Quote from: Sarah_P on March 03, 2018, 11:10:51 PMSo, as I mentioned before, I need my birth certificate changed before I can change my gender with social security.
Sarah, are you sure about this? Since it's the feds who handle SS, it should be the same in every state, and the birth certificate had nothing to do with it here in Florida.
Also, the records people are correct. They only issue name change orders, and they have nothing to do with gender.
Here's what I had to do, in order. Note that this is in Florida, so some things will be different.
1. Fill out and send in the paperwork requesting a name change for the court. I had help with this from a legal aid group that put on a free name change seminar.
2. Wait for paperwork to arrive to go get my fingerprints taken for the criminal background check, then go to a facility where they can be sent to the FBI electronically.
3. Wait for the court to contact me with a date for the hearing.
4. Create an account at the court's online portal, and represent myself as counsel. It was just a checkbox and a field to put your name into.
5. Upload any documents they request. If I recall, they needed a scan of my existing drivers license, birth certificate, and social security card, and an affidavit of residency. I downloaded a free copy of the AOR from an online legal service (Rocket Legal?)
6. Attended the hearing, and got the order in-hand.
7. Got a letter from my endocrinologist stating that I'm undergoing appropriate clinical treatment for gender change.
8. Took that letter and the court order to a SS office, and had them make the change and issue a receipt I could use at the DMV.
9. Waited a few days so the information got into the system, then went to the DMV and got my new drivers license.
10. With all that in-hand, started the arduous process of changing everything that had my old name on it.
Note that I've done nothing at all with my birth certificate except send a copy of the old one to the court. It still isn't changed, and in fact, having been born in Michigan, I can't change the gender marker until I have GCS. I won't bother with the name until I can do that.
Again, I'm certain that SS doesn't need the birth certificate changed. Every state is different for their stuff, but SS is federal. I'd hit their website and double check that.
- Stephanie