Seeking some guidance/clarification...

[AmandaDanielle]

I've done research and i just want to be prepared for everything so I figured I'd ask you ladies...

I have successfully filed my court paperwork for my legal name change. My newspaper legal is running for the third week and my hearing is 30 days away. I have a few questions that I'd like to clarify some details on...

1. How many copies of the legal name change order do i need? (DMV, SOCIAL, BANK, PAYROLL, INSURANCE, CREDIT CARDS)

2. What is the process going forward after i have the legal name change order?

3. Where do i go first (DMV, SOCIAL SECURITY)?

4. What information do i need at the DMV? I presume a utility bill with my name on it? How is that possible?

5. Does an orchiectomy, and hormone replacement count for necessary treatment for gender marker change? Can my GP sign off on that affidavit?

6. Can i go to any social security office and get my new card based on my legal name change? I presume i need my new ID for that? Can i mark "F" for gender identification on the form?

7. Do i need the legal order to change utilities over?

8. To update birth certificates, I send just the legal name change order to the my birth states birth Certificate place?

9. Does that all have to be done in one day?

I guess i am really nervous and want to make sure i know exactly what i need and where i need to go. There is so much to this and i am starting to get overwhelmed.

Thanks for any help you can offer!! Much Love!!

[Hikari]

Disclaimer: not legal advice
I can only really speak to my own expierences in the state of Virginia, but here it was for me:

1. For me just one certified copy, I scanned the copy so that I could print my own but I ended up just sending the PDF along with an email to my insurance and when I went into PNC all I did was hand it to them along with my updated drivers license and thy gave me both back and told me the card in my new name would be in the mailbox in a few days. Likewise to change property taxes and my name on the GED a PDF version sufficed.

2./3. These are really the same question basically:
A: get court order
B: go to the social security office, bringing a letter from your doctor to Change gender can save you time if you are also doing this. The social security office will give you a paper confirming the changes and will mail you a new card.
C:The paper detailing the changes can be brought to the DMV along with your court order and letter of gender change of you have one and you can change your license with that.
D: you should goto your local government and change it with whichever department does your property taxes, benefits, etc
E: change it with all your private party creditors, insurance, etc

4. In my state in addition to th court order for name change you will need the same ID as you always would to get a new licenses such as a passport/social security card/drivers license etc. these can be in your old name you don't have to wait for new documents, the court order is what ties your old name to your new one.

5. In my state my doctor fills out a state form to change my gender on my license, which is sent to Richmond to be approved with a few weeks wait time. The social security and passport office have similar requirements merely a letter from the doctor stating you have received treatment, to change gender on birth certificates however in my state a signed letter from a physician stating permanent change of gender along with a court order for a gender change is required. Several in my state used the orchi to get a court order for gender change.

6. You will need an ID, social security offices are federal so they should all provide the same service, with your court order to a name change you can use your old ID to get your new name on a social security card.

7. I just emailed a customer service rep and sent them the PDF and told them my name and gender changed the was sufficient for my utilities.

8. Totally depends on your state, but in mine while changing your name on your birth certificates is fairly easy, just go there and show your name change order, changing your gender is a more complicated process. This seems to vary dramatically between states.

9. No, in fact I updated my name and gender two weeks apart from each other at DMV and social security and still haven't got around to the passport office over a had later. It is best to do social security and DMV in the same day just so there isn't a big mismatch between your federally recognized name and your state records, but a few days isn't going to be that big of a deal.

My advice is don't worry so much, people change their name everyday so for the most par these procedures are easily understood by office personel just be sure to explain that no you didn't get married or divorced lol, it took me a lot of explaining to let them understand I have a court order not a marriage certificate.

[AmandaDanielle]

Thank you so much for an explanation... it sounds like our states have a lot of similarities.

What does the letter from the doctor affirming gender change look like? Is it just a simple letter or all legal? I found what looks like a court order but it needs notarized.

[Hikari]

Thank you so much for an explanation... it sounds like our states have a lot of similarities.

What does the letter from the doctor affirming gender change look like? Is it just a simple letter or all legal? I found what looks like a court order but it needs notarized.

For the passport office and social security administration the letter has to include information as spelled out by their respective rules, you can find these pretty easily on Google. For your state it might be spelled out in state law as well or it might just have certain required information. For my state for our drivers licenses we have a specific form for it so the doctor only needs to fill out the form. My letters were done in conjunction with Whitman Walker health who automatically knew the forms they needed to use.