Updating your legal name or gender marker on your Massachusetts IDs and birth certificate can feel confusing at first. This page provides clear step-by-step instructions to help you through the process. Whether you are completing a transgender name change in Massachusetts or updating the gender marker on your ID, the Transgender ID Project offers guidance that makes each requirement easier to understand. This resource is designed for transgender people living in Massachusetts who want to navigate these updates with confidence and access the information they need in one place.

How to Change Your Name and Gender Marker in Massachusetts

In most cases you do not need to work with a lawyer to update your name or gender marker on ID documents and can typically update these documents fairly easily on your own. The Massachusetts Quick Reference Guide has the information and materials you need to get started. Click here for the guide.

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Updating your federal ID documents

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Understanding Your Rights in Massachusetts

Updating your ID documents is one important step, but it’s part of a broader picture of legal protections available to transgender people in Massachusetts. Here are some resources to help you understand your rights.

Know Your Rights: Massachusetts has strong nondiscrimination protections for transgender people covering employment, housing, health care, and public accommodations. The Massachusetts Know Your Rights page offers a full overview of those legal protections and how they apply to your daily life, providing important context for what your rights are once your documents are updated.

Transgender Rights: The legal ability to update your name and gender marker in Massachusetts exists because of decades of advocacy work. GLAD Law has been at the forefront of advancing transgender rights through litigation, legislation, and public advocacy, creating the legal conditions that make these ID changes possible. Learn more about that work and how GLAD Law continues to defend and expand transgender rights across New England and beyond.

Public Accommodations: Having accurate ID documents matters beyond identification, it helps reduce the risk of discrimination when accessing public services, health care, housing, and other accommodations. Massachusetts law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations. Learn more about these protections and what to do if you experience discrimination.

Recent Legislation Affecting Transgender Rights in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a strong track record of protecting transgender rights through state law, and that work continued through 2025.

In November 2019, the Registry of Motor Vehicles began allowing Massachusetts residents to select a nonbinary X gender marker on a driver’s license or state ID, with no medical documentation required. In July 2024, the Massachusetts Legislature amended state law to streamline the process for updating a gender marker on a birth certificate and to allow an X gender marker on birth certificates, marriage licenses, and other state forms. Under this law, a person who is 18 or older, an emancipated minor, or the parent or guardian of a minor can request a change in sex designation on a birth record to female, male, or X, with no medical documentation, court order, or proof of a name change required.

Most recently, effective June 2025, Massachusetts strengthened nondiscrimination protections for residents of long-term care facilities based on gender identity, gender expression, and other protected characteristics, and required that facility records reflect a resident’s chosen name, gender, and pronouns. This law reinforces existing protections at a time when federal nondiscrimination policies are being rolled back.

Frequently Asked Questions About Changing Your Name and Gender Marker in Massachusetts

How do I obtain a legal name change in Massachusetts?

To obtain a legal name change, you file a petition with the Probate and Family Court in the county where you live.

Adults need to complete and submit the following forms:

  • CJP-27 Petition to Change Name of Adult is the primary petition form for adults requesting a legal name change, signed in the presence of a notary public
  • CJP-34 Court Activity Record Information (CARI) and Warrant Management System (WMS) authorization form, a supporting form required alongside the petition
  • A certified copy of your birth certificate

To change the name of a minor, you must complete and submit the following forms:

  • CJP-25 Petition to Change Name of Minor
  • OCAJ-1 Affidavit Disclosing Care and Custody, a supporting affidavit required alongside the petition for minor name changes

If your county requires newspaper publication of the name change and you’d like to avoid it, you can file a CJD-400 Motion asking the court to waive that requirement. Applicants who cannot afford the filing fee may complete an Affidavit of Indigency to request a fee waiver.

How much does it cost to file a name change petition in Massachusetts, and how long does it take?

The base filing fee is $150 plus a $15 surcharge, for a total of $165. If your county requires newspaper publication, add a $15 citation fee. Processing time varies by county, but typically ranges from about three weeks to three months from filing to a signed decree.

How do I change the name and gender marker on my Massachusetts driver’s license or state ID?

To update either your name or gender marker on a Massachusetts driver’s license or state ID, submit a new License and ID Card Application indicating a change of information. For a gender marker change, indicate the correct marker (female, male, or X) on the application. No medical documentation or provider signature is required. For a name change, you must first update your name with the Social Security Administration and include a certified copy of your court-ordered name change with the application.

Does Massachusetts allow an X gender marker?

Yes. Massachusetts allows an X gender marker on driver’s licenses and state IDs, and since the 2024 law change, on birth certificates and marriage licenses as well. No medical documentation is required to request this change.

Can minors change their name or gender marker in Massachusetts?

Yes. For a birth record gender marker change, a parent or guardian can request the change on behalf of a minor, or an emancipated minor can make the request themselves, with no medical documentation or court order required. For a legal name change, a parent or guardian can petition the court on a minor’s behalf using the CJP-25 Petition to Change Name of Minor, along with the OCAJ-1 Affidavit Disclosing Care and Custody.

If I was born in Massachusetts, how do I change the gender marker on my birth certificate?

Submit the R116 Applicant Affidavit in Support of Amendment of a Birth Certificate to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Under the 2024 law, no medical or healthcare documentation, court order, or proof of a name change is required to request this change.

Appendix B – Sample Forms

Here are links to sample filled out forms outlined in the Massachusetts Quick Reference Guide:

Name Change for Adults

Additional Name Change Forms

Social Security

Passport

Massachusetts ID

Birth Certificate

Additional Resources

Still have questions?

If you run into trouble or have questions, fill out the Transgender ID Project support form or contact GLAD Law Answers.

Disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Because every situation is different, the information here cannot replace personalized advice from a qualified lawyer. Laws change frequently, and GLAD Law does not guarantee that the information on this page is current or complete. For legal advice or referrals, please contact GLAD Law Answers.