Tennessee

ID Documents Center

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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Name Change, Driver's License & Birth Certificate Policies in:

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Tennessee Name Change Laws

To obtain a legal name change in Tennessee, an applicant must submit a petition to the court. No publication is required. Individuals who have prior felony convictions must provide additional documentation, and individuals who have been convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or sex offense are not eligible to change their name. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101 to § 29-8-105 (West))

For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Tennessee, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Tennessee resource.

Tennessee Drivers License Policy & Procedures

In order to update a Tennessee ID, the applicant must submit:

If updating the name, a court order certifying the name change
If updating the gender marker, "A statement from the attending physician that necessary medical procedures to accomplish the change in gender are complete" or a court order recognizing gender change.

See Tennessee Department of Safety Rule addressing name and gender marker changes 1340-1-13-.12 (5) and (6) here. See the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security website addresses name change here.

Tennessee Birth Certificate Laws

Tennessee specifically prohibits amending sex on a birth certificate: "The sex of an individual will not be changed on the original certificate of birth as a result of sex change surgery." Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-203(d).