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Georgia birth certificates

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  • Page changed: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-23, Amendment of certificates or reports (2026-10-12) · #223
  • Page changed: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-23, Amendment of certificates or reports (2026-09-28) · #29
Update your name
Limited
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 Georgia, the State Office of Vital Records will change the sex on your birth certificate only with a certified court order stating that your sex was changed by surgery and that your name was changed. Only M and F are available. Changing just the first name also needs a court order plus a physician's statement.

Main cost
$10
Apply
By mail or in person

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

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 31-10-23(e)) says that when the state registrar receives a certified copy of a court order indicating that the sex of a person born in Georgia has been changed by surgical procedure and that the person's name has been changed, the birth certificate "shall be amended." So you need:

  1. A Superior Court order that changes your name and states that your sex has been changed by surgery (usually requested in the name change petition or a separate petition, with medical evidence; see the name change guide).
  2. A physician's statement on letterhead with an original signature.
  3. Form 3977 (Affidavit for Amendment), notarized, a copy of your photo ID, and the fees.

If you have not had surgery, Georgia will not change the sex marker. The name can still be amended with a court order, but Form 3977 also asks for a physician's statement "indicating the intersex/transgender diagnosis."

Only people born in Georgia use this process. If you were born elsewhere, your birth state's rules apply, even if you live in Georgia.

Steps

  1. Get a certified court order[1]

    The order must say that your sex has been changed by surgical procedure and that your name has been changed. Ask a lawyer or legal aid group how to request this in your Superior Court petition; courts may ask for medical evidence.

  2. Get a physician's statement[2]

    On the physician's letterhead, with an original signature and the physician's title. Vital records keeps it on file with the court order.

  3. Complete and notarize Form 3977[2]

    Fill in the form as described above and sign it in front of a notary.

  4. Submit by mail or in person with payment[2][3]

    Send or bring everything to the State Office of Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 (404-679-4702). Pay the $10 amendment fee plus $25 for the first certified copy and $5 for each extra copy ordered at the same time (for example, $40 for the amendment and two copies).

    Cost
    $10 amendment fee (does not include a copy); $25 first certified copy of the new certificate; $5 each additional copy ordered at the same time

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[3]

DPH does not list a fee waiver; fees are non-refundable. Funds such as Point of Pride may help with document costs.

WhatCostNotes
Amendment fee (does not include a copy)[3][2]$10
First certified copy of the new certificate[3][2]$25
Each additional copy ordered at the same time[3][2]$5

More detail

Forms1 form: Form 3977

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Form 3977Affidavit for AmendmentRequired

How to fill it out

  • Section 1: check "Birth", then fill in the certificate exactly as it reads now (state file number if known, name at birth, date of birth, parents' names).
  • "Item omitted or in error": list each item you are changing (for example "Sex" and "First name"), what the certificate shows now, and what it should be.
  • Sign in front of a notary (Section 2); the notary records your ID.
  • Attach a certified copy of the court order (uncertified copies are rejected), the physician's statement on letterhead with original signature, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order or certified check payable to the State Office of Vital Records (no personal checks; no cash by mail).

Open Form 3977[2]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Georgia. Where you live now does not matter.[1][2][4]
Age
The registrant (you, if an adult), a parent listed on the certificate, a legal guardian, or a legal representative may apply.
Other
A court order stating a surgical sex change is required for the sex marker.
How long it takes

DPH does not publish a processing time for amendments. The court order step usually takes longest.

After you finishThe amended certificate replaces the original record on file.

The amended certificate replaces the original record on file. As of September 2026, Social Security and the State Department will not update the sex field based on it. If you were born in another state, that state's rules control your birth certificate, not Georgia's.

Tips1 tip from people who have done this
  • Order extra copies ($5 each) with the same request; ordering later costs $25 for the first copy again.
Laws and other guides1 law, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

  • O.C.G.A. § 31-10-23(e): Amendment of a birth certificate on a court order stating a surgical sex change and a name change

Other trusted guides

Sources

4 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-23, Amendment of certificates or reportsFindLaw (Georgia Code, current as of March 2024), Law. accessed
    “Upon receipt of a certified copy of a court order indicating the sex of an individual born in this state has been changed by surgical procedure and that such individual's name has been changed, the certificate of birth of such individual shall be amended as prescribed by regulation.”
  2. Affidavit for Amendment, Form 3977 (rev. 09/2018)Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records, Form. accessed
    “To amend the name on the birth certificate requires a court order indicating the changes from (original name) and change to (new name). In addition, please provide a statement on letterhead from the physician indicating the intersex/transgender diagnosis. ... The fee for amendments to Vital Records is $10.00.”
  3. Vital records feesGeorgia Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
    “Birth Certificates - $25.00 + $5.00 for additional copies. Amendments - $10.00 + cost of the certificate.”
  4. Birth recordsGeorgia Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
    “A general amendment is defined as a change that is made to a certificate after 1 year of age.”