I haven’t updated any of my documents yet, and I saw that the disgusting bill that’s pending in Indiana would make it impossible for trans people to change their gender marker. Although there has been an executive order stopping the department of health from processing court-ordered name changes there for the past year. I don’t think Indiana is ever going to do something that would help a trans person…
What are my options? Am I stuck with incorrect or mismatched documents forever?
I have a Real ID. It has my correct gender despite my birth certificate not matching. You just need to show your birth certificate (yes it outs you to the DMV worker) and your certificate of name change, along with your proof of residence in the state you’re getting it in. I’ve never had a driver’s license that wasn’t a Real ID.
Passports are currently fucked, it’s true. You can probably get one with the correct name since it’s changed with the SSA, but it might have the incorrect gender, though I don’t know the specifics of that situation currently. I know some people have been able to legally fight back and get issued a correct passport under the current regime so it is potentially possible.
As for the far right and their goals, I’m fairly confident that we’re far off from that particular goal, in certain parts of the country at least. I’m hoping that we can avert that entirely, but plenty of shitty state governments are working towards it unfortunately.
It’s not the gender that’s the main issue with the state ID, only the passport. I asked when I updated my driver’s license and they said I had to separately reapply for a Real ID and that had to follow federal guidelines which includes proof of citizenship or legal residency which would mean a birth certificate or passport (which requires a birth certificate for people born here) with my legal name. I no longer have a valid birth certificate with my legal name until my birth state agrees to update it. It’s shitty, but the federal government won’t acknowledge a legal court order for name change on top of the old birth certificate like they do for name changed with marriage certificates, and so the state doesn’t allow it for Real ID. And my current driver’s license has no connection at all to my Real ID license in my old name, so there’s no simple way to prove I’m a citizen right now in a way that’s acceptable to the silly requirements despite my picture being on my ID and passport with my old name and still having the same last name. Cruelty is the goal.
Your birth certificate with your deadname combined with your court order for your name change legally satisfies the Real ID requirements. I’ve had a Real ID from 2 different states, and have had 0 issues when presenting that combination, along with my social security card for extra insurance.
You do have to specifically choose the Real ID paperwork at the DMV though, they can have different forms available for Real ID vs basic driver’s license.
It’s not sufficient in my state. They specifically need the birth certificate, passport, or equivalent proof of citizenship to match the name. Or for a marriage certificate or divorce decree to prove name change. Right now at least, court orders for other purposes than marriage or divorce are not accepted. Not sure if it’s something new, but it’s the current requirement.
Passport also requires gender match between document used for identification and the one used for citizenship proof, so I didn’t look at if that has the same name change documentation requirement. But either way, the birth certificate changes are holding up my ability to get either of them, currently.
If you don’t mind me asking, which state are you in? I’m 99% sure a court order name change certificate paired with a birth certificate should be sufficient to get a Real ID compliant ID in any state, even the ones especially hostile to trans people.
Edit: side note, I love your profile picture