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Illinois 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.
YesM, F, or X with your own signed form

If you were born in Illinois you can get a new birth certificate showing M, F, or X by mailing IDPH a notarized affidavit, a copy of your photo ID, and $15. No doctor's letter or court order is needed for the sex marker. To change the name at the same time, add a certified copy of your court name change order.

Main cost
$15
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

Since July 1, 2023, Illinois law (410 ILCS 535/17) requires the State Registrar to issue a new birth certificate when you submit a signed statement that you are making the request to affirm your gender identity (or intersex condition) and that the sex designation should be changed to male, female, or X. No medical provider, surgery, or court order is involved.

IDPH creates a new record. The original certificate and everything you send are placed in a sealed, impounded file that can be opened only by court order, at your own request, or as allowed by regulation.

This applies only if you were born in Illinois. If you were born in another state or country, that place's rules control your birth certificate. Illinois courts can issue a finding of fact (735 ILCS 5/21-106) if your birth state requires a court order.

Steps

  1. Fill out the affidavit and sign it before a notary[3][2]

    Complete form VR 400 in full, listing the sex designation you want (M, F, or X). Sign it in front of a notary on the same day.

    Form
    VR 400

  2. Gather your ID copy, payment, and any name change order[3][2]

    • A copy of a non-expired government-issued photo ID.
    • A $15 check or money order payable to IDPH, plus $2 for each extra certified copy you want now.
    • If changing your name too, a certified copy of the court Order for Name Change.
    Cost
    $15 new birth certificate (includes one certified copy); $2 each additional certified copy ordered at the same time

  3. Mail everything to IDPH Vital Records in Springfield[3]

    Mail the original notarized affidavit and attachments to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 West Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610. Questions go to dph.vitals@illinois.gov or 217-782-6554. Keep copies of everything.

  4. Receive your new birth certificate[2]

    IDPH reviews the request and, if everything is complete, creates a new birth record and sends the certified copy (or copies) you paid for. IDPH does not publish a standard processing time; if you have not heard back after several weeks, email or call Vital Records.

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[1]

No general fee waiver. The only statutory waiver is a one-time waiver for people released on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Corrections or Juvenile Justice who present that department's verification form.

WhatCostNotes
New birth certificate (includes one certified copy)[1][2]$15The statute waives this fee once for people released from IDOC or IDJJ who present the department's verification form.
Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time[1][2]$2

More detail

Forms1 form: VR 400

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

VR 400Affidavit and Certificate of Correction RequestRequired

How to fill it out

  • Use black ink or type. Any white-out, cross-outs, or alterations void the form; start over on a new copy if you make a mistake.
  • Check Birth. Relationship: write self (or parent/guardian for a minor).
  • "FIRST" section: the particulars exactly as they appear on your current certificate (name, place and date of birth, parents' names).
  • "SECOND" section: in "What you want corrected" write sex and put the new designation (M, F, or X) under "How it should read". If you are also changing your name, add a line for the name and attach a certified copy of your court order.
  • Sign in front of a notary; the notarization date must be the same day you sign. Notaries are available at most banks and currency exchanges for a small fee.

Open VR 400[3][2]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Illinois and have an existing Illinois birth certificate. Where you live now does not matter.[1][2][3][4]
Age
Adults 18 and older complete the affidavit themselves. For someone under 18, a parent, co-parent, or legal guardian completes it.
How long it takes

Not published by IDPH. Allow several weeks for mail and processing.

After you finishYour new certificate lists your affirmed sex designation (and new name, if you included a court order).

Your new certificate lists your affirmed sex designation (and new name, if you included a court order). Order a few extra copies now at $2 each; later copies cost more and need a separate request. As of September 2026 the Social Security Administration and the State Department issue records only with the sex assigned at birth and will not update the sex field based on an amended birth certificate. Your Illinois driver's license can be changed separately and does not have to match.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • A single mistake or correction on the affidavit voids it, so print two blank copies before you go to the notary.
  • If you were born outside Illinois but live here, an Illinois court can issue findings of fact to support a birth certificate change in your birth state (735 ILCS 5/21-106). TJLP and the IL Pride Connect Legal Hotline can help you figure out what your birth state needs.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

4 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. 410 ILCS 535/17, New certificates of birthIllinois General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “A statement signed by the person in which the person attests to making the request for the purpose of affirming the person's gender identity or intersex condition and that the sex designation on the person's certificate of birth should therefore be changed to a male, female, or X designation. Each request for a new certificate of birth shall be accompanied by a fee of $15”
  2. Gender Reassignment (gender change on a birth certificate)Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, Official page. accessed
    “The original birth certificate and all documents submitted are placed in a sealed and impounded file ... The fee is $15 and includes one certified copy of the new birth certificate. Additional copies are $2 each if ordered at the same time.”
  3. Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request, VR 400 (Rev. 08/26)Illinois Department of Public Health, Form. accessed
    “This form must be signed in the presence of a notary public.”
  4. 735 ILCS 5/21-106, Judicial order; findings of factIllinois General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “An Illinois resident may file a petition in the resident's county of residence asking for a court to issue a finding of fact or facts to correct or update a birth certificate issued by another state or country.”