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Identity Document Laws and Policies

Many transgender people change their legal name to better reflect their gender identity. While state laws generally allow individuals to change their legal name for any non-criminal purpose, many states still have outdated and burdensome requirements that create substantial barriers to achieving a legal name change. One of the most common and problematic requirements is that a person must publicly post or publish their legal name change request, often in a local newspaper. This not only poses a financial obstacle (as the publication typically must be paid for), but also puts the person at risk of potential harm, harassment, or discrimination. Another significant barrier is that many states have additional rules and restrictions on name changes for people who have a criminal record. These aspects of the name change process are reflected in the map below.  For more information, please see the National Center for Transgender Equality's Identity Documents Center.
United States Map
  • State law does not require publication of name change announcement (26 states , 1 territory + D.C.)
  • State law has unclear publication requirement, or requires publication but allows individual court discretion and/or broad option to waive requirement (15 states)
  • State law requires publication of name change announcement (9 states, 4 territories)
  • State law includes additional restrictions and/or requirements for individuals with a criminal record (23 states)
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Identity Document Laws and Policies." https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/identity_document_laws. Accessed 01/23/2025.

Percent of Transgender Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender population (ages 18+) living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender people in the U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.

63%

63 % of transgender people (ages 18+) live in states that do not require publication of name change announcement

24%

24 % of transgender people (ages 18+) live in states with unclear requirements, individual court discretion, or broad waiver options for public announcement of a name change

13%

13 % of transgender people (ages 18+) live in states that require publication of name change announcement

64%

64 % of transgender people (ages 18+) live in states with additional restrictions and/or requirements for individuals with a criminal record



Data current as of 01/23/2025
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