Changing Drivers License, Birth Certificate, Social, Etc.

[Guest Alice4016]

I'm from Ohio, and I read that they will not let you change your sex on your birth certificate (only your name). If I am not allowed to change it there can I have it changed on my passport, drivers license, social security etc? I really would rather not have to always have male on my drivers license etc. I know it's a bit soon to worry about this, but I've always had a tendency to worry needlessly...

Peace, love, and health,

Alice

[Guest Drew]

I'm from Ohio, and I read that they will not let you change your sex on your birth certificate (only your name). If I am not allowed to change it there can I have it changed on my passport, drivers license, social security etc? I really would rather not have to always have male on my drivers license etc. I know it's a bit soon to worry about this, but I've always had a tendency to worry needlessly...

Peace, love, and health,

Alice

yeah, you're not allowed to change your sex marker until you have SRS...i think that rule applies almost anywhere. i've never heard that you can never get it changed in ohio ...although i have my gender marker changed on my drivers license, i'm not sure about social security cards, but i'm pretty sure that it can't be changed on your passport until SRS. i think i'll look into this some more because if you can never get it changed in ohio then i'm screwed too.

Drew

[Guest Leah1026]

I'm from Ohio, and I read that they will not let you change your sex on your birth certificate (only your name). If I am not allowed to change it there can I have it changed on my passport, drivers license, social security etc? I really would rather not have to always have male on my drivers license etc. I know it's a bit soon to worry about this, but I've always had a tendency to worry needlessly...

I'm sorry but I have BAD news for you. Birth certificates in Ohio may NEVER be changed, not even for clerical errors! I know it's insane, but don't worry about that right now. That's step #100, concentrate on number 3 and 4 right now. Hopefully the fall elections will bring change nationwide and usher in a new era of progressivism. So be patient that state policy will have to change eventually.

There is good news however. I don't believe a birth certificate is needed to get a new, gender appropriate, license. Even in Ohio I believe you can get that changed with a surgical SRS letter. See here:

http://www.ohio.edu/lgbt/resources/transnamechange.cfm

Good Luck!

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

That stinks. My home state won't issue new birth certificates, even after SRS. All they will do is issue a "card" that you attach to your old one.

Here's where I got some info. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but when I've checked it against other sources it seems to be mostly correct:

Name/Birth Certificate Changes

[Guest Alice4016]

Yeah, we're looking into this here too. I'm sure if you were to move to a different state, we are heading to Cali or Fl depending on where my wife can get a job teaching (I can program anywhere), we're pretty sure you can get your drivers license changed then. Although it would be nice to have it changed on everything, but I think I could deal with just the license (it's all anyone ever really needs to see anyway). If you happen to dig anything up on this please let me know, I'll make sure to do the same for you hun.

Peace, love, and health,

Alice

[Guest Drew]

I'm sorry but I have BAD news for you. Birth certificates in Ohio may NEVER be changed, not even for clerical errors!

There is good news however. I don't believe a birth certificate is needed to get a new, gender appropriate, license. Even in Ohio I believe you can get that changed with a surgical SRS letter.

Good Luck!

AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh darned, that sucks...oh well, i guess i'll have to move.

i got my drivers license changed even without SRS so maybe there's some hope there.

Drew

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Sorry to be a downer guys. I could be wrong, but I think you are stuck with your home state (meaning whatever state you were born in) with the birth certificate thing. I've moved to Florida, but when I needed "official records" stuff for my passport, I still had to get it from the vital records department in South Carolina. Conservative South Carolina and I are bound for life it seems.

With driver's licenses it is easier to slip through the cracks, especially if you've had hormone therapy. I've heard of people who pass really well just going in, saying they lost their license, and then saying that the old one had a typo that needs to get fixed. If you look like a guy (or girl if that's the case for you), then the person at the DMV isn't likely to question you. Of course, with all the alarmist stuff going on now, I imagine stuff like that is going to get harder to pull off.

[Guest Jack Solomon]

The website http://www.tsroadmap.com has some good information on legally changing your name, driver's license, birth certificate and other documentations. The website is aimed towards mtfs, but the information applies to ftms as well. Legal name change information, including a list of links leading to procedure instructions to legally change your name in all US states. Here is the page on birth certificates and here's the page on changing your driver's license.

Another resource (reccomended by tsroadmap) on the topic of amending birth certificates is Dr. Becky Allison's website.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Solomon

[Guest Seth]

What about WI?

I've researched it, but found nothing.

[Guest Snow Angel]

What about WI?

I've researched it, but found nothing.

COPY/PASTED FROM: http://www.drbecky.com/birthcert.html

Wisconsin

Wisconsin will change name and sex on the birth certificate. You will need a certified copy of your Court Order for Name Change as well as a certified copy of a Court Order for change of gender (two separate court orders). You will need 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. Finally, you will need your original birth certificate or a certified copy.

Contact:

Hal Hart

Special Records Lead Worker

Vital Records Section

Bureau of Health Information & Policy

Division of Public Health

1 West Wilson Street, Room 158

Madison WI 53702

608-267-0914

Another Wisconsin correspondent gives additional information on having your old birth cdertificate "impounded":

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.

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."

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.

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

[Guest mandy05]

I'm from Ohio, and I read that they will not let you change your sex on your birth certificate (only your name). If I am not allowed to change it there can I have it changed on my passport, drivers license, social security etc? I really would rather not have to always have male on my drivers license etc. I know it's a bit soon to worry about this, but I've always had a tendency to worry needlessly...

Peace, love, and health,

Alice

Didn't get to read through all of the posts.

I live in Tennessee, and I know of someone who had their gender changed to Female, and they still have not had their SRS yet. She was the very first for our state to pull this off. However, she has been transitioning for the past 11 years now, and has been on HRT for a very long time. She is completely passable, and via help of her therapist and doctor, she was able to convince a judge to change her gender to female.

Plus another friend of this individual who lives up in Iowa, was also able to change her gender to female without having SRS yet. Her friend in Iowa is the one who inspired her to go back to court to have her gender changed. She is also very passable, and both of these girls are pretty much in stealth mode.

So yes, it has been done before without having SRS yet.