Name and Gender Marker Changes in Vermont

In order to change your name on most documents, you will need a court order legally changing your name. To get that court order, you begin by filing documents with your county’s Probate Division of Superior Court.

Documents you need:

• Name change petition form
• Certified copy of Birth Certificate
• Certified copy of Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• Certified copy of Birth Certificate for minor children (if applicable)
• $150 check or a fee waiver form

Steps to take:

1. At the top of the form, put your name where it says "In r.e." Leave the case number blank if you don't have one. Put the name of your county where it says court "Unit." Complete the rest of the form and sign it.
2. Mail or bring documents to your local probate court. We suggest that you bring an extra copy of the paperwork you submit and ask the clerk to stamp it with the filing date for your records.
3. The court will send you a notice with a hearing date.
4. Plan to attend a short hearing. The judge may ask you a few questions, like confirming that nobody is forcing you to change your name. There is no opposing party.
5. If the judge approves your petition, they will issue an Order Changing Name.

Note: You can get a certified copy of your Vermont birth certificate from the Department of Health’s Vital Records Office. Submit an application form or apply online and pay $10 per copy requested. This process varies from state to state. If you were born outside of Vermont, you should contact your state’s Department of Health or Vital Records Office to ask about getting a copy of your birth certificate.

Once the Order Changing Name is issued, you can get a certified copy for a $5 fee at the courthouse. Having several copies is useful. If you have multiples, you will not need to wait for one agency to return a copy before you can apply to change another record.

Mail the documents listed below to the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-8370. The Vital Records Office should process the change. If you ask for a certified copy and pay the $10 fee, you will get a copy of your updated certificate.

If changing the name on your Vermont birth certificate

Documents you need:

• Cover letter saying you want to change the name on your birth certificate
• Certified copy of Order Changing Name
• No specific form is required, but we recommend that you submit an Application to Correct or Amend a Vermont Birth Certificate.
• If you want certified copies of the updated birth certificate, submit an application form. It costs $10 for each certified copy. Include a photocopy of government-issued identification or another form of ID (like a bank statement, mail, utility bill, or a school ID and report card).

If changing the gender marker on your Vermont birth certificate

Documents you need:

• Affidavit of Gender Identity
• If you want certified copies of the updated birth certificate, submit an application form. It costs $10 for each certified copy. Include a photocopy of government-issued identification or another form of ID (like a bank statement, mail, utility bill, or a school ID and report card).

You need your new Social Security Card before you can update your driver’s license or non-driver ID at the DMV. To update your Social Security records, mail, fax or bring documents to your local Social Security Office. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will correct your record and mail you a new Social Security Card.

Documents you need:

• Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5)
• Identity document, like driver’s license or passport—must be valid, show your name (can be birth name), date of birth/age, and preferably have a recent photograph
• Proof of citizenship (birth certificate or U.S. passport) if not already provided
• If changing name: You will also need the original or certified copy of Order Changing Name.
• If changing gender marker: You do not need any other medical or legal documents to support that change. You can currently self-select either “male” or “female.”

Individuals who were assigned male at birth and who are between the ages of 18 and 26 must keep their information updated with the Selective Service System (SSS). Those who change their gender marker to male do not need to register with Selective Service.

SSS requires you to update your name within 10 days after it is legally changed. If you change your gender marker, you do not need to tell SSS. To update the name on record, call SSS at 1-888-655-1825 (toll free) or 847-688-6888.

You should update your license or non-driver ID within 30 days of a legal name change. You can do this by bringing the documents listed below to your local DMV office. Once you update your information, the DMV will issue you a temporary ID and mail you a new ID.

To change the gender marker on your ID, the DMV does not ask for any documentation. Just submit an application form with the updated information. Vermont now allows three gender marker options on state IDs: Male (“M”), Female (“F”), or Other (“X”).

Documents you need:

• Application for Replacement License (VL-040) or Non-Driver ID (VL-017) listing new name and/or corrected gender marker
• If changing name: Original or certified copy of Order Changing Name
• Identification document like driver's license or passport
• Social Security verification showing new name (new SS card, W-2, or other forms)
• Two documents showing street address (mail you get at a street address, lease, utility bill, etc.)
• Replacement fee of $20. There are higher fees for an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL).

Check the State Department website to see if you are eligible to renew your passport by mail or must apply in person. If the instructions say you can submit your paperwork by mail, find the address on your application form. If you need to or want to submit your paperwork in person, visit a passport acceptance facility.

Note about gender marker changes

You no longer need a doctor’s letter to change the gender marker on your passport. You can self-select your gender marker on the form. You can get a passport card or book with “M,” “F” or “X.”

If your passport was issued in the last year

If your Order Changing Name and your passport were both issued in the last year, you can send documents by mail.

Documents you need:

• Renewal Form (DS5504)
• Most recent U.S. Passport (undamaged)
• Color 2”x 2” passport photo
• Original or certified copy of Order Changing Name

If your passport was issued 1-15 years ago

If your passport was issued 1-15 years ago — when you were 16 or older — you can send documents by mail.

Documents you need:

• Renewal Form (DS82)
• Most recent U.S. Passport (undamaged)
• Color 2” x 2” passport photo
• Original or certified copy of Order Changing Name
• Renewal Fee ($130 for Passport Book)

In other situations

If you do not have an existing passport or you don’t fit into one of the two categories above, bring these documents to a passport acceptance facility.

Documents you need:

• Application Form (DS11)
• Evidence of U.S. citizenship — like birth certificate, passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship (and black & white copy, front and back, on 8” x 11” paper)
• Valid ID — like license, passport, Green Card, military ID (and black & white copy, front and back, on 8” x 11” paper)
• Color 2”x 2” passport photo
• Applicant Fee ($130 + $35 for Passport Book)
• Proof of name change in the form of either:
  • Original or certified copy of Order Changing Name, or
  • If you do not have a court order and have been using your new name for five years or more: Three public records showing that you have been using your new name for at least five years and an Affidavit Regarding Change of Name (DS60). This form must be completed by two people who have known you by both names.

Each state has its own rules and procedures for correcting vital records. If you were not born in Vermont, please refer to your birth state's rules for how to change the information on your birth certificate. Contacting the Vital Records Office in your birth state is a good place to start.

Pop-Up Transgender ID Project

GLAD, Ropes & Gray, and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition provide a free legal service for New Englanders seeking help with updating their legal name and gender on federal and state documents. To sign up, complete the form on the GLAD website or call GLAD Answers at 1-800-455-GLAD.

The Office of the Health Care Advocate is available to help you change your name and/or gender marker with your health insurance and medical providers.

Vermont Health Connect and Medicaid

If you have insurance through Vermont Health Connect, including Vermont Medicaid, you can report a change by calling 1-855-899-9600 or via your online account. No documentation is needed for gender marker changes. Vermont Health Connect may ask for documentation of your name. You have many documentation options, including driver’s license, passport, Social Security card and birth certificate, and more.

Medicare

Medicare uses the name and gender marker you have on file with Social Security. Update your name and/or gender marker through the process listed for Social Security. Then, you can ask for a new Medicare card with your updated name by calling Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. Gender markers are not listed on your Medicare card.

Private insurance and employer-sponsored insurance

Contact your health insurance's customer service office for advice about how to change your information in their systems. The customer service office phone number is usually written on the back of your health insurance card. If you have private health insurance through an employer, your workplace human resources (HR) department may be able to help you with this change.

Medical providers

Contact your medical provider’s office to update your name and/or gender marker in their systems. It is important that your name and/or gender marker matches your health insurance so that your insurance can be billed correctly. If your name doesn’t match, it can lead to insurance billing problems. Some medical offices can list a separate name for billing.

If you need help with any of these changes, if you are denied health care coverage, or if you have trouble accessing gender-affirming treatment, contact the Office of the Health Care Advocate for free help: 1-800-917-7787 or HCA@vtlegalaid.org.

To change your information with USCIS, you can file paperwork by mail or online. You will submit an application form, a fee, and sometimes supporting documents. Most people may now self-select their gender marker without any additional documentation. Requirements vary depending on which document you need to update. For example:

• Application for Employment Authorization: Form I-765
• Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card: Form I-90
• Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document: N-565

Information about each form, including checklists of "evidence" (supporting documents) you must send, is available on the USCIS website.

To update your name, include a certified copy of your Order Changing Name.

To update your gender marker, visit the USCIS Updating or Correcting Your Documents web page. Currently, the only gender markers available are “Male” (M) or “Female” (F). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working on options to include an additional gender marker (“X”) for another or unspecified gender identity.

To confirm the correct fee amounts, use USCIS’s calculator. If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver using form I-912.

If you are seeking support with the name/gender marker change process, these organizations can give you help or advice:

• GLAD's Pop-Up ID Project: 1-800-455-GLAD
• Pride Center of Vermont's Transgender Program: 802-860-7812
• Outright Vermont (serving youth 13-22): 802-865-9677
• Legal Services Vermont: 1-800-889-2047
• Office of the Health Care Advocate (health insurance or provider-related issues): 1-800-917-7787