Can I change the sex that’s on my immigration or citizenship documents?

Important information:

The January 2025 federal bans on changing sex identifiers on federal records won’t affect your Washington state ID or driver’s license, including REAL IDs. If this changes, we’ll update this information. You can still change the sex identifier on your Washington state IDs. On Department of License issued IDs in Washington, this is called your “gender designation.” 

The federal bans created many questions about what defines your legal gender. Read our guide about legal gender to learn more about these impacts.

Important Notice: During 2025, the information related to federal ID rights and sex/gender on federal records is changing rapidly. An executive order issued earlier in 2025 temporarily banned sex or gender changes on federal identity records and documents. This included passports, Social Security records, tribal and BIA related records, immigration records and other federal records. These bans are being challenged by lawsuits. The ACLU’s lawsuit about the passport ban got back the right to change passports as of June 18, 2025 through a temporary preliminary injunction. This means that the case isn’t done yet but that gender diverse people can resume changing their passports while the case continues. It is possible that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will similarly update their systems to allow sex changes again later this summer but currently the SSA can’t process sex changes for their records.

Can I change some of my IDs but not all of them?

Yes. 

Which IDs to change, if any, is a personal decision. It’s unique to your individual situation and daily life needs. It’s specific to your safety and lived identity needs. There can be consequences for both changing or not changing various IDs if you’re a person who is transgender, nonbinary, or gender diverse, or who has a sex or gender change. Learn more about these issues and the consequence possibilities of various choices. Learn more about these issues and the consequence possibilities of various choices.

Many people choose to only ever change their state photo ID. You can still change the gender that’s on your Washington state photo ID, and can still choose between 3 genders designation options.

Can I change my name on my IDs but not change my gender on those IDs?

Yes absolutely. Many people who are transgender, nonbinary, intersex, or gender diverse only change their name legally and may never change their sex on any IDs. All identity records and IDs should have a process for changing your name on them. You will probably need to provide a copy of a name change court order to do so. This includes Passports and Social Security records. Gender diverse people can still change their names on their Passports and Social Security records if they meet the proof requirements. A name change court order is enough to change your name on those records. 

What if I need to update my immigration documents after a court-ordered name change? 

Learn more from USCIS about changing your name on USCIS issued secure identity immigration documents.

Learn more about how to ask for a legal name change in Washington. 

If you currently have an immigration attorney, talk to that attorney first about changing your name on your immigration documents before you try doing it. If you got a legal name change after filing for your immigrant status, let your immigration attorney know that.

Can I change the sex identification that’s on my immigration or citizenship documents?

No. As of January 2025, there’s a federal ban on changing the sex listed on any federal record. A court order temporarily paused the ban specifically for passports only. So you can now change the sex or gender designation that is on your passport again while the case continues. 

The ban on changing the sex on records still includes:

• Immigration documents and records
• Citizenship documents and records
• Consular birth records or records of birth abroad

If you’re an immigrant who has a Social Security card and you’re having problems because you can’t change your Social Security sex identification record, try to get legal help from the non-emergency Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal.

If you’re an immigrant who has a passport and you’re having problems because you can’t change your passport sex identifier or you’re worried about traveling with an X identifier on your passport, try to contact the ACLU about their lawsuit challenging the recent passport ban. The ACLU sued to challenge the federal passport ban. You can now change your passport again while the lawsuit continues. If you are otherwise affected by the executive orders related to your passport or out-of-country travel, try to contact the ACLU.

If you have an open immigration case with USCIS, talk to your immigration lawyer about what to do regarding your sex identifier on your federal records. If you don’t have a lawyer for your immigration case, try to get legal help for your sex identifier issue from the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project. 

Will I be able to change the sex identification on my immigration or citizenship documents if the federal ban ends?

It depends. If the federal ban ends, there might be a return to the previous process for changing sex identification on immigration and citizen ship documents. 

Before the federal ban, immigration and citizenship documents were limited to only “M” or “F” (or “male” or “female”) sex identifiers. 

The only proof of gender change you needed to show was another ID document or a letter from a licensed healthcare professional certifying your “true gender.” There were no surgery or medical requirements. The letter just needed to confirm your gender. 

How do I change my employment authorization card if the federal ban ends?

Based on the most recent rules before the federal ban, you would submit:

• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
• Form I-912, Filing fee or a Fee Waiver (permission to not pay the fee), if you couldn’t afford to pay for a new card.
• Two passport-style photos
• Driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, court order, or other official government-issued document showing the requested sex identifier change as your sex identifier, or a letter from a licensed healthcare professional certifying your true gender (though the letter wasn’t required).

How do I change my Permanent Resident Card (green card) if the federal ban ends?

Based on the most recent rules before the federal ban, you would submit:

• Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
• Form I-912, Filing fee or a Fee Waiver (permission to not pay the fee), if you couldn’t afford to pay for a new card.
• Driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, court order, or other official government-issued document showing the requested sex identifier change, or a letter from a licensed healthcare professional certifying your true gender though the letter was not required

How do I change my Naturalization Certificate if the federal ban ends?

Based on the most recent rules before the federal ban, you would submit:

• Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
• Form I-912, Filing fee or a Fee Waiver (permission to not pay the fee), if you couldn’t afford to pay for a new Naturalization Certificate
• Two passport-style photos
• Driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, court order, or other official government-issued document showing the requested sex identifier change, or a letter from a licensed healthcare professional certifying your true gender (though the letter wasn’t required).

Where can I learn more?

Learn more about changing USCIS issued identity documents from the USCIS Policy Manual Volume 11, Part A, Chapter 2.

Where can I get legal help and information related to the federal ID bans?

The information related to the federal bans is changing rapidly. We’ll update our guides as information changes. 

Organizations around the country are suing to challenge most of the federal bans related to transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and other gender diverse people. You may be able to learn more about how the bans and lawsuits impact you from the non-emergency Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal. 

If you’re affected by the active-duty military ban:

• Contact the non-emergency Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal. Lambda sued to challenge the military service ban. You can also try to contact the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). They also filed suits against the military service ban. 

If you’re affected by the federal passport ban:

• Try to get help using the ACLU-WA online intake form. The ACLU sued to challenge the federal passport ban. You can now change your passport again while the lawsuit continues. If you are otherwise affected by the executive orders related to your passport or international travel, try to contact the ACLU.

If you’re affected by the federal Social Security ban:

• Try to get information from the non-emergency Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal. The SSA said it will update its emergency directive in the summer of 2025.

If you’re affected by the gender affirming care for youth ban:

• The January 2025 federal ban related to gender affirming care for youth generally shouldn’t affect your care in Washington state. Washington law still protects certain gender affirming care for people under 18 in this state. Certain providers might not provide services to you. If you’re under 18 and have experienced issues related to your gender affirming care since the federal ban, try to get legal help.
• P-FLAG is challenging the January 2025 federal order with a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and Lambda Legal. You may be able learn more from the non-emergency Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal. If the trans-related care ban for minor youth has impacted your life, try to get legal help using the ACLU-WA online intake form.

If you’re impacted by the federal trans youth in sports ban:

Try to get help using the ACLU-WA online intake form. The ACLU sued about the sports ban. You can also try to contact the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). They also filed suit against the sports ban.