Identity Documents For Transgender Persons

Registrar of vital statistics - department of revenue - issuance of new a birth certificate, driver's license, or identity document - requirements - appropriation. Under current law, a person born in Colorado who seeks a new birth certificate from the registrar of vital statistics (state registrar) to reflect a change in gender designation must obtain a court order indicating that the sex of the person has been changed by surgical procedure and ordering that the gender designation on the birth certificate be amended, and the person must obtain a court order with a legal name change. The act:

• Repeals that provision and creates new requirements for the issuance of birth certificates to a person who has a gender different from the sex denoted on that person's birth certificate;
• Requires that the state registrar issue a new birth certificate rather than an amended birth certificate. The act allows a person who has previously obtained an amended birth certificate under previous versions of the law to apply to receive a new birth certificate. A person is not required to obtain a court order for a legal name change in order to obtain a new birth certificate with a change in gender designation;
• Gives the courts in this state jurisdiction to issue a decree to amend a birth certificate to reflect a change in sex designation for persons born in another state or foreign jurisdiction if the law of such other state or foreign jurisdiction requires a court decree in order to amend a birth certificate to reflect a change in sex designation;
• Creates new requirements for the issuance of a new driver's license or identity document to a person who has a gender different from the sex denoted on that person's driver's license or identity document after certain documents are submitted to the department of revenue;
• Exempts transgender persons from having to submit a public notice of name change.

The act appropriates $58,500 from the licensing services cash fund to the department of revenue for use by the division of motor vehicles for DRIVES maintenance and support.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)