Welcome to our one-stop hub for name and gender change information. Find out how to update your name and gender on state and federal IDs and records.
Most courts and government offices have resumed normal operations with the formal end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Make sure to contact your local court or other government offices for details on their current operating hours and procedures, including if they require appointments for in-person visits.. You should keep dated copies of any materials you submit by mail or electronically.
Last updated November 2023
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To obtain a legal name change in Vermont, an applicant must submit a petition to the court. No publication is required. Registered sex offenders may not be eligible to change their name unless the court finds a compelling purpose. (Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 811 to § 817 (West))
For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Vermont, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Vermont resource.
In order to update the name on a Vermont ID, the applicant must first change their name with the Social Security Administration, then submit a court order certifying the name change. The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles addresses name change here. Applicants must notify the DMV of a legal name change within 30 days of the name change.
No documentation is needed to update the gender to M, F, or X on a Vermont ID. The DMV has information on their website clarifying that gender is a self-designated descriptor. If applying for a Vermont license for the first time, fill out the Driver's License Application and select the appropriate gender marker. If applying for a corrected license, fill out the Replacement License Application with the appropriate gender marker selected.
Vermont Dept. of Health will issue a new birth certificate upon receiving an application for a new birth certificate and an "affidavit by a licensed physician who has treated or evaluated the individual stating that the individual has undergone surgical, hormonal, or other treatment appropriate for that individual for the purpose of gender transition.... The affidavit shall include the medical license number and signature of the physician." Stat. Ann. 18 V.S.A. § 5112. The State Vital Records Office will replace the original birth certificate with a new birth certificate in the state Vital Records. This new birth certificate will not indicate that the name or gender has been changed.
