Hawaii
- ID documents
- Mixed
- Care
- Protective
- Shield lawA state law that protects patients and providers of gender-affirming care from investigations, subpoenas, or extradition attempts by states that ban that care.
- Yes, protects care
Hawaii is generally protective.
More about Hawaii
Driver's licenses and state IDs show M, F, or X based on your own statement, private insurers may not exclude transition care, there is no ban on care for minors, and a 2026 shield law (HB 1875) extends Hawaii's 2023 protections to gender-affirming care. Two things are harder than in some states: name changes are handled by the Lieutenant Governor's office and must be published in a newspaper, and a new birth certificate needs a notarized affidavit from a physician and offers only male or female.
This state’s pages are drafts written from official sources and not yet checked by a person. What this means
Your documents, in order
Most people go in this order, because each office checks the one before it. On every document, updating your name and changing your gender marker are separate questions with separate answers.
- Legal name changeState court
- Name
- YesNewspaper notice required, no hearing
- Social SecurityFederal, same in every state
- Name
- YesAfter your legal name change
- Gender marker
- NoCannot be changed right now
- Driver's license / state IDHawaii DMV
- Name
- YesAfter your legal name change
- Gender marker
- YesM, F, or X with your own signed form
- US passportFederal, same in every state
- Name
- YesAfter your legal name change
- Gender marker
- NoCannot be changed right now
- Birth certificateOnly if born in Hawaii
- Name
- YesAfter your legal name change
- Gender marker
- LimitedM or F with a letter from a doctor
Born somewhere other than Hawaii? Your birth certificate follows the state where you were born. Choose your birth state
Gender-affirming care
- Adults
- Allowed
- Under 18
- Allowed
Local help
Statewide organizations
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, Kua'ana Project[5]
Trans peer navigators in Honolulu who help with legal name and document changes, insurance, housing, and jobs, linked to HHHRC's in-house hormone therapy clinic. Call 808-521-2437 or email kuaana@hhhrc.org.
808-521-2437677 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite 226, Honolulu, HI 96813Legal Aid Society of Hawaii[6]
Statewide free civil legal aid for people with low incomes. Phone intake weekdays 9 to 11:30 am and 1 to 3:30 pm at 808-536-4302 (Oahu) or 1-800-499-4302 (neighbor islands); online intake is also available.
ACLU of Hawaii[7]
Civil liberties organization that tracks LGBTQ+ legislation in Hawaii and accepts requests for legal assistance online.
Trans Lifeline[8]
Peer support hotline run by and for trans people. It does not call police without your consent.
Sources for this page (8)
Sources
8 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.
- Hawaii equality profile
“Driver's license gender marker change allowed, with X option; birth certificate change allowed, no X option; shield law protecting access to transgender health care.”
- HB1875: Gender-Affirming Care Shield Law
“Expands the protections established under Act 2, SLH 2023, to include gender-affirming health care services ... Status Signed by governor”
- New Birth Certificate for Sex Designation Change
“The requestor must provide a notarized affidavit from a United States licensed physician”
- Name Change Guide
“Only Hawaii residents are eligible for a name change granted by the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii.”
- Transgender Services, Kua'ana Project
“Whether it be to search for jobs, legally change their names, or access stable housing, our Kua'ana Project staff are able to support”
- Need Help?
“Legal Aid phone intake services are available Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 11:30 am & 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm 808-536-4302 (Oahu) 1-800-499-4302 (neighbor islands)”
- Request Legal Assistance
- Trans Lifeline