Gender Recognition
This page can help you learn how to get a name court order recognizing your gender or your child's gender. It can also help you learn how to change your name or your child's to match gender identity.
Do you need a court order recognizing gender?
If you want to change your name to match your gender identity, you will need a court order. The same is true if you want to change your child's name to match their gender identity.
If you don't need to change your name (or your child's) and only need to update the gender marker on your (or your child's) ID documents, you may not need to go to court. Find out first if you need a court order to update your or your child's gender marker.
If you do need a court order, there are different options depending on what you need. Read the sections below that best fit your situation.
Gender recognition for an adult
If you are an adult (18 or older) and need a court order changing your name to match your gender identity, or recognizing your gender identity, choose the situation that best applies to you:
Gender recognition for a minor
If you're trying to change your child's name to match gender or get a court order recognizing their gender, the instructions change a little based on whether both parents are doing the request together, or only one is doing it. Make sure you click on the situation below that fits best.
If both parents are making the request together (choose one):
- We want to change our child's name to match their gender identity
- We want to change our child's name AND get an order recognizing their gender identity
- We need an order recognizing our child's gender identity but do not need to change their name
If only one parent is making the request (choose one):