificate
was issued, and then only by order of the court which
rendered the judgment ordering the issuance of the
new certificate.
Acts 1979, No. 776,§ 1; Acts 1986, No. 876,§ 1.
NOTE: Louisiana will
NOT change the sex designation on a driver's license
unless you can produce a birth certificate with
the desired sex designation. So, if you were born in FL,
ID, OH, or TN, and live in LA at the time of your SRS,
you cannot get your driver's license changed. This is the
updated information as of January 2002:
GENDER CHANGE
AUTHORITY:
Administrative
DEFINITION
If an applicant for or a holder of a Louisiana
driver's license/identification card indicates that
they have undergone a sex change procedure and
desires to change the gender identification on the
driver's license/ID card, the change will so be noted
and a new driver's license/ID card issued.
REQUIREMENTS
The following will be required:
1. 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.
2. In addition to the above, should the applicant or
holder of a Louisiana driver's license/ID card seek a
name change, a certified or true copy of a court
order must be presented.
NOTE: If the court order specifically requires a
corrected/amended birth certificate be obtained, we
will require a copy of said corrected/amended birth
certificate. If the court order does not specifically
require a corrected/amended birth certificate, the
court order will be sufficient. However, the
applicant/holder of the license/ID card must be
advised that the court ordered name change will be
the legal name until such time as subsequent court
action advises otherwise (At this point, the court
order supercedes the birth certificate. He/she can't
go back to the original birth certificate name
without another court order.)
NOTE: A copy of court order and/or physician's
statement must be included in the file.
PROCEDURES
Once the documentation has been verified and all
other criteria has been met for the issuance of a
driver's license/ID card, CHANGE OF DATA transaction
will be processed on the DLRU20.
If the applicant has a Class "E" or
"D" license or an ID card, a duplicate
license fee will be required. If the license is a CDL
license, a CHANGE DATA transaction will be done and
the $15.00 application fee will be charged along with
the $5.00 duplicate license fee.
Maine will change both
name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
There is a fee of $20.00.
Mr. N. Warren Bartlett
State Registrar and Director
Health Data and Program Management
nelson.w.bartlett@state.me.us
Information direct
from Kathryn Morris, Birth Section Chief, DVR:
In order for the
Division of Vital Records to change your sex and name on
your birth certificate, we require a Court Order
indicating that both your name and sex are to be changed.
You can most likely obtain an amended Court Order to
indicate the correct sex along with your new name. We
cannot change the sex on a birth certificate with just a
Physicians letter.
[The amended birth
certificate does not retain any reference to the
original.]
Once you obtain this
information, send True Test Copy or Original Court Order
to my attention at the Division of Vital Records, P.O.
Box 68760, Baltimore, Md. 21215-0020 c/o Kathryn A.
Morris, Birth Section Chief. If you have any further
questions, do not hesitate to e-mail me or call me at
(410)764-3145.
There is a $20.00 fee.
Massachusetts will
issue an amended birth certificate. You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
The letter from the surgeon must use the word
"completed," not just "performed."
Denise O’Gara
Registry of Vital Records
150 Mount Vernon St.
1st Floor
Dorchester,MA 02125-3105
(617) 740-2679
http://www.state.ma.us/dph/bhsre/rvr/vramend.htm
Michigan will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one. Michigan law also provides
for "sealing" of the old record. For further
information, see Michigan Compiled Law 333.2831.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
The fee is $26.00.
Contact information:
Michigan Department of
Community Health
Changes Unit
(517) 335 - 8660
http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/
Ms. Carol Getts
State Registrar and Chief
Office of the State Registrar Center for Health
Statistics
gettsc@state.mi.us
As of August 2000 the
following information applies:
There are essentially
2 ways to amend a birth record. Method one is to
provide 2 documents per item being amended that were
established at least 7 years ago or more which show the
information the way your want it to appear on the birth
record. Method two is to provide a court order
which specifically directs the birth record be amended
for the specific items that are desired to be changed.
For either the cost is $20 to amend the record.
Contact:
Mr. Kim W. Jeppesen
Records Management Unit
Office of State Registrar
Center for Health Statistics
Phone: (612) 676-5128
FAX: (612) 676-5667
Mississippi will NOT
issue a new birth certificate. If a court order is
received, Mississippi will issue an amended birth
certificate with the new name and gender typed in the
margin, but the old name and gender remaining unchanged.
Contact information:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
2423 North State Street
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215
(601) 576-7960
Fax: (601) 576-7505
Ms. Nita Gunter
State Registrar and Director
Public Health Statistics
ngunter@msdh.state.ms.us
Missouri will issue an
amended birth certificate. You will need an original or
certified copy of the court order for the name change
"if the name is 'typically' used for the opposite
sex."
Mr. Gary L. Shipley
Chief, Bureau of Vital Records
Center for Health Information Management &
Epidemiology
shiplg@mail.health.state.mo.us
Montana will issue an
amended birth certificate, but the item(s) amended are
not designated.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Debra M. Fulton
Acting State Registrar and Acting Chief
Bureau of Vital Statistics
defulton@mt.gov
Nebraska will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Stanley S. Cooper,
M.S., Ph.D.
Service Administrator
Health Records Mangement Section
doh7151@vmhost.cdp.state.ne.us
Nevada will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Emil DeJan
Bureau Chief, Health Planning and Statistics
Office of Vital Records
edejan@govmail.state.nv.us
New Brunswick/Nova
Scotia The
following information is current as of March 2002,
according to my sources:
I live in New
Brunswick, Canada, I was born in Nova Scotia, Canada.
First I had to visit
the Vital Statistics New Brunswick office on-line to
change my name:
http://www.gnb.ca/0379/en/change.htm
They have all the info
and you can order the 'kit' on-line. I was asked to
provide a letter from a therapist as to verify the nature
of my request. I also had to provide an original
'long-form' birth certificate, because I was born out of
province. I ordered that on-line from this site:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/onlineservices.stm
It cost $25 and was
delivered promptly.
After all that, and
$100 later to PNB, I got my 'Change of Name' certificate.
Then you go back to the
PNS (Province of Nova Scotia) site. In order to change
name and sex, you will need to supply this Change of Name
certificate, a letter from your SRS surgeon, and a letter
from another physician who has examined you post op.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire will
change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth
certificate rather than amend the old one.
New Hampshire now
requires a document of a court-ordered legal sex
change....just a surgeon's letter is not enough. They
made this change in Nov 2001.
NH State Vital Records
Code 7007.03(e)
"Upon receipt of a court order advising that such
individual born in the state of New Hampshire has had a
sex change, a new birth record shall be prepared in
accordance with He-P 7007.02 to reflect such
change."
You will also need an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change.
Ms. Karen Grady
State Registrar and Chief
Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
kgrady@dhhs.state.nh.us
New Jersey will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original notarized letter from your SRS surgeon, and an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change. There is no fee for the procedure, but there
is a fee for each copy of the new birth certificate you
request.
Updated New Jersey
information as of November 2002:
The filing fee for
the name change was 175.00, and I had to post an ad
in the local paper, once prior to the judgement being
rendered, and once after. I paid I believe about 45
dollars for the both ads to run. There is a fee of
5.00 for each copy of the rendered judgment to be
sealed, and the seal is essential for it to be used
to change other documents. The document also has to
be registered with the State, and that is an
additional 50.00 fee. As far as the gender
change, one contacts the State dept. of health to
petition the gender change, and you can include the
court order only after it's validated by the state. A
simple letter however from the surgeon doesn't
suffice, what they required in my case was a
notarized copy of the actual surgical report.
Changing the driver's license also requires proof of
SRS having been performed.
Contact information:
State of New Jersey
Department of Health
P.O. Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625
Attention: Corrections Unit
Mr. Don Lipira
State Registrar
Vital Statistics and Registration
dll@doh.state.nj.us
New Mexico will change
both name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one. The old information will
be "sealed" and cannot be opened without a
court order.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
The fees are $10.00 for changing the information, and
another $10.00 for a new certificate.
Contact information:
Vital Records and
Health Statistics Bureau
1105 St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503
Phone: (505) 827 - 0121 or 827 - 2338
FAX: (505) 827 - 1751
Ms. Celine Sanchez
State Registrar
Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
csanchez@health.state.nm.us
New York City has its
own separate Bureau of Vital Statistics. New York City
will issue a new birth certificate rather than amend the
old one.
NOTE: The new birth
certificate will list the new name but will not
have a listing for sex at all. That section is simply
omitted.
You will need an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change, and original letters from your SRS surgeon
and your psychiatrist/psychologist.
Steven Schwartz, Ph.D.
Registrar and Director
Office of Vital Statistics and Epidemiology
sschwart@dohlan.nycnet.ci.nyc.ny.usNew York State (see "updated
information" below)
New York State will
change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth
certificate.
New York requires more
documentation than most states. You must first complete
an application which can be obtained from the following
address:
State of New York
Department of Health, Vital Records Section
Corning Tower
Empire State Plaza
Albany NY 12237
Return the completed
application, with fees as indicated on the application,
and the following documents (all "original or
certified copy"):
- the court order for name change, bearing the court
seal, certified by the clerk of the court. Certified
proof of publication is also required. The court order
must include original name, date and place of birth.
- the letter from your SRS surgeon, specifying date,
place, and type of procedure
- the actual OPERATIVE REPORT from your SRS
- a letter from your primary therapist "documenting
true transsexualism or inappropriate sexual
identification."
- a letter from your endocrinologist or other medical
physician "concerning hormonal, chromosomal or
endocrinological information."
Once these documents
are received, a "medical review" will be
performed, and your new certificate issued. Processing
takes approximately three months. One certified copy will
be provided following the amendment; any additional
copies are $15.00 each.
Mr. Peter Carucci
Director
Vital Records Section
pmc02@health.state.ny.us
Updated information
June 2002 for New York State:
It turns out that NYS
has two different forms of birth certificate:
(i) a regular
"Certificate of Birth" that contains your name,
sex, date of birth, time of birth, county/city/town of
birth, parent's names, ages and social security numbers,
mother's maiden name and address at the date of birth,
whether this was a twin birth, etc.
(ii) a much shorter
"Certification of Birth" that the Dept of Vital
Stats internally calls the "short form", which
only contains your name, sex, county/city/town of birth,
and date of birth.
The "short
form" isn't mentioned anywhere in the paperwork, but
is available by simply asking for the "short
form" (it costs the same $15 as the long form) when
ordering. The short form carries an impressed seal and
serves as a legally valid birth certificate just as well
as the long form.
The New York State
short form can be very useful in cases where both first
and last name were legally changed - because it
eliminates the incongruity of the child on the
certificate having a different last name from the parents
(it is also useful in cases where the "father is
unknown", etc). Quite a few postops face this
problem, which causes unwanted outings if they ever need
to use a regular birth certificate.
North Carolina will
change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth
certificate rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
Ms. Patty N. Raper
Assistant State Registrar
State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics,
DEHNR
patty.raper@ncmail.net
North Dakota will
issue an amended birth certificate. You will need an
original or certified copy of the court order for the
name change, and an original letter from your SRS
surgeon.
Mrs. Beverly R.
Wittman
Deputy State Registrar for Vital Statistics and Director
Division of Vital Records
bwittman@state.nd.us
Ohio will NOT change
sex on the birth certificate, and as of March 2003
sources tell me they will not change the name either.
Come on people, this is ridiculous for a supposedly
progressive Midwestern state.
Oklahoma will issue an
amended birth certificate. You will need an original
letter from your SRS surgeon. A court order is not
required.
NOTE that you may
request a "long form" copy of the new Oklahoma
birth certificate. This "long form" will list
your new name and sex without mention of amendment.
What you need to send:
1. A letter to the Oklahoma Office of Vital Records
stating that you want to amend your birth certificate.
Tell them what the amended parts should be. Also include
your full name at birth, date of birth, city/county,
father’s full name, mother’s full maiden. Sign
the letter. $10 for the first amended certificate.
2. Letter from the surgeon who performed the
reassignment.
3. Court order for name change and gender change. (This
can be with one court order or two) The court order(s)
must contain your birth name, date of birth, and
city/county of birth.
If you have questions, contact: Lucinda (405) 271-5615 at
the Oklahoma Office of Vital Records
Ms. Mary A. Piscitello
Director, Public Health Statistics
Oklahoma State Department of Health
mary@health.state.ok.us
Ontario will issue an
amended certificate, changing either name or sex, and the
certificate will not reveal which items were changed. The
change of the sex designation on the birth registry is a
separate process from the change of name. A copy of the
long form of the certificate will list the original name
and sex, along with the new name and new sex, plus
annotations describing the changes made.
Change of Name:
Contact the Registrar General’s office and request
an “Application to change an adult’s
name”. You will need original copy of your birth
certificate, a signature of a guarantor, and a signature
of a commissioner. Present cost is C$137.
Change of Sex
Designation: Contact the Registrar General’s office
and request an “Application for Change of Sex
Designation on Birth Registry” package. There are
three forms to be filled in. You fill in the
“Application for Change of Sex Designation on Birth
Registry” form. The surgeon who conducted the
transsexual surgery the “Medical Certificate of
Transsexual Surgery.” And another physician
completes the “Medical Certificate to Substantiate
Transsexual Surgery was Performed” form. The cost to
have the change performed is C$37. Cost of the short form
(certificate) is $C15 while the cost of the long form is
C$22.
Office of the
Registrar General
P.O. Box 4600, 189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6L8
(800) 461-2156 or (416) 325-8305
Oregon will change
both name and sex, and will issue an amended birth
certificate, without any designation of what has been
amended.
Updated information as
of November 2002:
Contact Oregon Vital
Records at this link.
The telephone contact
is (for now at least) Becki at 503-731-4268. Send a
copy of the name change court order and SRS surgeon's
certification along with $40 to
Oregon Vital Records
PO Box 14050
Portland, OR 97293-0050
Attn: Becki
I would suggest that anyone planning on doing this call
for the correct person as the job does move around.
A good referral is the department manager, (503)
731-4416.
Pennsylvania will
change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth
certificate with no mention of being amended. The
original birth certificate is amended and
"sealed" so that it is unavailable to the
public.
You will need an
original letter from your SRS surgeon, and an original or
certified copy of the court order for your name change.
The fee is $4.00, but there is no fee for military
veterans.
Mail to this address:
PA Department of Vital
Records
101 South Mercer Street
New Castle, PA 16101
With your materials,
include your date and county of birth.
Ms. Linda A. Bordonaro
Descriptive Statistical Supervisor
Division of Health Statistics and Research
lbordona@health.state.pa.us
Please note that some
respondents report that Pennsylvania kept their original
letter from the SRS surgeon and would not return it.
Rhode Island will
issue an amended birth certificate, with a note
designating the change of name. The change of sex is not
marked as a change on the amended certificate.
A court order is not
required. You will need an original letter from your SRS
surgeon.
Ms. Roberta A. Chevoya
State Registrar and Chief
Division of Vital Records
chev100w@wonder.em.cdc.gov
South Carolina will
NOT issue a new birth certificate. They will send a
"card" that can be attached to the old birth
certificate, indicating change of name and sex.
They require an
original court order for the name change and a letter
from the SRS surgeon. The fee is $39.00.
Contact Information:
Bureau of Vital
Statistics
Dept. of Health and Environmental Control
J. Marion Sims Building
2500 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 898 - 3630
Mr. Murray B. Hudson,
M.P.H.
Assistant State Registrar and Director
Office of Public Health Statistics and Information
Systems
hudsonmb@columb20.dhec.state.sc.us
South Dakota will change
name and sex designation with a court order, and will
issue a new birth certificate rather than amend the old
one. A letter from your SRS surgeon is not required.
Contact the department of vital statistics.
Tennessee will NOT
change the sex designation on the birth certificate.
Tennessee will issue
an amended birth certificate with the old name visibly
struck over and the new name typed above it. You will
need an original or certified copy of the court order for
your name change.
NOTE: AT THIS TIME THE
INFORMATION BELOW IS INCORRECT. TEXAS CLERKS ARE REFUSING
TO CHANGE SEX ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES, CITING THE LITTLETON
CASE AS THE REASON. WHEN THIS CHANGES IT WILL BE NOTED
HERE.
Texas will change both
name and sex, and will issue a new birth certificate
rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change, and an original letter from your SRS
surgeon.
Ms. Geraldine R.
Harris
Deputy State Registrar
Bureau of Vital Statistics
geraldine.harris@tdh.state.tx.us
Utah will issue an
amended certificate, changing both name and sex, and the
certificate will not reveal which items were changed.
You will need original
or certified copy of a court order for your name change
and a court order for your change of sex designation.
These court orders can be from any U.S. State or from
Canada.
Vermont will issue an
amended certificate, changing both name and sex.
You will need original
or certified copy of a court order for your name change
and a court order for your change of sex designation. The
court will probably require documentation from your SRS
surgeon.
Virginia will issue an
amended birth certificate (except as noted in the law
below).
§ 32.1-269. Amending
vital records; change of name; acknowledgment of
paternity; change of sex.
A. A vital record registered under this chapter may be
amended only in accordance with this article and such
regulations as may be adopted by the Board to protect the
integrity and accuracy of such vital records. Such
regulations shall specify the minimum evidence required
for a change in any such vital record.
B. Except in the case of an amendment provided for in
subsection D, a vital record that is amended under this
section shall be marked "amended" and the date
of amendment and a summary description of the evidence
submitted in support of the amendment shall be endorsed
on or made a part of the vital record. The Board shall
prescribe by regulation the conditions under which
omissions or errors on certificates, including
designation of sex, may be corrected within one year
after the date of the event without the certificate being
marked amended. In a case of hermaphroditism or
pseudo-hermaphroditism, the certificate of birth may be
corrected at any time without being considered as amended
upon presentation to the State Registrar of such medical
evidence as the Board may require by regulation.
C. Upon receipt of a certified copy of a court order
changing the name of a person as listed in a vital record
and upon request of such person or his parent, guardian,
or legal representative or the registrant, the State
Registrar shall amend such vital records to reflect the
new name.
D. Upon written request of both parents and receipt of a
sworn acknowledgment of paternity executed subsequent to
the birth and signed by both parents of a child born out
of wedlock, the State Registrar shall amend the
certificate of birth to show such paternity if paternity
is not shown on the birth certificate. Upon request of
the parents, the surname of the child shall be changed on
the certificate to that of the father.
E. Upon receipt of a certified copy of an order of a
court of competent jurisdiction indicating that the sex
of an individual has been changed by medical procedure
and upon request of such person, the State Registrar
shall amend such person's certificate of birth to show
the change of sex and, if a certified copy of a court
order changing the person's name is submitted, to show a
new name.
F. When an applicant does not submit the minimum
documentation required by regulation to amend a vital
record or when the State Registrar finds reason to
question the validity or sufficiency of the evidence, the
vital record shall not be amended and he shall so advise
the applicant. An aggrieved applicant may petition the
circuit court of the county or city in which he resides
or the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond, Division I,
for an order compelling the State Registrar to amend the
vital record; an aggrieved applicant who was born in
Virginia, but is currently residing out of State, may
petition any circuit court in the Commonwealth for such
an order. The State Registrar or his authorized
representative may appear and testify in such proceeding.
(Code 1950, § 32-353.24; 1956, c. 259; 1960, c. 451;
1979, c. 711; 1983, c. 240; 1985, c. 86.)
Washington will issue
an amended certificate, changing both name and sex. You
will need original or certified copy of a court order for
your name change, and a court order for your change of
sex designation (OR a letter from your SRS surgeon).
West Virginia will
change both name and sex, and will issue a new birth
certificate rather than amend the old one.
You will need an
original or certified copy of the court order for your
name change, and an original letter from your SRS
surgeon.
1. Have SRS
2. Get a signed,
dated, notarized letter from your surgeon confirming the
date of the procedure. The surgeon should include your
name, date of birth, date of surgery, type of surgery
(male-to-female), and where it was performed.
3. Obtain your
original birth certificate or a certified copy (from the
address in #5, below).
4. Obtain a certified
copy of your Court Order for Name Change
5. Write a letter
addressed to: Vital Records Office, 1 West Wilson Street,
Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309. At the time of this
writing, the contact person was Hal Hart. Explain that
you are transsexual and seek to amend your name and sex
and have the original birth record impounded. They will
send you a form called: Report of Order to Change Name
& Sex on Birth Certificate Due to Surgical Sex-Change
Procedure (Form DOH 5035). This form can be used by any
state to order information on a Wisconsin birth record to
be changed. Remember, your current state of residence may
have their own rules as to what they are authorized to
order another state to change on a birth record. You will
need to check state law yourself or contact your
courthouse or legal advisor.
6. Fill out Form DOH
5035 exactly as specified, making sure that you mark the
box that orders the birth certificate be "Impounded
and a new birth certificate shall be created for the
registrant."
7. If your state of
residence allows ordering the record to be impounded, you
can get the order certified where you live (otherwise,
you should see about returning to Wisconsin and doing it
in person). Go to your county courthouse, where the Clerk
of Court or Deputy can assist you in preparing the proper
forms. It is very likely you will have to pay a fee, and
it is also likely you will need to appear before a judge.
The cost for the appearance will vary significantly: I
paid $221 in my state.
8. Appear in court.
You can represent yourself in court (pro se) or have a
lawyer help. You should consider having a lawyer or TS
friend who has been through this help you if you are
uncomfortable filling out forms yourself. You will
probably have to fill out a cover sheet, a complaint, and
an order.
Everyone I encountered
at my local courthouse, including the judge, had never
done one of these before, and they process almost 20,000
cases a year. I recommend coming in with all of the
necessary information. Below is the text of the Complaint
and Order I wrote out on the spot, which worked fine.
Complaint
I, [full name], seek to amend the name and sex on my
birth certificate to reflect my Court Order for Name
Change and to reflect my surgical sex reassignment to
female. I also seek to have the original birth record
impounded as allowed under Wisconsin law. I ask the
Court to grant relief in this complaint by ordering
the Clerk of Court to certify the Report Of Order To
Change Name & Sex On Birth Certificate Due To
Surgical Sex-Change Procedure.
Order
In this case which came today, Plaintiff testified
under oath in the complaint.
Relief in this complaint was granted after
presentation of a notarized letter dated [date on
letter] from [SRS surgeon], M.D., confirming that he
performed surgical sex change on the Plaintiff on
[SRS date].
The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family
Services is directed, upon receipt of appropriate
fees, to make the following changes on this birth
record:
1. Amend the name as specified on Form DOH 5035 to
read [new name]
2. Amend sex to read female
3. Impound the old record and create a new birth
certificate for the registrant.
The Clerk of Court is so ordered to certify the Order
To Change Name & Sex On Birth Certificate Due To
Surgical Sex-Change Procedure.
Return the form
imprinted with the court seal along with the appropriate
fees. In 2001, the fee was $20 to create a new birth
record. A certified copy was $12 for the first and $2 for
each copy ordered at the same time.
I recommend you not trust this document to standard U.S.
Mail. If you plan to overnight any information through a
service that will not deliver to a mailbox, you can send
it to
Vital Records Office
1 West Wilson Street, Room 158
Madison WI 53702
(608) 267-7821
Processing usually take two to four weeks.
RELEVANT LAW (subject
to change):
Wisconsin Statutes: http://folio.legis.state.wi.us/
click on the link to Statutes
Wyoming will issue an
amended certificate. The certificate will specify the
birth name and the birth gender, unless you can obtain a
court order mandating a new certificate be created.
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