Trans Resource Navigator

Alabama birth certificates

Change detected, under review. An official source this page relies on changed recently. Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.

  • Page changed: Ala. Code § 22-9A-19, amendment of vital records (2026-10-12) · #201
  • Page changed: Ala. Code § 22-9A-19, amendment of vital records (2026-09-28) · #6
Update your name
YesAfter your legal name change
Gender markerThe sex or gender field (M, F, or X) printed on an ID document or stored in an agency's record.
LimitedM or F with proof of surgery

If you were born in Alabama, the sex on your birth certificate can be changed only with a court order stating that your sex was changed by surgery (and that your name was changed). The certificate is amended, not replaced. Whether the state still makes these changes after the 2025 "What Is a Woman Act" is unconfirmed. Name-only changes with a court order cost $20.

Main cost
$20
Apply
By mail

Draft from official sources, September 24, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify

This applies only if you were born here. Birth certificates follow your birth state, not where you live now. Choose your birth state

On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Forms
  5. Requirements
  6. After you finish
  7. Tips
  8. Laws and other guides
  9. Sources

How it works

Alabama birth certificates are kept by the Center for Health Statistics of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) in Montgomery. This guide applies only if you were born in Alabama; if you were born elsewhere, follow your birth state's rules.

Sex marker: Ala. Code § 22-9A-19(d) says the certificate "shall be amended" when ADPH receives a certified court order "indicating that the sex of an individual born in this state has been changed by surgical procedure and that the name of the individual has been changed." In practice that means:

  • You need a court order (usually from circuit or probate court) that finds your sex was changed by surgery. Most people need a lawyer for this.
  • Hormone therapy alone does not qualify, and there is no X option.
  • The certificate is amended (marked "AMENDED"), not reissued as a new certificate, so the change is visible on the record.
  • Once an item is amended, it can only be amended again by court order.

Since October 1, 2025, SB 79 defines sex in Alabama law as sex "observed or clinically verified at birth" and requires state agencies that collect vital statistics by sex to identify each person as male or female. We could not confirm whether ADPH still processes surgery-based changes under § 22-9A-19(d). Call ADPH before paying for a court case.

Name only: send a certified copy of your name change order with the amendment application. This is routine.

Steps

  1. Get the court order you need[1]

    For a name change, the probate court decree is enough. For a sex change, you need a court order stating your sex was changed by surgical procedure and your name was changed. Talk to a lawyer; there is no standard form for this order.

  2. Call ADPH before a sex-marker request[2][4]

    Call a Birth Amendment Clerk at 334-206-2637 and ask whether ADPH is currently accepting § 22-9A-19(d) amendments after SB 79, and what the order must say.

  3. Mail the application, order, ID, and fee[2]

    Mail the completed application, the certified court order, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to "Center for Health Statistics" to Center for Health Statistics, Special Services Division, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Do not send cash.

    Cost
    $20 amendment, including one certified copy; $6 each additional copy ordered at the same time; $15 optional expedite fee

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[2]

ADPH does not publish a fee waiver. Fees are non-refundable.

WhatCostNotes
Amendment, including one certified copy[2]$20
Each additional copy ordered at the same time[2]$6
Optional expedite fee[2]$15

More detail

Forms1 form: ADPH-HS-33

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

ADPH-HS-33Amendment Packet for Alabama Birth and Death Certificates (Application to Change an Alabama Birth or Death Certificate)Required

How to fill it out

  • Use Application 1 (amendments). Only one request per form.
  • In the section listing the changes, write exactly what should change (for example, the new first and middle name as shown in the court order).
  • Attach a certified copy of the court order and a copy of valid photo ID (see the ID list on the back).
  • If you are 19 or older, sign the applicant section yourself.

Open ADPH-HS-33Official Spanish version[2]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Alabama. Where you live now does not matter.[1][2]
Age
If you are 19 or older, you must sign the application yourself. For a minor, a parent or guardian applies.
How long it takes

ADPH does not publish a processing time for amendments. Allow several weeks, or pay the $15 expedite fee.

After you finishOrder extra certified copies at the same time ($6 each).

Order extra certified copies at the same time ($6 each). If your sex marker was amended, you can bring the amended certificate to ALEA to request a matching driver's license under Policy Order 63.

Tips1 tip from people who have done this
  • Born in another state but living in Alabama? Your birth state's rules apply, and many states allow changes without surgery or a court order.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

  • Ala. Code § 22-9A-19: Amendment of vital records, including (c)(3) name changes and (d) sex changes by surgical procedure
  • Act 2025-3 (SB 79): Defines sex as observed or clinically verified at birth; agencies collecting vital statistics must identify each person as male or female

Other trusted guides

Sources

4 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Ala. Code § 22-9A-19, amendment of vital recordsAlabama Legislature, Law. accessed
    “Upon receipt of a certified copy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction indicating that the sex of an individual born in this state has been changed by surgical procedure and that the name of the individual has been changed, the certificate of birth of the individual shall be amended as prescribed by rules to reflect the changes.”
  2. Amendment Packet for Alabama Birth and Death Certificates (ADPH-HS-33)Alabama Department of Public Health, Form. accessed
    “The fee to amend a birth certificate is $20.00 which includes one certified copy of the amended birth certificate. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $6.00 each. There is an additional fee of $15.00 to expedite a request.”
  3. Birth CertificatesAlabama Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
    “You may go to any county health department in the State of Alabama to obtain a certified copy of an Alabama birth certificate.”
  4. SB 79 (2025), Act 2025-3Alabama Legislature, Law. accessed
    “shall identify each individual who is part of the collected data set as either male or female.”