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District of Columbia birth certificates

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  • Page changed: Amending a Record (2026-10-12) · #215
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 a letter from a provider

If you were born in DC, DC Health will issue a new birth certificate with your gender (and new name, if you have a court order). You need a signed statement from any of several kinds of licensed provider (not only a doctor). Surgery is not required, and the new certificate does not show that it was changed.

Main cost
$28
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

Under D.C. Code § 7-231.22, the DC Registrar creates a new birth record with your gender, and your new name if you include a court order. The new certificate is not marked "amended". The original and your supporting papers are sealed.

You need two signed pages from the Gender Designation Application: your own request, signed in front of a notary, and a statement from a licensed healthcare provider who has treated you or reviewed your history. The provider can be a physician, osteopathic physician, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker (LICSW or LCSW), licensed professional counselor, or nurse practitioner, licensed in any US state or foreign country. They confirm you have had "surgical, hormonal, or other treatment appropriate for the individual" for gender transition. Surgery is not required, and no other medical records are requested.

Born outside DC? This guide only covers DC birth certificates. Contact the state or country where you were born. If that place requires a court order, a DC resident can ask DC Superior Court for one (D.C. Code § 16-2503(b)(2)).

Steps

  1. Get the provider statement signed[3][6]

    Give page 3 of the application to a licensed provider who treats you or has reviewed your history (your hormone prescriber, primary care provider, therapist, or social worker all qualify). If you do not have one, Whitman-Walker's legal team can help you get a letter.

  2. Sign your application in front of a notary[3][4]

    Many banks, UPS stores, and public libraries offer notary service, often free for customers. DC Health will reject an application whose signature is not notarized.

  3. Mail the packet to DC Vital Records[4][3]

    Send:

    • The notarized application and the signed provider statement.
    • Clear photocopies of your identification, following DC Health's Remote Identity Guidelines (three forms of ID, at least one from the primary list, all showing your name).
    • The original or a certified copy of your court order, if you are changing your name too.

    Mail to: DC Health Vital Records Division, Customer Service and Certification Operations Unit, 2201 Shannon Pl. SE, 1st Floor, Washington, DC 20020. DC Health tells you how to pay (card, or check or money order to "DC Treasurer") once the amendment is approved.

    Cost
    $28 new birth record (gender designation); $23 certified copy of the new birth certificate (each)

  4. Receive your new certificate[3]

    Processing takes up to three business days after DC Health receives it, plus mailing time. The new certificate does not say it was amended.

    Time
    about 1 to 3 weeks including mail

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[5][6]

DC Health does not publish a fee waiver for birth certificate changes. If cost is a barrier, ask Whitman-Walker Legal Services about help.

WhatCostNotes
New birth record (gender designation)[3][5]$28From the Gender Designation Application. DC Health's older fee schedule lists a birth record amendment at $23; confirm the current amount when you apply.
Certified copy of the new birth certificate (each)[3][5][4]$23You must pay for at least one copy to receive the new certificate.

More detail

Forms1 form

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Gender Designation Application (with model letter and instructions)Required

How to fill it out

  • Page 2 (your application): fill in your name as it appears on the birth record, date of birth, and certificate number if you know it. Check the marker you want. Answer whether the gender was changed before (if yes, you need a court order). Do not sign until you are in front of a notary. Use the mailing address where you want the new certificate sent.
  • Page 3 (provider statement): your provider fills in their license type, license number, and issuing state or country, checks the marker, and signs. No other letter or records are needed.
  • Name change at the same time: attach the original or a certified copy of your court order.

Open the form[3]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in DC. You do not have to live in DC now.[1][2][3]
Age
Adults apply for themselves. For a minor, a parent, guardian, or legal representative signs the request, with the same provider statement.
Other
If you already changed the gender on your DC birth certificate once, a second change requires a court order.
How long it takes

Up to three business days to process after receipt, plus mailing both ways.

After you finishUse your new birth certificate to update your passport or other records.

Use your new birth certificate to update your passport or other records. Your DC driver's license does not require a matching birth certificate.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Order extra certified copies with your application. Buying them later costs the same, but you pay shipping again.
  • If DC Health rejects your request, keep the rejection letter. You need it to ask DC Superior Court to order the change.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

6 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. D.C. Code § 7-231.22, New records of live birth for change of gender designationCouncil of the District of Columbia, Law. accessed
    “A new record of live birth shall ... Not be marked "amended" ... The original record of live birth, along with any documents submitted pursuant to this section, shall be sealed”
  2. D.C. Code § 16-2503, DecreeCouncil of the District of Columbia, Law. accessed
    “Any District resident who was born in a state or foreign jurisdiction that requires a court order to amend a birth certificate ... may request a court order by the Superior Court”
  3. Gender Designation Application (with model letter and instructions), revised 02/19/2021DC Health, Vital Records Division, Form. accessed
    “Sexual reassignment surgery is not a prerequisite for changing the gender marker on a birth certificate. ... Payment of $51.00 which includes amending the birth record ($28.00) + (1) certified copy of birth certificate ($23.00)”
  4. Amending a RecordDC Health, Official page. accessed
    “amendments to vital records may only be requested through remote order services”
  5. Vital Records Fee ScheduleDC Health, Official page. accessed
    “Amendment to a birth record processing $23.00 ... Birth certificate $23.00”