Changing Your Gender
The California Court system offers a step-by-step process for Californians looking to change their gender.
Individuals born within California do not need a court-issued recognition of gender change to amend a California driver’s license, birth certificate, social security card, or U.S. passport. However, if you were born outside of California, you may need a court-ordered recognition of gender and additional documentation, depending on your state. To initiate a , you can file , Petition for Recognition of Change of Gender and Issuance of New Birth Certificate, , Civil Case Cover Sheet, and , Order for Change of Gender and Issuance of New Birth Certificate. These forms differ based on whether an applicant wants to . Applicants must fill out form , Petition for Change of Name, Recognition of Change of Gender, and Issuance of New Birth Certificate, and , Attachment to Petition for Change of Name for a court-ordered name and gender change. Similarly, CM-010 must be completed along with , Order to Show Cause for Change of Name to Conform to Gender Identity, and , Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate. Regional courts may request local forms with the submission of state forms. You can refer to your or talk to its respective court clerk for more information. After making a copy of all completed forms, applicants can file them with the court clerk in the superior court within the county. There is a of $435, but a is available for applicants that need it. After filing, the court will issue an order that gives any person who objects to file an objection twenty-eight days from the date of the order. If there is no objection, then the court will grant the order after the twenty-eight-day period. In the case that there is an objection, a hearing will be set. Applicants will bring form NC-330 for a gender change or NC-230 for an additional name change that the judge will sign if he approves of the respective requests. After receiving the court order, California-born applicants can bring it to the State Registrar with a filing fee to have the changes reflected in their birth certificate.
For more detailed information, the California Court system provides a step-by-step overview on changing your and simultaneously. All gender and name change forms can be found and filled out online with . To learn more about your state’s guidelines for changing gender markers or changing birth certificates, check out the for support and resources.