Hey there friends and family! I just wanted to drop a quick note here that can hopefully help others.
I have spent the better part of the past 6 months trying to update my name and gender markers on my documentation. It took nearly 18 weeks just to get the Federal Background Check for my name change process. But here we are, and here's what happened.
1) So, back in October of last year I mailed off the background check paperwork to the state and federal governments. The State paperwork came back very quickly, but it took 4 months to get the Federal back.
2) With those background checks in hand I was able to file a petition with the courts to get my name changed. That didn't take nearly as long, about 2 weeks in total, and I had my court order!
3) With the court order in hand I was able to get my birth certificate updated. In NC you need to have surgery to get your gender changed, but just the court order to get your name changed. I was able to get that in the same day.
4) At this point I got a letter from my doctor stating that I am undergoing gender transitional therapy and have changed my name. That letter in combination with my birth certificate and the court order allowed me to update my name and gender with the Social Security Administration. Then wait a week for the new SS Card to come in the mail.
5) And here's the best part. With my new Social Security Card, Court Order, and Doctor's Letter in hand, I went down to the DMV. I wrestled with this for over a week. Where do I go, what time of day, do I look for a particular examiner to help me, etc... I called Equality NC for help, I e-mailed and texted people, and did research online. I didn't know what to expect for certain because the laws for the DMV are somewhat vague it seems. So I picked one and went at 8:15 in the morning before I went to work. When I got there, I was the only person there. It was freakin' creepy; never been alone in a DMV before. So I had to see the first person who called me back. I told her why I was there and handed her my card, order, and letter. After about 30 minutes I had a new license and my voter registration had been updated too, ALL WITH THE CORRECT GENDER!!! The examiner didn't even flinch at my paperwork.
I was so worried it would end poorly, but it couldn't possibly have gone better. If you live in the Raleigh, NC area and want more details, feel free to PM me and I'll offer up what I know.
Best of luck to everyone out there!!!
