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In some states, you must undergo gender confirmation surgery before you can change the gender on your license, while other states have no medical requirements.
One unique facet of the United States is that each state can customize its laws. One area where this happens concerns rights for transgender and nonbinary people. You might be surprised to learn how the driver’s licenses of transgender and nonbinary drivers are impacted across the country depending on where they live.
While some states, like New York, let you change the gender on your driver’s license online without any medical proof of a gender transition, other states require proof of gender confirmation surgery. Meanwhile, some states haven’t addressed this issue at all. Keep reading to see where your state of residence stands.
The following states allow you to change the gender listed on your driver’s license to male, female, or in some states, nonbinary (usually written as “X” or “Not Specified”). Here’s how to do it.
State | Requires proof of gender reassignment surgery? | Requires additional proof of gender identity? | Option for non-binary identification? | Link for online application | Physical application link | Fee to change permit/license |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | No | Yes, amended birth certificate and U.S. court order granting change of sex/gender. Form must also be completed/certified by either an advanced nurse practitioner, psychologist, physical assistant, professional counselor, physician in medicine/osteopathy, or social worker. | No | n/a | https://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/forms/pdfs/427.pdf | n/a |
Arizona | No | Yes, a signed statement from a licensed physician that says the person is “irrevocably committed to the gender-change process” | No | No | n/a | $12 |
Arkansas | No | No | Yes | n/a | n/a | $40 |
California | No | No | Yes | https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/dl-id-online-app-edl-44/ | https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/gender-category-request-form-dmv-329s-pdf/ | $33 |
Colorado | No | Yes, a Colorado birth certificate or form DR 2083 if under 18, which requires a licensed professional medical/health care provider to verify gender identity | Yes | n/a | https://drive.google.com/a/state.co.us/file/d/1PeYZd7U43ar6Flg8lFAT1Etg1EPdLVUy/view?usp=sharing | $0 |
Connecticut | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DMV/20/29/B-385.pdf | $30 |
Delaware | No | Yes, part of the form must be completed by a licensed U.S. medical or social service provider certifying their gender | No | n/a | https://www.dmv.de.gov/forms/driver_serv_forms/pdfs/gender_change_request_form.pdf | n/a |
District of Columbia | No | Yes, certification by medical/social service authority like a physician, licensed therapist or counselor, case worker, social worker, etc. | No | n/a | https://dmv.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dmv/publication/attachments/Gender_Change_Policies.pdf | There is a fee, but amount not listed on government website |
Florida | No | Yes, a signed original statement on office letterhead from attending medical physician (internist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, urologist, or psychiatrist) indicating the person is “undergoing appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition” | No | n/a | n/a | $48 |
Georgia | Yes, physician must state date of operation | Yes, a court order or physician’s letter certifying gender change is required | No | https://dds.drives.ga.gov/_/ | n/a | $5 |
Hawaii | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.honolulu.gov/rep/site/csd/onlineforms/csddlapplicationform.pdf | There is a fee, but amount not listed on government website |
Idaho | Yes | Yes, a physician must certify the person has “undergone a change of sex” | No | n/a | https://itd.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/3533fill.pdf | There is a fee, but amount not listed on government website |
Illinois | No | No | No | n/a | https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a329.pdf | At renewal: $0
Not at renewal: $5 |
Indiana | Yes | Yes, a physician must certify gender change | No | n/a | https://forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=11817 | $9 |
Iowa | No | Yes, a certified, amended birth certificate or a court-ordered change of sex designation with an official court seal | No | n/a | n/a | $10 |
Kansas | No | Yes, a court order or file stamped copy of order, or medical declaration from an attending licensed medical or osteopathic physician stating that the person has “undergone the appropriate clinical treatment for change of sex” or that this gender classification is appropriate | No | n/a | n/a | Not listed on government website |
Kentucky | Yes | Yes, a court order changing gender marker, letter from surgeon verifying completed gender reassignment surgery, amended birth certificate | No | n/a | n/a | $15 |
Louisiana | Yes | Yes, a physician-signed medical statement stating the person has had a successful gender change/reassignment | No | n/a | n/a | $32.25 |
Maine | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/forms/GENDER%20DESIGNATION%20FORM.pdf | Renewal: $20-$59
Duplicate: $5 |
Maryland | No | No | Yes | n/a | n/a | Renewal: $6
Duplicate: $20 |
Massachusetts | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.mass.gov/doc/learners-permit-drivers-license-and-id-card-application/download | $25 |
Michigan | No | No | No | n/a | https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/10lawensn/Gender_Change_form_Fillable.pdf?rev=b73591b26d6344d9bc0e658e1104ef6b | $9 |
Minnesota | No | No | Yes | https://onlineservices.dps.mn.gov/EServices/_/#1 | n/a | $17 |
Missouri | No | Yes, a medical or social provider must verify gender identity | No | n/a | https://dor.mo.gov/forms/5532.pdf | New: $26-$52
Duplicate: $26-$32 |
Nebraska | Yes | Yes, doctors of medicine/osteopathy, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, or doctors of chiropractic must verify “sex reassignment procedures required for social gender recognition” | No | n/a | https://dmv.nebraska.gov/sites/dmv.nebraska.gov/files/doc/dls/forms/Certificationofsexreassignment.pdf | $5.00 |
Nevada | No | Yes, a physician must complete a form certifying the gender change | Yes | n/a | 404 | $8.25 |
New Hampshire | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.dmv.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt416/files/inline-documents/dsmv450.pdf | $3 |
New Jersey | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.nj.gov/mvc/pdf/license/genderchange.pdf | $11 |
New Mexico | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mvd10237.pdf | $18 |
New York | No | No | Yes | https://transact3.dmv.ny.gov/UpdateSexIdentifier/?_ga=2.16987641.1579787477.1677073166-1075449368.1677073166 | https://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv44.pdf | $12.50 |
North Carolina | No | Yes, a physician, psychiatrist, physician’s assistant, licensed therapist, counselor, psychologist, case worker, or social worker must verify the gender identity in their “professional opinion.” Requested sex must match birth certificate and must have a U.S. court order granting change of sex/gender | No | n/a | https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/downloads/Documents/DL-300.pdf | $14 |
North Dakota | No | Yes, a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist must verify that “gender role transition” is completed/permanent | No | n/a | https://www.dot.nd.gov/forms/sfn61146.pdf | Not listed on government website |
Ohio | No | Yes, a physician, psychologist, therapist, nurse practitioner, or social worker needs to certify that they treat and counsel the person and that their gender identity is correct | No | n/a | https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/static/bmv2369.pdf | Not listed on government website |
Oklahoma | Yes | Yes, an original or certified court order for name change and a notarized statement on letterhead from physician who performed sex change operation that is “irreversible and permanent” | No | n/a | n/a | 4-year renewal: $38.50
4-year replacement: $25 |
Oregon | No | Yes, a U.S. court document that proves gender change | Yes | n/a | n/a | Renewal: $40
Replacement: $26 |
Pennsylvania | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BDL/BDL%20Form/DL-32.pdf | $0 |
Rhode Island | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://dmv.ri.gov/media/41/download?language=en | Duplicate: $27.50
Renewal: $62.50 |
Tennessee | Yes | Yes, a statement from physician that necessary “medical procedures to accomplish the change in gender” are complete | No | n/a | n/a | $10 |
Texas | No | Yes, an original, certified court order or amended birth certificate that verifies change. | No | n/a | n/a | $11 |
Utah | No | Yes, a letter from a licensed medical professional stating the person is “receiving appropriate clinical care or treatment for gender transitioning or gender change.” Must also get evidence of this care, attend a hearing in court and get a court order, which you’ll then file with the Utah Vital Records and Statistics before changing sex on license | Yes | n/a | https://apps.utcourts.gov/InterviewAPI/aem/forms/template/1588
https://apps.utcourts.gov/InterviewAPI/aem/forms/template/2022 |
Renewal: $23
Duplicate: $23 |
Vermont | No | No | Yes | https://dmv.vermont.gov/faq/how-do-i-change-the-gender-on-my-license-id#VOR | https://dmv.vermont.gov/sites/dmv/files/documents/VL-040-Replacement_License.pdf | $20 |
Virginia | No | No | Yes | n/a | https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dl1p.pdf | $32 |
Washington | No | No | Yes | https://www.dol.wa.gov/licenseexpress.html | https://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/520043.pdf | $20 |
West Virginia | No | Yes, a licensed physician must certify gender identity | No | n/a | https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/DMV-99-RO-GenderDesignationForm.pdf | $5 |
Wisconsin | No | Yes, proof by court order under seal or physician’s note | No | n/a | https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/formdocs/mv3001.pdf | $14 |
Wyoming | No | Yes, a statement signed by physician, therapist, counselor, psychiatric social worker, or other medical/social service provider verifying that they treat the person and their gender identity will continue “for the foreseeable future” | No | n/a | https://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Driver_Services/Forms/GENDER%20CHANGE%2020190620.pdf | $35 |
Only 22 states allow residents to list nonbinary gender identities on their drivers’ licenses — less than half the union. Nationwide, among adults ages 18 to 29, 3 percent identify as nonbinary, while 2 percent identify as transgender.1
While not every state outlines how to change your driver’s license’s listed gender, no state bans it explicitly (some simply have no policies whatsoever). Additionally, some states that allow for it require you to undergo gender confirmation surgery to do so, a procedure that is not accessible or desirable to all transgender people.
Of the people that identify as transgender — which, as of March 2021, made up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population — only about 11 percent get gender confirmation surgeries, also known as gender-affirming surgeries or gender confirmation surgeries.2
Some trans people don’t want to get gender-affirming surgery, preferring to stay physically the same or only undergo hormone treatment, dermatology changes, and voice therapy.3 Others may want such procedures, but encounter discrimination and barriers to entry in the healthcare system, along with financial, employment, and insurance hurdles, according to a study published in Sexual Research and Social Policy.4
Although these surgeries are becoming more common, the majority of trans people don’t transition their sexual organs. That means they would have to keep the genders they were assigned at birth on their driver’s licenses in the following states:
All of these states require gender confirmation surgery to change your gender on your license
Some state legislation provides vague language that doesn’t explicitly mandate gender confirmation surgery to change the gender on your driver’s license, but instead requires statements from physicians, court orders, or other documentation. For example, in Arizona, a licensed physician must sign a statement verifying that the person is “irrevocably committed to the gender-change process.”5
The below states require such kinds of gender change proof. See the above chart to find out exactly what your state requires, in addition to or instead of gender confirmation surgery.
Oklahoma is the first state to explicitly prohibit the use of nonbinary pronouns on birth certificates through an executive order.6 The state also prevents people from changing genders or sexes on their birth certificates under Bill 1100.7 In March 2022, civil rights group Lambda Legal sued the state in federal court over Bill 1100, but the outcome hasn’t been determined yet.8,/sup>
The states below let people change their genders on their licenses without any proof of a transition at all. Rather, they can simply work with their state’s department of motor vehicles to get their information updated, which is no doubt the most straightforward option.
While no state outwardly bans changing genders on licenses, these states do not have active policies either way.
However, what can and can’t be required in Alabama is under litigation as of February 2023. Previously, Policy Order 63 required the state’s transgender residents to have “gender reassignment surgery” before they could alter the sex on their drivers’ licenses.9 However, that policy was found to be unconstitutional and in violation of the Equal Protection Clause under the 14th Amendment. The issue is still working its way through the court system, leaving the process for updating one’s gender unclear in this state.10
Transgender rights are a hot-button issue in the U.S., the subject of culture wars and legislative battles that impact something as common as drivers’ licenses. If you’re interested in learning more about the world of driving through the lens of another marginalized community, check out our article on auto insurance for undocumented immigrants.
About 5% of young adults in the U.S. say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth. Pew Research Center. (2022, Jun 7).
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/07/about-5-of-young-adults-in-the-u-s-say-their-gender-is-different-from-their-sex-assigned-at-birth/
Transgender surgery – Knowledge gap among physicians impacting patient care. Current Urology. (2021, Mar).
https://journals.lww.com/cur/fulltext/2021/03000/transgender_surgery___knowledge_gap_among.12.aspx
Gender Affirmation: Do I Need Surgery? Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2023).
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gender-affirmation-do-i-need-surgery
Barriers to Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Individuals. Sex Res Policy via PubMed Central. (2017, Aug 4).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5842950/
Customer Records. Motor Vehicle Division. (2023).
https://sagatucson.org/files/documents/az_mvd_policy_311.pdf
Floor Amendment Senate Bill No.1100. Senate Chamber State of Oklahoma. (2022, Mar 22).
http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf
Executive Department Executive Order 2021-24. J. Kevin Stitt, Office of the Governor, State of Oklahoma. (2021, Nov 8).
https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/executive/2014.pdf
Fowler et al v. Stitt et al. Justia Dockets and Filings. (2022, Mar 11).
https://dockets.justia.com/docket/oklahoma/okndce/4:2022cv00115/60681
BRIEF FOR THE UNITED STATES AS AMICUS CURIAE SUPPORTING PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES AND URGING AFFIRMANCE. United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. (2021, Aug 2).
https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/file/1423426/download
ID Documents Center: Alabama. National Center for Transgender Equality. (2023).
https://transequality.org/documents/state/alabama