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Idaho birth certificates

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.
NoCannot be changed right now

Idaho does not change the sex on birth certificates. A federal court order that had required it since 2018 was dissolved on January 8, 2026. Certificates already amended under that order have not been voided. You can still update the name on an Idaho birth certificate with a certified court order for $20.

Main cost
$20
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

In court: F.V. v. Charron (formerly F.V. v. Barron), No. 1:17-cv-00170

New sex-marker changes are not accepted. Certificates already amended remain in place based on the state's representation.[2][3]

About this case

A 2018 permanent injunction barred Idaho from automatically rejecting transgender people's applications to change the sex on their birth certificates, and a 2020 order held that it applied despite § 39-245A. The state moved to dissolve it in October 2025; the remaining plaintiff stipulated, relying on the state's statement that it would not rescind past amendments, and the court dissolved the injunction on January 8, 2026.

US District Court for the District of Idaho. Last update 2026-01-08. Case page

On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Forms
  5. Requirements
  6. After you finish
  7. Laws and other guides
  8. Sources

How it works

Idaho Code § 39-245A says an Idaho birth certificate records sex at the time of birth, defined as biological sex. After the first year, it can be changed only through a court challenge for fraud, duress, or a material mistake of fact.

From 2018 until January 2026, a federal court injunction in F.V. v. Barron required the Bureau of Vital Records to accept applications from transgender people to change the sex on their certificates, even after the legislature passed § 39-245A in 2020. In October 2025 the state asked the court to end the injunction, citing the Supreme Court's 2025 rulings, and on January 8, 2026 the court dissolved it by agreement of the parties. Idaho no longer accepts these requests.

If you already changed your certificate, the state told the court it has no intention of rescinding amendments made under the injunction. Keep your certified copies.

Name changes: Idaho Vital Records will add a court-ordered name change to your birth certificate and issue an amended certificate.

If you were born in another state, that state's rules apply, not Idaho's.

Steps

  1. Order a copy of the original first, if you want one[5]

    Optional

    Once the name change is processed, Idaho issues the amended record. Order any copy of the original certificate before you submit the change.

  2. Mail the name change request to Idaho Vital Records[5][6]

    Send the application, a copy of your ID showing signature and expiration date, the certified court order, and the $20 fee (plus $16 per new copy) to Idaho Vital Records, Attn Legal Amendments, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0036. Write RUSH on the envelope and add $25 for faster processing. Questions go to ivrla@dhw.idaho.gov or 208-334-5980, option 4.

    Cost
    $20 court-ordered name change processing; $16 certified copy of the amended certificate (each); $25 optional legal amendment rush fee
    Time
    3 to 4 weeks (1 to 2 weeks with rush), plus mail time

Costs and fee waivers

WhatCostNotes
Court-ordered name change processing[5]$20
Certified copy of the amended certificate (each)[5][6]$16
Optional legal amendment rush fee[5]$25

More detail

Forms2 forms: Court Ordered Name Change packet, Affidavit of One and the Same Person

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (1)

Court Ordered Name Change packetInstructions and application to process a court-ordered name change on an Idaho birth certificateRequired

How to fill it out

Include a certified copy of the court order showing the file date, original court seal, clerk's signature, your name as on the birth certificate, your new name, and your date of birth. If the order has no date of birth, add a notarized Affidavit of One and the Same Person. Use the Legal Action Request form in the packet to order new copies. If you want a copy of the original certificate, order it before requesting the change.

Open Court Ordered Name Change packet[5]

Forms only some people need (1)

Affidavit of One and the Same PersonAffidavit of One and the Same PersonSometimes required: Only if your court order does not list your date of birth.

Open Affidavit of One and the Same Person[4]

RequirementsTimeline
Other
Only for people born in Idaho. If you were born elsewhere, contact your birth state's vital records office.
How long it takes

Legal changes take about 3 to 4 weeks after Vital Records receives a complete request, or 1 to 2 weeks with the $25 rush fee.

After you finishIf you have a certificate that was amended before 2026, keep certified copies somewhere safe and contact A4TE or the ACLU of Idaho if the…

If you have a certificate that was amended before 2026, keep certified copies somewhere safe and contact A4TE or the ACLU of Idaho if the state asks you to return or replace it.

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. Idaho Code § 39-245AIdaho Legislature, Law. accessed
    “After one (1) year, the quantitative statistics and material facts identified in subsection (2) of this section may be challenged in court only on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact”
  2. F.V. v. Charron, Order Amending Judgment and Dissolving Permanent Injunction (D. Idaho Jan. 8, 2026)US District Court for the District of Idaho (via CourtListener), Court. accessed
    “The same judgment is AMENDED to reflect that the permanent injunction is DISSOLVED.”
  3. F.V. v. Charron, Joint Stipulation to Amend Judgment to Dissolve Permanent Injunction (Dec. 5, 2025)US District Court for the District of Idaho (via CourtListener), Court. accessed
    “Defendants' representation that they have no intention to rescind any birth certificate amendments that have been made pursuant to this Court's injunction.”
  4. Change a Birth CertificateIdaho Department of Health and Welfare, Official page. accessed
  5. Instructions to Request the Processing of a Court Ordered Name Change on an Idaho Birth Certificate (rev. 01/2026)Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Form. accessed
    “There is a fee of $20.00 to process a court ordered name change.”
  6. Processing Times and FeesIdaho Department of Health and Welfare, Official page. accessed
    “3-4 weeks for certificate changes ($0 standard processing fee + applicable legal and certificate fees)”