Trans Resource Navigator

Driver’s license and state ID in Alabama

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

Alabama changes the sex on a driver's license or ID only if you show an amended birth certificate or a letter from the surgeon who performed gender-affirming surgery (ALEA Policy Order 63). A federal appeals court upheld this rule in 2024. It is unclear whether ALEA still makes these changes after the 2025 "What Is a Woman Act." Name changes are available for $31.25.

Main cost
$31.25
Apply
By mail or in person

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

In court: Corbitt v. Secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, No. 21-10486

Policy Order 63 is enforceable. The case is closed, so there is no court order helping applicants.[1][2]

About this case

Trans Alabamians challenged Policy Order 63's surgery requirement. A district court struck it down in January 2021; on September 20, 2024 the Eleventh Circuit reversed, holding the policy constitutional.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Last update 2024-12-19. Case page

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

Driver's licenses and ID cards are issued by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Driver License Division. ALEA takes the sex on your license from your birth certificate. Under an internal guidance document called Policy Order 63, you can change it only by submitting either an amended birth certificate showing the new sex or a letter from the physician who performed your "gender reassignment" surgery. ALEA has not published which surgeries it accepts; in the Corbitt case, a woman who had some gender-affirming surgery was refused because it was not "full" reassignment surgery.

In Corbitt v. Secretary of ALEA (September 20, 2024), the Eleventh Circuit upheld Policy Order 63, reversing a 2021 ruling that had struck it down. There is no active challenge.

Since October 1, 2025, SB 79 (Act 2025-3) defines "sex" throughout the Alabama Code as sex "observed or clinically verified at birth." We could not confirm whether ALEA still accepts surgeon letters or amended birth certificates after this law. Expect that a request may be refused. Alabama licenses show only M or F; there is no X.

Name changes work normally: bring your certified court order and updated Social Security card.

Steps

  1. Update Social Security first[4][7]

    ALEA checks your name against Social Security. Update your name there (form SS-5) and wait for the new card before going to ALEA.

  2. Change your name in person or by mail[4][6]

    Go to an ALEA driver license office or county license office with your current card, certified name change order, and new Social Security card, or mail form DL-100 with photocopies. Pay the $31.25 duplicate fee. A STAR ID (REAL ID) cannot be first issued by mail.

    Form
    DL-100
    Cost
    $31.25 duplicate license or ID (any class)

  3. Ask about a sex-marker change (surgery proof required)[1][3]

    If you have an amended Alabama birth certificate or a letter from your surgeon, bring it to an ALEA Driver License office (not a county office) with your current card. There is no form. Because of SB 79, ALEA may refuse; if it does, ask for the refusal in writing and contact ACLU of Alabama.

    Cost
    $31.25 duplicate license or ID (any class)

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[4]

No general fee waiver. Reduced fees exist only for seniors (62+) and people with a permanent disability.

WhatCostNotes
Duplicate license or ID (any class)[4][5]$31.25A 4% convenience fee applies to card payments at offices. Seniors 62+ pay $5.50 for a non-driver ID; a disabled ID is $2 with a doctor's letter.
Class D license or non-driver ID, new or renewal[4][5]$36.25

More detail

Forms1 form: DL-100

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

DL-100Application for Renewal or Duplicate of Alabama Driver License or ID Card (by mail)Sometimes required: Only if you are updating your name by mail and have had an Alabama card with your photo…

Only if you are updating your name by mail and have had an Alabama card with your photo in the last four years. Otherwise go in person.

How to fill it out

  • Check Duplicate.
  • Include photocopies of your name change order and your updated Social Security card (the form asks for copies, not originals).
  • Pay by money order or cashier's check to "ALEA Driver License Division" ($31.25 duplicate). No cash or personal checks.
  • Mail to ALEA Driver License Division, PO Box 1471, Montgomery, AL 36102.

Open DL-100[4]

RequirementsWhere you live, timeline
Where you live
You must hold or be applying for an Alabama driver's license or non-driver ID.[1][3]
Other
For a sex-marker change, ALEA requires an amended birth certificate or a letter from the surgeon who performed gender-affirming surgery. A provider letter about hormones or a court order alone is not enough.
How long it takes

In person, you leave with a temporary license the same day. By mail, allow several weeks.

After you finishKeep your certified name change order with your records.

Keep your certified name change order with your records. If your license and passport or Social Security record show different sex markers, carry your old documents only if you need them to explain the difference; you are not required to disclose your medical history at a traffic stop.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Moving to Alabama with an out-of-state license that shows a changed marker? ALEA uses your birth certificate, so expect your Alabama card to show the sex on it unless you meet Policy Order 63.
  • County license offices handle renewals and duplicates; ALEA exam offices handle first-time STAR IDs and document questions.
Laws and other guides1 law, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

7 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Corbitt v. Secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, No. 21-10486 (11th Cir. Sept. 20, 2024)U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Court. accessed
    “The current version of Policy Order 63 requires the submission of either an amended birth certificate reflecting a changed sex designation or a letter from the physician who performed the reassignment procedure.”
  2. Corbitt v. TaylorACLU, Organization. accessed
    “Eleventh Circuit reversed the lower court, ruling Alabama's refusal to issue accurate licenses did not violate the federal constitution”
  3. SB 79 (2025), Act 2025-3Alabama Legislature, Law. accessed
    “SEX. When the term is used to classify or describe a natural person, the state of being male or female as observed or clinically verified at birth.”
  4. DL-100, Application for Renewal or Duplicate of Alabama Driver License or ID CardAlabama Law Enforcement Agency, Form. accessed
    “$31.25 - Any license Class/ID duplicate fee ... To update the name on your license/ID: Include photocopies of legal name change documentation and the updated social security card.”
  5. License and ID CardsAlabama Law Enforcement Agency, Official page. accessed
    “$36.25 to purchase non-driver identification card ... Credit Cards Accepted (MasterCard, Visa or Discover) convenience fee of 4% applies to the total charge.”
  6. STAR IDAlabama Law Enforcement Agency, Official page. accessed
    “County operated license offices will continue to provide renewals/duplicates for license, ID cards, and STAR ID.”
  7. Alabama identity documentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “Prerequisite: Update Social Security Administration records first.”