Passport and gender?

[Arch]

I've been doing more reading. Usually you have to establish your identity with "primary identification"--an existing passport or a birth certificate. But apparently you can also get a passport with some combination of so-called secondary identification like credit cards, Social Security cards, and state-issued driver's licenses. But you also have to produce your own witness, apparently, to attest to your identity.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/Secondary%20Evidence/Secondary%20Evidence_4314.html

I don't know how this works in the event of a name change, though...
Post Merge: April 13, 2010, 12:38:53 PM
I must apologize on another point. For some reason, I took "you must apply in person" to mean that the applicant had to go to a regional office and not a passport acceptance facility. Apparently this is incorrect. My bad. But it's always best to do your own research.

I, unfortunately, still feel the need to make an appointment at a regional office because otherwise I would have to temporarily surrender my notarized name change document when the acceptance facility sends it to the passport office. I only have one original of this document, and I can't run the risk of losing it.

[sneakersjay]

Arch, they might accept a copy if they themselves make it.  Not sure.  I know they did photocopy my surgeon's letter as it was my only one and i was also reluctant to part with it (though Brownstein will write another one for $20).


Jay

[Arch]

Arch, they might accept a copy if they themselves make it.  Not sure.  I know they did photocopy my surgeon's letter as it was my only one and i was also reluctant to part with it (though Brownstein will write another one for $20).

Thanks, Jay. When I talked to the guys at the actual passport office, they said that I had to provide originals, and they said that the documents would be mailed back to me eventually. They didn't say that the people at the acceptance facility could make a copy and return the original immediately--and I didn't think to ask! So maybe this will work with my name change doc and my surgery letter. I have nothing to lose by trying to do it here in town.

Nero, what's your status? Have you figured out how you're going to do this?

[sneakersjay]

I will say that if they do need the original with the seal, that they do mail them back. I had to send mine twice, once with my passport, the second time with my kids' passports since my F name is still on their birth certificates.

[Arch]

I will say that if they do need the original with the seal, that they do mail them back.

Yeah, but what if the envelope gets lost in the mail or jammed up in a postal machine? I just don't want to take that chance because I have no way of getting another name change doc. It's possible that I'll no longer need it after the passport (I can't use a DIY notarized doc for my birth cert), and it's possible that a copy would do for any future transactions, but I just can't be sure. I'm a cautious bugger.

Of course, excessive caution can be a real liability. It kept me from transitioning for all those years...

[blackMamba]

You can also get a provisional passport with your desired sex status if you are off to see a GRS surgeon.  The GRS surgeon to be needs to give you a letter to send to them.  I received a passport that was good for a year, now I just have to show them my official affidavit since I'm post-op and it will never be temporary again.  Woo hoo!

[Al James]

Ryan if i'm right and your from the uk then yep all you need is your name change and a letter from the doctor saying you are undergoing treatment for gender dysphoria and if continued any changes will be permanent. Thats what i did in January and it came back no problems

[blackMamba]

Has anyone found any documentation on the passport website on how to change the gender marker? There has been some discussion here but no documentation such as an official website detailing the steps or policies.

Or if you do know how to update the gender marker only can you kindly tell me how?

I need to change my gender marker and all I can find is name change references. I've already been through that and have a passport with my female name that is less than a year old.

Thanks,

Valerie

Hi Valerie,

Sorry, I don't have any documentation to show you.  But... here's what I did.  What makes my situation slightly different is I had a provisional passport issued a year ago with an 'F' on it (good for 1 year).  When they sent me that passport, they included a letter that said if I renewed it within 1 year, I only needed to submit a form and the signed letter from my surgeon and they would make it permanent.  Along with my current passport and a couple of recent snapshots.

So... what I think would work for you is the same thing.  It's this form:  http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds5504/ds5504_2663.html  There is a spot where you can correct your gender on the second page.  I would include your surgeon's letter along with a letter from you stating what happened.  If you have any doubts, I would give them a call and ask them.  Apart from being put on hold for a long time, I've found them to be a helpful lot.

I hope this helps, I don't think you will have any problems.  Take care.

mamba

[Kay]

Here's a guide regarding passports:

http://www.transequality.org/Resources/NCTE_passports.pdf

http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html

[Arch]

Here's a guide regarding passports:

http://www.transequality.org/Resources/NCTE_passports.pdf

Their information about name changes is incorrect. According to the State Dept., you can indeed change your name on your passport even if you didn't do the name change through marriage or the court system. I have yet to test this, but I'll keep you posted.

[jill610]

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.)

There is no legal requirement to apply for a passport in person.  Just fill out the forms and mail them in.  I lived in Charlotte, NC for a while and did a renew via courier with a letter from my congressman (only way to expedite at the time).  Prior to that, my original was done completely via snail mail due to my living in waaaay upstate NY at the time.  My current passport was done post 9/11 and I did that in person as a department of state office only because I needed to go on a trip out of the country on extremely short notice (got processed same day and I received it via FedEx on the next day).  Even that could have been done by courier and save me the hassle of parking in old city Philadelphia.

[Arch]

There is no legal requirement to apply for a passport in person. 

They do have a written policy about who needs to apply in person: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html. Whether people can get around it is another thing entirely. But "in person" refers to either a regional office or an acceptance facility. There are acceptance facilities all over the place.

[LordKAT]

ye, Post office is passport place here and in many other cities.

[FairyGirl]

edit: oopsie I already replied to this one

[K8]

I just received my new passport.  In order to get it, I mailed my old passport, two pictures, the application (from the 'net), a check, and notarized copies of my name-change and surgeon's letters.  I got the new passport in less than three weeks.  I did not ask for expedited service.  A couple of days later I got the old passport and the name-change and gender-change letters back.

My old passport was still valid, which I'm sure helped a lot.

- Kate

[FairyGirl]

I just received my new passport.  In order to get it, I mailed my old passport, two pictures, the application (from the 'net), a check, and notarized copies of my name-change and surgeon's letters.  I got the new passport in less than three weeks.  I did not ask for expedited service.  A couple of days later I got the old passport and the name-change and gender-change letters back.

My old passport was still valid, which I'm sure helped a lot.

- Kate

Kate was this the form you used?  http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/79960.pdf

I have a current valid passport less than a year old. Valerie what is confusing me about using the DS 5504 form is that it states it is only for name changes and correcting information incorrectly printed. The criteria for using the DS 5504 are listed on the form as follows:

I have had a change in my name and my most recent U.S. passport book and/or U.S. passport card was issued less than one year ago;

OR

My identifying information in my most recent U.S. passport book and/or U.S. passport card was printed incorrectly;

OR

My most recent U.S. passport book was limited in validity and was issued less than one year ago.

If you answered NO to ALL of the three statements above,
STOP - You cannot use this form!!!

So mamba could use this form because her current one is provisional or "limited in validity", but I actually have to answer NO to all three qualifiers. At least we've narrowed it down to one or the other, I hope lol

[K8]

Yes, Chloe, that's the one I used.

If you have a valid passport, this shouldn't be that hard.  You want a new passport and have to give them your old one to get it (which they will return, made void).

I worked for the government for over 30 years, so perhaps these forms make more sense to me than to a civilian.  You aren't asking for a correction - you asked your surgeon for a correction.  You are asking for a new (renewed) passport.

- Kate

[FairyGirl]

Thank you Kate! That's what I was thinking but wasn't sure. That's the same form I used previously for my name change. Okay cool! That one get's mailed to Philadelphia and since I'm already in Philadelphia for my surgery maybe that will help expedite matters a little lol

[Chloe]

Er, forgive me for being so stupid in not being able to read much these days . . .

But has everybody already seen / discussed THIS?

THE US has introduced new, more flexible passport regulations for transgender people, ending an earlier requirement that reassignment surgery precede a passport gender change.

[K8]

Hi Kiera,

It was posted under news: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,78579.0.html, but thanks in case others missed it. 

- Kate