Requirements (Does this apply to me?)
To be eligible to have the sex listed on your birth certificate changed, you must be able to show that you were born in Maryland, AND that one of the following has happened (in Maryland or elsewhere):
- You have undergone treatment appropriate for the purpose of sex transition;
- You have been diagnosed with an intersex condition;
- A court has issued an order indicating that your sex has been changed; OR
- Prior to October 1, 2015, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health amended an original birth certificate on receipt of a court order.
Procedure (What steps should I take?)
To have the sex listed on your birth certificate changed, you must submit certain documents to the Division of Vital Records:
- The application for change in sex designation form;
- A government-issued photo ID (e.g. your driver’s license); AND
- One or the other of these two documents, indicating that the sex designation on your Maryland birth certificate should be changed:
- A signed statement from a licensed health care practitioner, OR
- A court order indicating the change.
The application, fact sheet, and health care practitioner statement can be found here: (http://dhmh.maryland.gov/vsa/Documents/Sex%20change%20instructions_revised.pdf).
Read the Law: Health – General § 4-211
Changing your name
If you want to change your name when you change your sex, you must include a court order with the approved name change. You can read more about this process here:
Name Change as an Adult (http://www.peoples-law.org/name-change-adult)
Name Change as a Child (http://www.peoples-law.org/name-change-child)
NOTE: These articles include ways to change your name without a court order. In order to change your name while requesting a change of gender, you must have a court order.
Fees Involved
In order to have new certificate created, you need to submit a check for $24 with your application. If you want a copy of the new certificate sent to you, include another $24 ($48 total).