Driver’s license and state ID in Georgia
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- 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
Georgia changes the sex on a driver's license or ID only after gender-affirming surgery, shown by a physician's letter or a court order that gives the date of the operation. Only M and F are offered, and DDS has final discretion. Name changes need only a certified court order.
- Main cost
- $10, can be waived
- Apply
- In person
Draft from official sources, September 24, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify
On this page
How it works
The Department of Driver Services (DDS) rule on changing gender (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 375-3-1-.17) says a person may have the gender on their license changed after a gender reassignment operation by showing a driver examiner either a court order reflecting the change or a physician's letter certifying it. You must surrender your current card and pay a fee, and the decision is at DDS's discretion. There is no X option.
In practice this means people who have not had surgery, or whose surgery is not accepted by the examiner, cannot currently change the marker. If that applies to you, you can still change your name on the card with a certified court order.
Steps
- Gender change: a physician's letter or court order stating your name, date of birth, and the date of your gender reassignment operation.
- Name change: a certified copy of your court order (or marriage or divorce document). Do this within 60 days of the change.
- Your current Georgia license or ID, which you must surrender.
A driver examiner must see the letter or order in person, so a gender change cannot be done online. Pay the fee (cash, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay are accepted at centers). Your new photo and card follow the usual process.
The rule leaves the decision to DDS's discretion. Ask for a supervisor and for the reason in writing, and contact Lambda Legal's Help Desk or GeorgiaLegalAid.org for advice.
Costs and fee waivers
Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[2]
There is no waiver for the gender-change fee. A $5 indigent ID card is available with a voucher from a participating shelter or agency, and a free Voter ID card is available to registered voters (it can serve as photo ID but is not a driver's license).
| What | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gender change on license or ID[2] | $10 | DDS's fee table lists "Gender Change" at $10, keeping the card's original expiration date. If you are within 150 days of expiration, it is processed as a renewal ($32 for an 8-year license or ID). |
| Replacement or duplicate license, permit, or ID (name change beyond the one free change)[2][3] | $10 | You get one free name or address change during the term of your card; additional changes cost $10. |
More detail
Forms1 form
Open a form for tips on filling it out.
Physician's letter certifying the gender change (sample from GeorgiaLegalAid.org)Sometimes required: Needed unless you bring a court order instead.
Needed unless you bring a court order instead. DDS has no official form for this.
How to fill it out
- On the physician's letterhead, signed in original ink by a licensed MD or DO.
- Include your full name and date of birth, the statement that you had surgery for gender confirmation, the date of the surgery, and the gender your documents should show (M or F).
- The sample ends with a declaration under penalty of perjury.
RequirementsWhere you live, timeline
- Where you live
- You must hold or be applying for a Georgia driver's license or ID card.[1][6]
- Other
- For a gender change, you must have had a gender reassignment operation, documented by a physician's letter or court order that states your name, date of birth, and the date of the operation.
- How long it takes
One visit to a DDS center if DDS accepts your documents.
After you finishYour Georgia license is accepted for REAL ID, flying, and voting.
Your Georgia license is accepted for REAL ID, flying, and voting. Note that as of September 2026 the US passport and Social Security record cannot show a changed sex marker, so your documents may not match; carry your court order if you are worried about questions.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
- You do not need to change your name to change the marker, or vice versa.
- Some informed-consent clinics (for example the Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation in Atlanta and QueerMed) write gender marker letters, but DDS's rule still requires that the letter document surgery.
Laws and other guides1 law, 2 other guides
Laws and rules
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 375-3-1-.17: Changing gender on license (Department of Driver Services rule)
Other trusted guides
- GeorgiaLegalAid.org, Name and gender marker changes in Georgia. Last updated July 2022.
- Advocates for Trans Equality, Georgia identity documents. The page shows no last-updated date.
Sources
6 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 375-3-1-.17, Changing Gender on License
“A person may have the gender designation on their driver's license changed after a gender reassignment operation upon the presentation to a driver examiner of either a court order reflecting such change, or a physician's letter certifying such change. ... In all cases the decision to change the gender designation on the license is at the discretion of the Department.”
- Fees and Terms
“Gender Change: Original Expiration Date, $10. Replacement/Duplicate: Driver's License, Permit, or ID Card: $10. Georgia ID Card: 8 Years, $32.”
- How do I update/change license information?
“Customers are allowed one free name or address change during the term of their original driver's license/permit/ID card.”
- License FAQs
“You can obtain a name change on your Georgia driver's license/ID by submitting a certified court order indicating the name change.”
- Sample doctor's letter for a gender marker change
- What should I know about name changes and gender marker changes in Georgia?