How to change your name and gender marker

Our name and/or gender shows up on many different documents and pieces of identification: driver’s licenses, passports, credit cards, social security cards, birth certificates, health insurance, etc. When it comes to updating your documents to reflect the correct name and gender, there are is no one stop shop. Everything must be updated individually since no agency communicates with each other if you were to update your information with them. Healthcare systems make it pretty hard to record our true gender identity. Some of this is because healthcare technology is imperfect, and some of this is because of laws and rules that we have to follow in healthcare. We wish it was more simple!

As you begin your process of updating your documents, it can be helpful to gather your current identity documents as you will likely need them as you are updating your documents. Some things to gather can include:

• your current birth certificate
• your current social security card
• your current passport
• your current state ID

For state IDs and driver licenses

As a transgender person, updating your documents varies from state-to-state. Some states have certain requirements that others do not. We recommend checking these resources for navigating the process for gender marker and name change in your state.

• Trans Equality  (national database)
• Transgender Law Center (national database)

Tips

• Search for “Name/gender marker clinics in [YOUR STATE]”. Sometimes local non-profits, law schools, legal clinics, and other groups will host virtual or in-person events that assists anyone interested in updating their name and gender marker.  
• Ask your local legal aid society for assistance in processing paperwork

For social security records

To update your social security records, you will first need to obtain an official court-ordered name and gender change. Under current U.S. policy, a transgender person can change their gender on their social security records by submitting proof of their gender marker change (either government-issued documentation reflecting a change, or a certification from a physician confirming that they have had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition). To change your name on your card, you must show social security documents proving your legal name change and identity.

Acceptable forms of “proof” include:

• A full-validity 10-year U.S. passport showing the correct gender and/or name
• A state-issued birth certificate showing the correct gender and/or name
• A court order recognizing the correct gender and/or name
• A signed letter from a provider confirming you have had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition

If you use a physician letter, it must come from a licensed physician with whom you have a patient relationship and who is familiar with your transition-related treatment. This may be your Plume provider or any physician who is familiar with your treatment, including a primary care physician or a specialist.

For passports

Medical documentation is no longer required to update your U.S. passport. You can select the gender marker you want printed on your passport, and your selection does NOT need to match the gender on your supporting documentation (birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID). Beginning in 2023, individuals will be able to select X as a gender marker on U.S. passports. For more information, click here.

For credit and debit cards

Contact your individual financial institution on how to update the information on your debit/credit card accounts. You will likely need a copy of your updated photo ID and any court documents related to your legal name/gender change. Once they have received proof of your updated information, they will send you new cards reflecting this change.

For health insurance

To update the name and gender on your health insurance, you will want to contact both your individual health insurance agency and your employer’s Human Resources department if your insurance is sponsored through your job. It is important to have your health insurance information match your state ID information to ensure no delays in care. For example, if the gender marker a provider uses on a prescription order is different from the gender marker on your insurance card, it can cause a delay in getting your medication because your insurance company will not identify you as the correct person due to the mismatched information.

Gender markers at Plume Clinic

When you sign up for gender-affirming hormone therapy at Plume Clinic, you provide your sex assigned at birth and gender identity. While our system records your gender identity, pharmacies, labs, and insurance companies typically only receive a “sex” field of M or F based on your sex assigned at birth.

We can include your chosen name and pronouns with pharmacy and lab orders. If you’d like us to change the “sex” field we send to these partners, please note that a mismatch with your insurance records may delay coverage for prescriptions.

You can also change your legal gender marker. Requirements vary by state and organization. The Transgender Law Center and HealthCare.gov offer helpful resources.