Got my new female birth certificate!

I am so happy! Yesterday I received my updated birth certificate, and it totally exceeded my expectations! It shows my new female name and gender, and as expected has no visible indication that I ever had any other name or gender. But what totally blew me away was that since I ordered the “long form” version, with all the available details, it also has my mom’s original signature and the signatures of the witnesses from the day my birth record was originally filed! It literally looks exactly as if I had ordered a fresh copy of the original filed certificate! Wow!

With this, and my updated driver license, which also has no trace of my former name or gender, I should have no problems getting my passport. I never had a passport before this, so there will be no issues with having to change info on an existing passport.

Hi Ceera,

Wow! Congratulations!

Marion

Ceera, so happy for you! Congrats on another milestone! Hugs Lana Mae

Congratulations! Thats great!!

That's great news.
Xx:kiss::kiss:

way to go, the new you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chelyann

way to go, the new you

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To paraphrase chelyann: Way to Go!, The Real You!

Ceera:

Great news indeed. Congratulations.

Clearly Oregon is one of the relatively few states that truly gets it right. Very impressive. Did you need to go to court, or what? Please describe the process for us.

Best regards,
Rhonda

Hi Rhonda,

Yes, Oregon now makes the entire legal process of name and gender changes for transgender or non-binary people quite simple, low cost and painless. I helped lobby for the legal changes that went into effect a few years ago to simplify things and eliminate constraints like doctor's letters and full-on court hearings. The constraints are that for the birth certificate, you have to have been born in Oregon, and that for the initial court-ordered name and gender change, you can only do it once the simplified way. If you want to change it again later, that requires a more in-depth (and more expensive) court appearance. But for the initial change, Oregon allows a name and gender change as a simple administrative change, allowing M, F and X (nonbinary) gender options for legal status, driver licenses and birth certificates.

The process started with a brief court appearance. I did not need to have a lawyer or evidence or an in-depth chat with the judge. Just filled out a form affirming that I was seeking the change 'for the purpose of gender identity confirmation', another form stating I wasn't doing it to evade legal stuff like child support payments or a criminal background, and one more form with the details for the change. No requirement to provide evidence of completing SRS, nor even a need to prove I was receiving medical transition hormones or therapy. Oregon will simply take your word for it that you know better than anyone else what gender your mind is! After a little bit of a run-around for forms and timing (I was missing one form the first time, and they only process these types of changes in the mornings), I got the right forms together and was at the courthouse at the right time and in and out of the courtroom in just a few hours, with my own time before the judge just being the time required to have the judge to look over and sign the forms. One thing the judge told me was that if I use the same form for both the name and gender change, they can't seal the court record for the whole change - I need to do two separate forms, so the gender change part can be a sealed record. It did not matter to me if the court action itself could be looked up, since I knew the drover license and birth certificate changes could be sealed history. After seeing the judge, I paid the processing fee and paid for a few notarized copies of the court order, and walked out of the courthouse with a notarized court order for my name and gender change, which showed my old and new name. $117 filing fee for the change itself. Total cost, including several notarized copies, less than $200 USD.

I was able to take that court order to the DMV that same morning, to update my driver license to the new name and gender. Same forms and nominal fee (I think it was $75) as getting a replacement license. Just fill in the new name and tick the box for the new gender, and show the clerk the court order. Walked out with a new temp license, my old license with a hole punched in it (in case anyone questioned the paper one or the changes) and had my new license in the mail a few weeks later. The new license showed no sign of my former name or gender, and no sign that those had changed. (I am sure the DMV records still kept at least some cross-reference links, so they could process driver info administratively.)

Still that same day, I went to Social Security Administration to get it changed there. Had a long wait for my turn with the clerk, but the process was just a matter of submitting a form, showing the court order and my new driver license and my old Social Security card, and paying an administrative fee. (Can't remember the exact fee, far less than $100, I am pretty sure.) Walked out with a letter on SSA letterhead showing my new name, my social Security number, and that the SSA office was processing my new card. Got the new Social Security card in the mail a few weeks later.

With the SSN info updated, I was able to go to my banks and the like a few fays later, and get my info changed there. Just showed my court order, the new temp driver license, and they checked against SSA to make sure my SSN matched the new name. Very minor fee for the change, and walked out of my credit union at least with a new debit card with my new name. Most credit card changes require you to contact customer service and send in a form and a scan/photocopy of the court order.

I waited on the birth certificate changes until I was certain I had my medical and mental health approvals for mt transition surgeries. Did not need to, but I figured that was a pretty final step, and I wanted to make sure there was no reason for me to change course.

I could have done the birth certificate changes on-line. The forms were available, and there was info on how to email the form and the scanned court order. But I wanted to be certain that went through as a sealed change, with the new certificate showing only the new name and gender. So I went in person, to the county I was born in, to process it at the Oregon Health Authority's Vital Records department. I had the form in hand and a copy of my court order. (Just for completeness I also had a certified copy of my current birth certificate, but the only use that was in the process was that I was able to give the clerk the file number of my BC, as a courtesy to her, so she could more easily locate my record to update it.) Paid $38 in fees, and $30 for each certified copy of the new certificate, and I was back to my car in 25 minutes!

Next up will be getting a passport. I never had one before, so with the new driver license, social security card and birth certificate that should go smoothly.

Congratulations Ceera! I am so happy for you! It must feel great to have the real you recognized legally in all forms.

Ceera, now THAT was a thorough explanation. Your organizational skill is quite evident. Hats off to you for helping pass the laws that now made the whole process easier on you. What an example of girl power in action.

Wow.

Update: I have an appointment on this Thursday (day after tomorrow) to get my photo taken and submit my application for a US Passport. $210 to get the photo, both the normal passport booklet and the wallet sized card form, and for all the fees and processing. The booklet is good for any ID or travel needs, while the wallet-sized card is good for domestic air travel and for land or sea travel to Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas. I don’t have any pending travel plans that would need the passport, but want it mostly as further proof of my female ID.

Had to dig up info on my parents and my late wife (Birthdates and where born, and my marriage date and wife’s death date), as well as listing other first and last name combinations used. Since my former male first name and surname is my new middle name and surname, and since my old male first name is unisex, I doubt I will get any push back. Thankful I did not need to list my obviously male former middle name! Just to be safe though, I will have my court order for tge name and gender change, and the assumed business name filing for the other name I listed, just in case they demand more proof of identity.