Driver’s license and state ID in California
- 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.
- YesM, F, or X with your own signed form
California lets you pick M, F, or X on your driver's license or ID by signing a one-page self-attestation (form DL 329S). No doctor's letter or court order is needed. You must finish the change in person at a DMV office.
- Main cost
- $37, can be waived
- Apply
- In person
- Typical wait
- 3 to 4 weeks
Draft from official sources, September 23, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify
On this page
How it works
Since January 1, 2019 (SB 179, the Gender Recognition Act), the DMV may not ask for anything beyond your own signed request to change the gender category on a license or ID card, and your choice is not reviewed. You can pick female (F), male (M), or nonbinary (X).
Changing your name on the card is a separate transaction that does require proof of the new legal name (your court decree, an amended birth certificate, or a passport in the new name). You can do both at the same visit and pay one fee.
Steps
Start the application online[2]
Fill in the online DL/ID application (eDL 44) and select "change of information". Save the confirmation number. If you also want a REAL ID, gather the extra documents now.
- Form
- DL 44
Fill out and sign DL 329S[1]
Print it at home or pick one up at the office. Check F, M, or X and sign. No other documentation may be required.
- Form
- DL 329S
Make an appointment online to skip most of the wait. Bring: your current card, DL 329S, your online confirmation, proof of your new legal name if the name is changing (certified court decree, amended birth certificate, or passport), and REAL ID documents if applicable. You will take a new photo, give a thumbprint, and pay the fee. The gender change is not complete until you go into an office.
Receive the new card by mail[2]
You leave with a paper interim document. The new card arrives by mail in about 3 to 4 weeks.
- Time
- 3 to 4 weeks
Costs and fee waivers
Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[3]
There is no waiver for driver's licenses. For ID cards: a reduced-fee ($11) ID is available if you can show you receive benefits from an approved public assistance program (bring the DMV's verification form completed by the agency), and a no-fee ID is available to people experiencing homelessness (with a verification form from a homeless services provider) and to people 62 and older.
| What | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Driver's license, change of information or replacement[3] | $37 | |
| ID card, change of information or replacement[3] | $40 | Reduced-fee ID card is $11 if you receive certain public benefits; senior (62+) ID cards and ID cards for people experiencing homelessness are free. Ask at the office. |
More detail
Forms2 forms: DL 329S, DL 44
Open a form for tips on filling it out.
DL 329SGender Category RequestRequired
How to fill it out
- Print your full name and driver's license or ID number exactly as on your current card (or as on your new application).
- Check one gender category: female, male, or nonbinary.
- Sign and date. That is all: the DMV is prohibited from requiring any other documentation, and your choice is not subject to review.
DL 44Driver's License or Identification Card Application (start online, finish in office)Required
How to fill it out
- Complete the online application (eDL 44). Choose "change of information". The gender question on the application lets you select F, M, or X.
- Bring the confirmation code to the office along with DL 329S.
- If you are getting a REAL ID, also bring proof of identity, Social Security number, and two California residency documents; for a non-REAL ID card you only need proof of your true full name if the name is changing.
RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
After you finishYour new license is the ID most agencies check first, so do this soon after Social Security.
Your new license is the ID most agencies check first, so do this soon after Social Security. If you chose X, be aware that the US passport and Social Security record currently cannot show X or a changed sex marker; your California card is still valid for flying (TSA accepts X-marker state IDs), for REAL ID, and for voting.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
- You do not need to change your name to change your gender marker, or vice versa. Either can be done alone.
- If you were denied or asked for medical documentation, ask for a supervisor and cite SB 179 (Gender Recognition Act) and form DL 329S. Transgender Law Center's helpline can help.
Laws and other guides1 law, 1 other guide
Laws and rules
- SB 179 (2017), Gender Recognition Act: Created the nonbinary option and self-attestation for California driver's licenses, ID cards, and birth certificates; effective January 1, 2019 for the DMV
Other trusted guides
- Advocates for Trans Equality, California identity documents. Last updated September 2025.
Sources
3 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
- Form DL 329S, Gender Category Request
“The DMV is prohibited from requiring an applicant to provide documentation other than the request from the applicant; the applicant's choice is not subject to review by DMV.”
- Updating information on your driver's license or identification card
“Your gender category change isn't complete until you come into a field office!”
- Licensing fees
“Driver's license change of information: $37. Identification card (original, renewal, replacement, change of information): $40. Reduced-fee ID: $11. Senior citizen ID: no fee.”