Legal Name/Gender Change - Physician's Letters

[Zooey]

Hi all,

I'm dropping off sample letters for my endo to prepare this Tuesday, but I had some questions for those who have done this before (especially in California). Specifically, I want to confirm which name should be on which letter.

As I understand it, I need 3 letters (they all have slightly different formats) - one for CA courts, one for social security, and one for passport. I'm using this guide as a reference: http://transgenderlawcenter.org/issues/id/id-please

Which name do I ask my physician to refer to on which letter? It seems to me that it's either...


CA Court - Old Name
Social Security - New Name (since it will be used post court order)
Passport - New Name (since it will be used post court order)

OR


CA Court - Old Name
Social Security - Old Name
Passport - Old Name


Can anybody who's done this tell me definitively what worked for them?

Thanks!

[Angela Campbell]

If getting the documents done after the name change, it is the legal name you have at that time. I did have my doctor and surgeon put both names on my letters. Never hurts to be thorough.

I still had to give them. ...All of them, the court order of name change as well.

[Zooey]

Okay, that makes sense. Sounds like I should actually wait to get the latter two letters written until after the name change is complete, so that they are legitimately dated after the court order is issued. Thanks!

[Suzanne F]

I believe my doctor letters had both names.
Suzanne

[Angela Campbell]

You can have them written before the name change with no problems as long as you know what you are changing your name to. I did.

[stefan37]

Legal name change is the first priority. NJ has a form for the drivers license. You only need to show SS your name change. I didn't change the gender on the SSN. They don't give gender out anymore for employment.
Passport application has very specific language the letter had to conform to or they will spit it back.

I had to show the court order for driver license and SSN. I had my name changed in the birth certificate. So I didn't need to show the court order for that.

[Badtranny]

It doesn't all happen at once.

First get the name change. All forms asking for a "petitioner" will require your old name. The docs for the doc will have your old name as the patient and may or may not have your new name. It isn't necessary from the doctor.

Just be sure to put the docs 'letter' on the Declaration of Physician form #NC210. Just a letter will not suffice. They need THAT form signed by the doctor, and will reject a letter on letterhead OR a signed blank NC210 attached to the letter. The Transgender Law Center's instructions are very comprehensive and if you follow them step by step, you will get this done. Just be sure and follow the steps for Name AND Gender change because its all slightly different if you're doing just name or just gender.

THEN, with the signed court order indicating your new name and gender, you can get SSN, CDL, etc etc changed.

[Zooey]

Just be sure to put the docs 'letter' on the Declaration of Physician form #NC210. Just a letter will not suffice. They need THAT form signed by the doctor, and will reject a letter on letterhead OR a signed blank NC210 attached to the letter. The Transgender Law Center's instructions are very comprehensive and if you follow them step by step, you will get this done. Just be sure and follow the steps for Name AND Gender change because its all slightly different if you're doing just name or just gender.

Interesting. The example forms in their "ID Please" guide have the NC210 filled in with "Please see attached declaration" (as page 1 of 2), followed by a separate declaration letter. That's also how they describe it (at least as an option) earlier in the document.


The declaration (also known as an “affidavit”) should come directly from your doctor (see Attachment C for an example). The declaration should be typed and signed on the doctor’s letterhead, on a plain sheet of papers, or it may be written and signed on the NC-210/NC-310 form itself. If the declaration is not directly on the form, write “Please see attached affidavit from Dr. XX” on the NC-210/310 form (see Attachment B).

I hate legal stuff. :P

[Badtranny]

Yes I remember seeing something like that as well.

The clerk I was dealing with said I needed to have it printed ON the form and signed.

Perhaps a signed declaration form, indicating an appended letter which is also signed would suffice?

Better to follow the TLC's instructions anyway. I may have had a surly clerk or something, I don't really remember much about it. Those days were a blur of transition related activities.

[BOBBI G.]

Angela,
Once again I thank you for giving me the thought of offering both names. I never would have thought of that My court ordered name change came in the mail, didn't even have to appear. A little bit of a shame, too, as I had a really nice outfit to wear.

Bobbi

[Badtranny]

Listen folks, every state approaches these things differently. Zooey is in the great state of California, and she needs to follow California rules and regs specifically.

[Angela Campbell]

Only for the state documents, social security, passports, are the same.