I asked something similar as a "secondary" question in another post elsewhere her on Susan's awhile back, but since it may get more responses I'll ask it here. Note that I am asking about U.S. passports, and I'm looking only for responses from those with first or close second hand experience (e.g. if you or someone close to you has obtained a passport as such and you have seen it, or you work for the passport agency); no "word of mouth" experience please (since that's what I'm trying to settle).

After legally changing your name and/or gender, does the passport show who you were previously? This stems from a cis friend of mine who legally changed her first name via the "common law" method who has been unable to have her new name fully recognized. From what I thought the only time the passport shows your previous name(s) is like I mentioned when you use the "usage" method and cannot satisfy the agent's requirements at proving that you have used the new name. I have also heard rumors that if you are changing an existing passport that sometimes they just "amend" the old one leaving the previous data potentially discernable until you renew again.

I recently got my new passport (thanks Arch!) and it only has my new name, recent photo and a nice big M. It used to be if someone got a passport, then got married and changed their last name, a revision was done to the pre-existing passport. The new married name was typed on one of the back pages. I had an old passport that expired I sent them when getting my new one. But I filled out paperwork for a new passport since mine expired so I don't know about amending a current one.

I hope I get to change my legal gender on my  passport

Radar inadvertently brought up a good point. Did your friend try to get a new passport or did she get her old one updated? I'm just thinking if she was just trying to update her old one they might not have wanted to create a new one without her paying all of the fees involved with getting a new one.

No advice sorry just wanted to point that out. Good luck with it

Quote from: tgchar21 on March 12, 2011, 05:48:25 PMAfter legally changing your name and/or gender, does the passport show who you were previously?

No, not if it is a legal court order name change. I got my passport changed twice: Once for my name change where I included a certified copy of the court order, and another for my gender change where I included a copy of my surgeon's SRS letter.  My current U.S. passport only has my current legal name and gender. (I live in Australia but retain my American citizenship.)

Note: Both times, I changed my Social Security registration first before applying for the new passport. Otherwise since your SSN is required to obtain a U.S. passport, it might get rejected because of a mismatch with the SSA.

If you change your passport within a year of obtaining your previous one, there is no extra charge to update it for either name or gender change.

I'm positive your name has to be changed with SS beforehand to use it on your passport but the gender doesn't need to be changed beforehand. New laws were put into place to make changing the gender on your passport much easier. Easier than most DMVs!

  I JUST applied for my first passport as I'm leaving for Thailand in 58 days.... Not that I'm counting

  I had my doc write the necessary letter to identify me as female on my passport (my drivers license already does.)

  On the passport application, there is a box for a name by which you have previously been known; I was assured by the person taking my application that that name would not appear on the passport itself. It's a security thing.... The fact is that you were once known by a different name and they have to document that.

  It was a stretch for me to be OK with that.... I still freak out if I get mail addressed to, "him." I hate seeing that name anywhere and writing it... even for one, last time, was an effort. It sucks but it's just something we have to do. I just remind myself that, a year from now, I'll probably never have to identify with "him" again.

Remember to keep copies of any documents or correspondence with them and keep names of who you spoke with, when etc...for phone conversations should any issues ever come up and if the final countdown is getting close and you still don't have it. I learned the hard way.