American Samoa birth certificates
- Update your name
- UnclearNo clear rule; see details
- Gender markerThe sex or gender field (M, F, or X) printed on an ID document or stored in an agency's record.
- UnclearNo written policy; see details
American Samoa has no procedure for changing the sex marker on a birth certificate. A 2004 High Court decision held that a birth certificate can be amended only to fix information that was wrong when it was recorded, not to reflect a later name change. Advocates have heard the Office of Vital Statistics sometimes makes changes anyway, so ask, and talk to a lawyer.
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
How it works
The only amendment statute, A.S.C.A. § 13.0530, lets the Registrar correct facts that were "not correctly stated" on a birth, death, or marriage certificate, using sworn affidavits. The original record is never altered; the amendment is attached, and certified copies show that the certificate was amended.
In In re Mase (2004), the High Court held that this statute covers only errors at the time of recording. It denied a request to put a court-ordered new name on a birth certificate, citing a Texas decision that refused a transgender woman's amended certificate. Under that reasoning, a sex marker change is unlikely to be approved through the courts.
Advocates for Trans Equality has heard that in practice the Office of Vital Statistics will sometimes change the name after a court order, and may change the sex marker with medical documentation of transition. This is not written policy.
Steps
Ask the Office of Vital Statistics[2]
Contact the Office of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 6894, Pago Pago, AS 96799, (684) 633-1405 or 633-1406. Ask whether it will amend the name or sex on your certificate and what documents it needs. Ask for the answer in writing.
Talk to a lawyer before going to court[1]
Because Mase limits what the court will order, a lawyer can advise whether a petition is worth filing and how to present it.
More detail
After you finishEven if your birth certificate cannot be changed, you can still change your name with Social Security and on your U.S.
Even if your birth certificate cannot be changed, you can still change your name with Social Security and on your U.S. passport (see the federal guides).
Laws and other guides2 laws, 1 other guide
Laws and rules
- A.S.C.A. § 13.0530 (as quoted in In re Mase): Correction of vital records by affidavit; the original record is not altered
- In re Mase, 9 Am. Samoa 3d 125 (2004): Birth certificate may not be amended to reflect a later name change
Other trusted guides
Sources
2 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
- In re Petition to Change Name of Tia'i Mase, 9 Am. Samoa 3d 125 (2004)
“We conclude that the plain language of Section 13.0530 does not give the Registrar of Vital Statistics authority to amend a birth certificate in situations in which a person changes his or her name.”
- American Samoa Identity Documents
“Anecdotally we have heard that the Office of Vital Statistics will change the name on a birth certificate when presented with a name change order, and may change the gender marker on a birth certificate upon receiving medical documentation of transition-related medical care.”