I'm well over 26 years old and had already been previously registered with selective service. I work in a field that uses my selective service registration as part of their background checks. According to the website, I'm only supposed to submit a name change before I'm 26. If I submit a change request, will they even look at it? Am I doomed to forever out myself to my jobs?

It doesn't hurt to try. I would call and ask them before you spend money on postage.

I'm not really sure if it's worth it though. If these places you're working or want to work are doing background checks on you, they're going to know that you've changed your name, when you changed it, and what it was changed from. And in many cases, that would out you.

(Source: I do background checks.)

I believe that you're only REQUIRED to notify them of name/address/etc. changes until you're 26, and that you could still (but aren't required) to notify them of changes afterwards (assuming you registered under the current "incarnation" of Selective Service which began in 1980 and not Vietnam-era or earlier - if you're that old then those records are archived and cannot be updated, but they probably wouldn't be requested for a background check at this point either).

P.S. Having a Selective Service record to begin with as a transwoman would "out" you, since cis-women (at least for now, that may change in the near future) do not register.

I suppose you're right. So now it's just a question or whether I want it updated or not.