Legal Name Change Question

[Guest Soph]

From what I've gathered, a legal name change is (obviously) necessary to transitioning, but I think (might be mistaken) I read that you also need a legal gender change. You know, where is says M on your drivers licence and other things. I'm just curious, first off, how long a name change generally takes (I'm sure it varies by state), and how, if it exists, you get a legal gender change. I don't want to be fully transitioned and have to circle Male on a job application >_<

[Guest Martin]

Both of these vary by state. For the legal sex change, sometimes you need a surgeon's letter, sometimes a surgeon's letter in order to get a court order, and sometimes a doctor's note (as in, no surgery needed).

The Colorado name changes I've done have taken about five months.

[Guest bronx]

In NYC were I had my name and gender marker changed, I got a lawyer through an organization named the TLDEF its a trans leagal defend fund that has a free name change project for NYC residents. What they do is that there are a bunch of firms that do name changes pro bono for the trans community. It took about 3 mos from the time I contacted them. After I got my papers from the courts I then got a letter from my doctor saying that I was living as a male and that my ID's needed to reflect that. I just showed the court papers and letter around and had no problems changing both. Except my birth citifacate, In NYC you must have at least a hysto to do that. But I did change my name.

Good Luck

[Guest Leah1026]

From what I've gathered, a legal name change is (obviously) necessary to transitioning, but I think (might be mistaken) I read that you also need a legal gender change. You know, where is says M on your drivers licence and other things. I'm just curious, first off, how long a name change generally takes (I'm sure it varies by state), and how, if it exists, you get a legal gender change. I don't want to be fully transitioned and have to circle Male on a job application >_<

A legal name change can be done by anyone at anytime for any reason (other than fraud). Most of us do it around the time we go full-time (start of RLE). Part of the process of name change is getting your new driver's license.

HOWEVER

Legal sex is totally different. Legal sex is what your birth certificate says. A few states allow you to change the sex designation on your driver's license when you're pre-op. For example: California. BUT this does NOT constitute a legal name change. After SRS transsexual women may get their birth certificates (legal sex) changed in 47 states. Only Tennessee, Ohio and Idaho do not allow changes. So if you were born in one of those three states you're out of luck for now. I think eventually those laws will be changed.

Your situation: Unless you live in one of the states that allow the gender field on the driver's license to be changed (since you don't want SRS) you will carry that "M" forever. Or at least until society becomes more enlightened. Sorry.

The length of time the legal name change process takes varies. 4-8 weeks is a common time frame for getting a court date after applying. But the real work comes after, when you have to run around informing everybody of the change. I would advise starting a list of who you need to contact now. My list had 28 companies, organizations, utilities etc that I had to contact.

[Guest Soph]

Thanks for the responses guys (or some other less gender-specific term of endearment )

Looks like I have some work ahead of me.