Going to court to file for my name change

[Melissa]

So, I got to work this morning an hour early so I could leave early and head up to the courthouse.  Here's what happened.  (By the way, the courthouse closes at 4:30):

[3:15] My reminder on my computer goes off and I leave.
[3:20] I get to my car in the parking garage and decide it would be fine if I did it presenting as male
[3:30] After taking several wrong routes, I am finally going north on the freeway.  The traffic is extremely slow.  Plus my bladder feels like it's getting full.  Should have gone beforehand.  Too late
[3:40] Traffic is moving a little better, but still quite awful.  I decide to illegally drive in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane to get a little ahead.  I figure I'll probably get pulled over, but bladder feels much fuller.
[3:45] I decide to pull back into the other cars, because it doesn't feel right driving in that lane. I need to go really bad.  I figure I'll use the men's restroom I have to go so bad.
[3:47] I see a traffic cop pulling cars over that are driving illegally.  Thank goodness for women's intuition.
[3:55] I finally get off the freeway.
[4:00] I get to the courthouse, grab my stuff, rush inside and throw all stuff from pockets plus belt into tray and go through metal detector just fine.  I throw everything back in it's place.  I realize that standing up, I don't need to use the restroom so bad anymore.
[4:05] I get down to the district court admin room and wait in line.
[4:10] I get to the lady and am told I have more papers I need to fill out.  I was expecting that.
[4:15] I fill out the papers and am back in front of the lady.  I still have a couple sections I wasn't sure about filling out, but get everything complete.  While doing that, another lady comes up behind the first and says "When you're done with her, I need to tell you something." I'm sure the second lady didn't know I was doing a name change.
[4:20] I pay the cashier.  I decide that if everyone is seeing me as a woman, that I probably shouldn't use the men's restroom.  I think I can hold it a bit longer.
[4:22] I get to my car and drive home (without peeing ).

I now have a court date of July 5, 2006 at 8:30AM for my official name change.  Yay!!!  
Wow, that's in like 2 weeks. 

Melissa

[TheBattler]

Congratualtion Melissa ,

I have been following your story with interest.  I am so glad the process is going well for you.

Alice

[Melissa]

As you can tell, I've pulled out all the stops and am going at this thing full speed now.  I can't function as male!

Melissa

[umop ap!sdn]

Yay! I'm happy for you. Especially with what the second lady said.

I filed for mine at the end of May, and my court date is almost 2 weeks after yours. I wish the queues weren't so slow here - but at least there wasn't much of a wait and it was a one stop deal. I presented as female and everyone was respectful to me, even those who knew what my old name is.

And then when I got home I did my impression of a racehorse. 

[taylor]

Congrads Melissa!

Your court date is my wife's birthday! Nothing like a re birth and birth cool gal!

Peace,
Taylor

[Melissa]

I filed for mine at the end of May, and my court date is almost 2 weeks after yours. I wish the queues weren't so slow here - but at least there wasn't much of a wait and it was a one stop deal.

I went to the local district court, which is much better than going to the main state one.  I was actually expecting a longer wait time.

Your court date is my wife's birthday! Nothing like a re birth and birth cool gal!

It's actually just a four days after my birthday.  Does your wife despise the idea of getting fireworks for a present as much as I do?  I think one year I did get some and I dread it every year.

Melissa

[Kaitlyn]

Congrats! Sounds so exciting, it's great to hear that things are going smoothly for you. =)

~Kaitlyn

[Melissa]

I just realized that the night before is the 4th of July.  I'm going to be exhausted in the morning.

Melissa

[Sheila]

CONGATS!!!! Melissa. I remember my day like it was yesterday. I went down in fem. The day that the judge signed the court order was the happiest day in my life. It happen so fast that I went down and got my DL changed along with my SS card. Oh and happy birthday. We are both Cancers. My birthday is on Sunday.
Sheila

[Melissa]

Happy birthday to you too Sheila. 

I just realized last night that I seem to have lost my driver's license.  I couldn't sleep well and only got about 4 hours sleep last night.  I need to get a replacement (to legally drive) and then I'll have something to submit to the department of licensing when getting my name changed.  If I waited until my name was changed, I don't think they would be very happy to hear I've been driving around without my license.  I just hope that I receive it in the male before my name change.  For ID in the interim, I at least have my passport.  That's very frustrating.  Also, the DOL hours suck.  I'll have to leave work early tomorrow to make it or wait until Saturday.  It's just if I wait until Saturday, they may take too long to mail the new license to me.  I suppose I could always delay getting the name change on the ID if that were the case.

Melissa

[spike]

Tino got his name change certificate recently so now we are running around to driver's sevices etc. Well the supervisor said the doctors consent for HRT was not enough to have f changed to m. However when she took his picture she erased the f all together! b/c I suppose she could clearly see the f was wrong wrong wrong! Yeah. I guess all driver services requires here is an official doctors note & name change certificate. Most other ID is much trickier to get f/m changed.

Cograts on name change Melissa. I didnt realize it was illegal to drive. Very good point! ~Amy

[Melissa]

Thanks Amy.  I still haven't found it yet, nor had enough time to get a replacement yet.  I'll go Saturday morning.  The way Washington works, is the license needs to be mailed from the main office up in Olympia.  If I remember correctly, they don't take a new picture (which is fine), but just use the one in their system.  It's faster that way.  They do give you a temporary paper one in the mean time though.  I'll have to go up to the main office once I get the name change to get the new female license.  Then I need to wait for that to be mailed to me.

Melissa

[Dev]

Melissa,
  Congradulations!
     I almost know the pain it can be.  I have done it twice now and I think whatever god there is out there I am in this state as much as I hate it.  N.C. (my birth state) only allows it once and when I did it the first time I was also rebeling and after about a year and feeling family relations were better I wanted my family name back.  Va. as far as I know has no limit so I submitted the papers again.  Everything was fine till my father passed and I had to fight N.C. courts for an accurate birth certificate.  Once they understood I did all this in Va. everything was great.
     As much as my family (well my mom) is in denial, I went ahead and changed my name with the military also so my records when I get out have the correct name.  Last thing I need is more trouble with that.
      The court date sounds like a cool deal in a way because it's faster than here in Va. it sounds like.  So on that day you get the signature and offically on your way?   Here you submit the papers, pay the fee and give them a self-addressed envelope and they mail it to you.  I never had to face anybody but the cashier.
      Neat hearing about the different ways each state does it.  I suppose drivers license are all the chaotic also as far as if you need the surgery first to get the gender changed? 

[Melissa]

Thanks Dev.  Washington is a relatively easy state (Oregon more so, but I don't live there currently) to get this all done in.  I went to court, submitted papers, paid a fee ($91), and filled out a self addressed envelope (they pay postage) in case I forget to grab the papers after the hearing (yeah right. ).  After the hearing and getting the court order, I'll officially have a new name.  Next stop would be social security for name change only, then the department of licensing.  With Washington, you have to drive up to the main one in Olympia to do the change. 

You do not need surgery to change the gender marker on the DL.  All you need is a self-written letter about why, a therapist's letter, and a copy of the old DL.  I already have the therapist letter.  So I would bring that stuff up, plus the name change order and get all that changed.  I think the process after that is for them to mail you a letter that you take to a main office (or they give it to you there or they make the change while you're there)   I'm not sure.

As for going fulltime, I'll do that as soon as HR says it's fine and I feel I'm 100% ready.

Melissa

[Dev]

That does seem like a pretty simple and kinda time consuming process.  Luckly when I did my last name change it was only $26.00 and 2 hours in the law library typing up the paperwork.  (if anybody here is in Tidewater area of Va. and needs help, PM me).

I have not looked at all the links on the forums I visit, so my appology if I missed it, but is there a site that shows what is required for each state to have the sex marker changed?   I had M on my license before it was suspended and when I got it renewed it changed back     No idea why and I did not notice till I got home and also noticed it expired in 3 days.  Grrrrrrrr

I am thinking of moving next year, so a state with laws more friendly to us could greatly influence my choices.  Not sure if it is something everybody just learns as they need to or if there is a central database of sorts.

[Leigh]

I have not looked at all the links on the forums I visit, so my appology if I missed it, but is there a site that shows what is required for each state to have the sex marker changed?   

https://www.susans.org/wiki/Name_change

[Dev]

Thank you!

[Leigh]

When you do get it changed, pay for at least 6 original copies of the name change.

Many companies want an original for their records-I believe the SSA is one.  Its been so long I disremember for sure.

Leigh

[Melissa]

6, ok.  Got it.  Thanks.

Melissa

[Sheila]

When I had my SSA changed, they just took my original and made a copy. They gave the orignal back to me. I had made 3 extra copies just in case someone wanted the original. That way I had some extras. I still have all my originals. It is a good idea to have them make you more, just in case you lose one or more. It could happen.
Melissa, I didn't know you lived in Wash. I live in Oregon down south in Eugene. I had thought you lived back east. I guess we are neighbors.
Sheila