You don't need surgery for a a Florida Name Change, Florida Driver's License, SSA, or US Passport anymore, though I would get them done ASAP, because that could easily change with a change in elected officials.
1) Florida Name Change -- You would get fingerprinted and submit a petition (Form 982a). It costs $400 to file the petition (Cash or Check Only) and about $50-75 for the fingerprints and background check. My county made me also submit a filled out - except for the judge's signature - copy of the final judgement (Form 982b). They also required me to submit a separate form (Form A) to request a court date (after my background check cleared) along with photocopies of my Driver's License, Social Security Card, and a Certified Copy of my Birth Certificate, along with a 4th form to prevent the previous documents from becoming public record. Mine took 1 month and 2 days, but they misplaced my forms for 2 weeks and it took another week to get a new Social Security card. Had I had everything at the time I went in and they hadn't misplaced my form, it could have been less than 2 weeks. This is for Seminole County. I have heard from folks in Orange County that they don't require some of the extra documents and there isn't a separate form to request a court date, but rather they rightfully assume that if you filed a petition that you want a court date. In Florida, the rule is that as long as the name change isn't for fraudulent purposes, doesn't violate a trademark, and you aren't trying to duck creditors/the law, they are supposed to grant it.
2) Florida Driver's License -- This requires a letter from your doctor indicating that you are transitioning. Surgery is not a requirement since 2011. If you don't already have a Real ID compliant license, you will need a bunch of documents to prove your identity, name change, etc...I believe you'll need a Birth Certificate or US Passport to prove identity, 2 proofs of address (such as a voter registration, car registration, and/or 2 bills from the last I believe 60 days), and proof of your social security number (SS Card or W2). If you are changing your name, you will need to update Social Security the day before you go to the DMV. They require that the name match with SSA and their systems take a day to update. Also, if your documents have your old name, you will need a certified copy of the court order changing your name. I would bring it along anyways as you never know.
http://www.gathergoget.com3) Social Security -- Same rule (a letter stating you are transitioning). I had trouble with SSA. I think I just got the wrong person. First, they tried to tell me that the letter had to say "complete" (i.e. surgery) at which point I offered to show them their own rules. He went and checked with someone and then came back and tried to claim the doctor's signature was too small and that the doctor's letter had to be "certified" (stamped with an official seal). He based that on a checklist that says all documents must be certified COPIES or original. I pointed out it was an original copy and after a bunch of argument, he changed my marker. I have spoken to others who went to the same SSA office and they had no problems, so I think it was just the person I got.
4) US Passport -- You will need to file a DS-11 in person at an acceptance facility (US Post Office, Some Court Houses) even though you already have a passport in order to change your gender marker. I submitted my amended birth certificate, current passport, and my doctor's letter and got a 10 year passport
. Surgery is NOT a requirement any more for a 10 year passport. It is based on wording. Their sample 10 year letter uses the present perfect ("has transitioned"), while their sample 2 year letter uses the words "in the process of". My doctor wrote mine somewhere in between the two samples and thankfully, that appears to have been sufficient to get a full 10 year passport. Their rules say that the 2 year passport is supposed to be for those "just starting" their transition and that surgery is NOT a requirement for a 10 year passport, but that a surgery letter should be accepted as sufficient for a 10 year passport if the person submits one.
5) Florida Birth Certificate -- They will amend your name when you get a legal name change. They will charge you about $20 or so for the amendment. They do the amendment automatically, but won't issue you a copy of the amended certificate until you pay the amendment fee. If you go down to the vital records office, they will require this fee be payed with a money order. Alternatively, they will mail you a form to return with the fee by mail several weeks after your name change. It will have a section down at the bottom where it says that your name was legally changed in such and such county by court order and what your old name was
My understanding is that you need SRS to get the gender marker amended and that an Orchi counts as SRS for this purpose.
