Passport and gender?

[Nero]

Hey guys and dolls,

I need a passport. What do I need to know or do about it in regards to my gender?
Thanks.

[K8]

If the Social Security Administration says you are male, then the federal government recognizes you as male and you will be male on your passport.  If you haven't already, go to the SSA office with your surgery letter and have your gender marker changed.  I think for FTMs, top surgery qualifies you as male for SSA.

I will now shut up (rare for me ) and leave the floor open to someone who knows what they are talking about...

- Kate

[Janet_Girl]

I personally do not know but I suspect that Chatterbox, ah Kate is correct.  And if I remember correctly you are a male according to the SSA.  So your passport will say male.


^{Has to poke Kate.}   

[Arch]

Nero, do you already have a passport under your old name and gender? If not, and if this is your first passport and you've had your birth certificate changed--name and sex both--you can use that as your primary identification. In that case, I don't think you need to worry about documenting your name change or gender marker change. Don't quote me on that, but it should be the case. However, if it isn't, you'll need to document both the name change and the sex change. For the sex change, a court order or the right surgeon's letter ("SRS completed") is supposed to be adequate.

The State Department still does not have anything about sex change on their passport site, but the Transgender Law Center has some good recent info. You should also be able to Google it--look for Passport Bulletin 92-22. You can also drop the TLC an e-mail and see what they say.

And when I was investigating passport info, I used the toll-free number to talk to a live person. It's 1-877-487-2778. I advise you to call on two separate occasions and talk to two different people. Write down the person's name each time. If both people give you the same info, you're probably okay.

[sneakersjay]

You'll need a certified copy of your birth certificate (doesn't matter if you didn't change it), your DL, your name change documentation (certified copy), and your surgeon's letter (a copy).  They will take all of that along with your passport application.

It was pretty painless and they send you your documentation back.

The process may be slightly different if you have a passport already under your F name.  My old F passport expired almost 30 yrs ago and was lost, so they processed it as a new application.


Jay

[Arch]

It was pretty painless and they send you your documentation back.

The process may be slightly different if you have a passport already under your F name.  My old F passport expired almost 30 yrs ago and was lost, so they processed it as a new application.

Jay, did you do yours in person or by mail? I was under the impression (and the guy I talked to on the phone verified this) that if you do it in person, they don't keep your documents at all; they give them back to you before you leave the office.

Hmm. I think they may have tightened up their procedures since you did yours. Nowadays, at least, you have to apply in person if it's your first passport or if the old one was issued that long ago. (As a matter of fact, I was under the impression that you always had to apply in person the first time, but I'm going on old childhood memories here.)

I'm stuck with going in person because when changed my name (pre-9/11), I did the common usage method, which is not considered "legally documentable." And I still haven't figured out how to parlay my common use change into a court-ordered change without incorrectly declaring that I was using my birth name for all those years, which I wasn't. Guess I'll have to do some more digging...

[sneakersjay]

I did mine last August I think?

They sent all the paperwork in with my application and then they sent it back separately from the passport.

I did it in person, because they took the passport photos there too, so it was a one stop thing.  I don't remember it being a requirement, but maybe I didn't pay close attention since the passport place is a mile from my house and very convenient.

Arch, don't you have any legal documentation of your name change?  I put personal reasons on mine but that doesn't show up anywhere on the name change document.  I know others put common usage there as well.  Probably varies by state, as usual.

Jay

[Arch]

Arch, don't you have any legal documentation of your name change? 

I have documentation, but it's not sufficiently "legal" in that my change did not go through a public institution like a court or the county recorder (as with a marital name change). So I do have to go in person, but all I have to do is provide several forms of public documents to show that I've used the name for at least five years. In addition to my notarized name change statement, I can provide ample evidence, all more than five years old. I have some old school transcripts (from two different schools), my Social Security record, state and federal tax forms, a marriage certificate, and a bunch of old driver's licenses that I held onto for some twisted reason (now I'm glad I did).

I don't mind so much the idea of applying for the new passport in person because that way I don't have to worry that the original documents might get lost. It's a pain in the ass for sure because I have to drive to another city, but I figure I'll just make a day of it. It's about a two-and-a-half or three-hour drive these days, one way, if you go at the right time. (Afternoon/evening traffic is horrendous. Sometimes it's slow-and-go for an hour if you arrive or leave at the wrong time.)

It would sure be nice if I could con a friend into coming with me.

[LordKAT]

Where you at Arch?

[Arch]

Where you at Arch?

SoCal. So I guess y'all can figure out that I need to drive to L.A. Bleah.

[mickie88]

in Ohio now, Nero, you can get a letter signed by your doctor stating whether or not your transition is transitional or complete, and then send it to the dmv in columbus. they will then send you a change of corrected card sheet in the mail, take it to the dmv, have it changed and i believe they should be able to put the male marker on your passport as well. never needed a passport, so i could be wrong but that would be the simplest way to go about it, especially if your DL already says you are male. please do let me know though in case i do get to leave this wonderful country.

[Arch]

in Ohio now, Nero, you can get a letter signed by your doctor stating whether or not your transition is transitional or complete, and then send it to the dmv in columbus. they will then send you a change of corrected card sheet in the mail, take it to the dmv, have it changed and i believe they should be able to put the male marker on your passport as well. never needed a passport, so i could be wrong but that would be the simplest way to go about it, especially if your DL already says you are male. please do let me know though in case i do get to leave this wonderful country.

Well, the State Dept. is very fussy about documentation for passport applications. If you were born in this country, you need to provide either a previous passport or a birth certificate. If that documentation has an F on it, Nero will need the surgery letter (or a court-ordered gender change doc) AND the old passport or birth certificate. But if he's had his birth certificate changed and has never applied for a passport, he might be able to just breeze through without the surgery letter.

[mickie88]

well, then I guess we are totally screwed when it comes to passports here in Ohio unless you have SRS papers maybe??

BC's in Ohio--the only thing they will EVER change is your name---the gender marker is there forever unless you were misgendered at birth, and after 20 years or so try and win that battle. no form of government needs to look in my pants to see what kind of genitalia I or anyone else has. We don't go around asking them to drop trou and show everything--so much for the right to privacy. Now--IF--they have probable cause--only then would it be acceptable. HOWEVER--this is just some stupid broad's opinion and I don't matter in any sense of the law especially as a law-abiding U.S. citizen. 

[LordKAT]

My understanding is that with a letter from a surgeon and BC whether or not gender is changed on the birth cert, you can get a passport with the correct gender on it.

[sneakersjay]

My understanding is that with a letter from a surgeon and BC whether or not gender is changed on the birth cert, you can get a passport with the correct gender on it.

Yes.  And a well-worded top surgery letter works for guys.  Wish there was an equivalent for the ladies, like orchi (is it? anyone know?) rather than having to have the works (read: $$$).

Jay

[FairyGirl]

I renewed my U.S. passport in October 2008, had my legal name change in September 2009, and all I needed was to send them my old passport with my name change letter (and a new photo) and they sent me a new passport in about 2 weeks, and sent my letter back too. Since it had been under a year since I had renewed the passport, the cost was absolutely free!

After my surgery I'll be doing the same thing again with my surgery letter this time, and again it won't have been a year since the last passport was issued so it will be free this time, too.

[Arch]

well, then I guess we are totally screwed when it comes to passports here in Ohio unless you have SRS papers maybe??

The way I understand it, you gals pretty much need genital surgery to get anything but a driver's license changed, unless you get lucky with an administrator. But I know that some women have had success with just an orchi and a letter that says something about "irreversible genital surgery." On the other hand, the TLC says that the State Department and the SSA like letters that say that your transition is "complete."

Or you can get a temporary passport in your true gender (ostensibly for the purpose of getting SRS outside the country), but I think it's only good for one year.

Talk about a double standard...one of the joys of "male privilege" is that once you have a penis, you're considered male till you get rid of it, even if you're really a girl.

[K8]

Talk about a double standard...one of the joys of "male privilege" is that once you have a penis, you're considered male till you get rid of it, even if you're really a girl.

That's generally how it works in life: If you have a penis you're male, otherwise you are something else.  (Now, what should we call that something else?   Oh yeah - female [not-male].  )

-------------------

I expect to send my unexpired passport, application, photo, a copy of my name change certificate, my surgery letter, and $$$.  I have no idea how far I would have to drive to do it in person, so I expect to do it by mail.  I'll let you know in a couple of months if that works.

- Kate

[sneakersjay]

I expect to send my unexpired passport, application, photo, a copy of my name change certificate, my surgery letter, and $$$.  I have no idea how far I would have to drive to do it in person, so I expect to do it by mail.  I'll let you know in a couple of months if that works.

- Kate

You can go online to the passport site and there will be a list you can click of places to go in your state.  Many town halls and post offices do them.

Jay

[Ryan]

I'm just about to renew my passport (female name) to my new name and gender. I'm under the impression that all I need is my deed poll and a doctors letter saying that you're male and the change is permanent, blah blah blah.