Got the paperwork. Looked at the price...I'm gonna cry

[BenKenobi]

I went to my college campus to ask to be part of the GSA club they have. I talked to the librarian there about my confusion about the steps and forms and she was nice enough to print them out for me. So I have the steps and explanation. Yet...when we took a look at the court fees it was going to be $400 not including paperwork costs.

I was already planning on changing my gender marker at the same time but...YIKES. Is this normally how it's priced?

[AndrewB]

It varies from state to state. Is yours one that requires that you post an ad/announcement in the local newspaper for a certain length of time? That could be where some of the money goes.

Personally my court fees were around $130 total, I think it was $110 for filing and $21 for 4 notarised copies of the judgement.

[BenKenobi]

No but I do need to submit fingerprints and a background check. I do have some debts so i guess I'll be working on those while this is going through. And Floridians claim it's so politically perfect here. *spits* F--- you, Florida

[AndrewB]

No but I do need to submit fingerprints and a background check. I do have some debts so i guess I'll be working on those while this is going through. And Floridians claim it's so politically perfect here. *spits* F--- you, Florida

Yeah I'm sure those labs add up. Talk about being paranoid, Florida. In Oregon (about the opposite of Florida) we really have no other requirements other than filing; instead of posting our name change intentions in a newspaper, we just thumbtack it to a bulletin board inside the Courthouse. I think all states should adopt that policy.

[Valwen]

my name change cost me 180 at the courthouse, then 169 to put into a paper and I think mass charges 20$ per circtified copy which I may need 10 or so of, so it will end up around 550$, then I get to start the gender marker.

I told some people about it and they though the price was crazy and I half laughed and told them that bar none its the cheapest part of being transgender. I have found that when I tell people the truth about the physical, medical and social dangers of transisioning as well as the costs and emotional difficulties it truly reinforces to them just how desperate and important this is to me.

Serena

[BenKenobi]

I wouldn't even be doing this so soon if it weren't required for my preferred name to be on non-legal documents. Even at work someone was chastised for using my preferred name over the intercom.

I even brought up the court costs to my boss and he just said "well you'll have to put up with it for now".

I think that's what set me over. Therapy is going up in price, I have no insurance to cover any testosterone or lab fees and now this. This is probably going to be the second most expensive thing to pay up front.

[lisarenee]

*spits* F--- you, Florida

At least we don't have to publish notice in the paper like they do in "LGBT-friendly" states like Massachusetts. The cost IS ridiculous, which is why I know some folks who have been full time for a long time and still haven't changed their names. All said, my name change cost somewhere around $700 between the filing fee, time off work to go to court, gas, a certified copy of my birth certificate (a county requirement), certified copies of the court order (these were actually very cheap - $2 or $3 each), a new DL ($20), etc...I'm going to wait to change my passport, which is another $100+.