Change your name and gender marker in Oregon

Oregon allows three related but separate changes. You can do all, some, or none:

1. Legal name change: court-ordered, affects all legal documents
2. Gender marker on birth certificate: requires separate court process in Oregon (self-attestation allowed, no surgery required, no public notice required)
3. Gender marker on state ID / driver's license: separate DMV process, doesn't require court order

Most people do all three together. Some just change ID (faster, cheaper) and deal with birth certificate later. Think about what you need now vs. what can wait.

For legal name change in Oregon:

• Current legal ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport)
• Birth certificate (original or certified copy)
• Filing fee ($124 in 2026), fee waiver available via low-income affidavit
• Completed petition packet (Form CV-150 or county-specific forms)

For birth certificate gender marker change (Oregon-born):

• Proof of name change (if applicable)
• Self-attestation form, no letter from provider required, no surgery required
• Fee ($35 to amend the record, plus $25 for each new certified copy)

For DMV ID/license gender marker:

• Current license/ID
• Signed DMV form, no court order, no letter required
• Fee ($30 to replace a driver license, $40 for an ID card)

If you can't afford filing fees, fee waivers are available for all three. CLEAR Clinic helps complete fee waiver affidavits.

If you're only changing your name, file in the circuit court for the county where you live. If you're changing your legal sex, or your name and sex together, you can file in any circuit court in Oregon. Process:

1. File online with OJD Guide & File.
2. A judge reviews and signs the judgment. You don't go to court or have a hearing unless the court tells you to. There's no set timeline, so ask your circuit court clerk how long it's taking.
3. Get certified copies of the order (need ~5 copies for cascading document updates)

Oregon doesn't require you to publish or post notice of an adult name change. What stays private depends on what you file:

• Legal sex change, alone or with a name change: the court record is confidential from the day you file. Access is restricted, though you or your lawyer can still get copies in person by showing ID. You can also ask the court to seal the case, and it has to.
• Name change only: the case is not confidential, so it's part of the public court record. If you're a participant in Oregon's Address Confidentiality Program, check the box on the petition asking the court to seal the record, and the court has to seal it unless it finds good cause not to.

If you're worried about your safety, the Address Confidentiality Program is a free mail forwarding service from the Oregon Department of Justice for adults in Oregon who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and bias crimes or bias incidents. You apply with a victim advocate; call 1-888-559-9090 (toll-free in Oregon) or email ACP@doj.oregon.gov.

You don't need a lawyer for this, but free legal help is available:

• CLEAR Clinic: free name/gender marker change help, specializes in trans people
• Outside In ID Project: for youth 16 to 24, ID and document changes
• Basic Rights Oregon: online guides and resources (not direct legal rep, but excellent reference)
• Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral: if your case is complex (non-Oregon-born, sealed records, immigration overlap)

CLEAR Clinic is the default first stop. They know the trans-specific quirks and can complete the whole packet in one or two sessions.

Of all the document updates, DMV is usually the fastest and most impactful:

• Bring court order (certified copy), current license, and DMV gender marker form
• Fee ($30 to replace a driver license, $40 for an ID card)
• Same-day temporary ID issued; new card mailed in 2 to 3 weeks
• Oregon allows M, F, or X gender markers; no documentation required for marker choice

Once the DMV ID matches chosen name and gender marker, everything downstream (bank, employer, healthcare, housing) gets easier. Do this first.

After name change order + new DMV ID, update (in rough order of priority):

1. Social Security Administration: name changes still work with your court order; SSA won't change the sex on its records to match your gender right now (see the next step). Oregon state documents aren't affected.
2. Employer: HR, payroll, benefits, email, name plate
3. Bank and credit cards: requires in-person at most banks with court order + new ID
4. Insurance: health, auto, renters
5. OHP / healthcare providers: update chart name
6. Utilities: electric, gas, water, internet, phone
7. Lease: ask landlord for name update on lease (optional but clean)
8. Voter registration: update via Oregon Secretary of State
9. Passport: if applicable, requires certified order + application + fee
10. Professional licenses: nursing, real estate, bar, etc.
11. Education transcripts: high school, college, trade school

This cascade takes months. Keep a checklist. Some people want to do everything fast; others spread it out based on bandwidth. Both are valid.

As of October 2026, the federal government won't change the sex marker on your Social Security record or your U.S. passport to match your gender. This policy has changed more than once since January 2025 and is still being challenged in court, so check the official pages before you apply.

What this means for you:

• Oregon state ID and birth certificate can be updated normally
• Social Security: you can still change your name with your court order. SSA only changes the sex on its records to match sex assigned at birth.
• Passports: the State Department issues passports only with an M or F marker that matches sex assigned at birth, and it doesn't issue X markers. If you apply asking for X or a different marker, it says it will issue a passport showing your sex assigned at birth, and your application may be delayed. Read the State Department's sex marker page.
• A passport you already have stays valid until it expires, you replace it, or the State Department invalidates it under federal rules.

Here's what to do:

• Make all Oregon-level changes now while protections are in place
• Keep certified copies of court orders (10+ copies is not too many)
• Before you renew or replace a passport, read the State Department page above so you know which marker you'll get
• Stay connected to Basic Rights Oregon and ACLU Oregon for updates as federal policy shifts

If you need federal documents updated for specific purposes (travel, employment verification, benefits), a legal consult is worth it.