Trans Resource Navigator

Driver’s license and state ID in Indiana

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

Since February 12, 2026 you cannot change the sex marker on an Indiana driver's license or ID card; the BMV no longer accepts a court order or physician statement for this. You can still change your name on the card in person with a certified court order, after updating Social Security, for $9.

Main cost
$9, 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
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Requirements
  5. After you finish
  6. Tips
  7. Laws and other guides
  8. Sources

How it works

For at least 16 years the Indiana BMV let people change the gender on a license or ID with a physician's statement (State Form 55617) or a court order. After Governor Braun's Executive Order 25-36 (March 2025), which tells state agencies to treat "sex" as "immutable biological classification", the BMV amended its rule, 140 IAC 7-1.1-3. The BMV now says: "Effective Feb. 12, 2026, the BMV will no longer provide customers with the option to change their gender on their Indiana credential by using a court ordered gender change or physician statement."

What this means today:

  • No new marker changes, with a physician's statement, a court order, or an amended birth certificate.
  • Indiana cards show only M or F. In 2024 the Indiana Court of Appeals held that the BMV does not have to offer a nonbinary (X) marker.
  • Cards changed before February 12, 2026: we could not confirm what happens at renewal. If the BMV refuses to renew your card as issued or changes it, contact the ILS LGBTQ+ Project or the ACLU of Indiana.
  • Name changes still work (see steps).

Steps

  1. Update your name with Social Security first[1][9]

    Apply for a replacement Social Security card in your new name (form SS-5, free) with a certified copy of your court order. Then wait at least one business day before going to the BMV so the records match.

  2. Visit a BMV branch within 30 days[1][2]

    Name changes cannot be done online. Bring your current license or ID and a certified copy of your name change order (or marriage license, divorce decree, or amended birth certificate showing the new name). Documents must be originals or certified copies, in English or with a verified translation. The fee to amend or replace a credential is $9.

    Cost
    $9 amend or replace a license, permit, or ID card

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[2]

If you do not have a driver's license, an ID card issued for voting purposes is free.

WhatCostNotes
Amend or replace a license, permit, or ID card[2][3]$9Card payments add $0.40 plus 2.06%.
Identification card for voting (if you have no license)[2]FreeThe BMV fee chart lists a voter identification card as free; a non-voter ID card is $9.

More detail

RequirementsWhere you live, timeline
Where you live
You must hold or be applying for an Indiana driver's license, permit, or ID card.[1][4][5][6][7][8]
Other
Your legal name and date of birth on BMV documents must match Social Security records, so update Social Security first. The BMV accepts only original documents or certified copies.
How long it takes

One branch visit after your Social Security record is updated.

After you finishYour Indiana license will show your new name but the sex marker will not change.

Your Indiana license will show your new name but the sex marker will not change. Next, update your passport, voter registration, bank, and employer records. Check the current federal rules before applying for a passport, since passport sex-marker policy changed several times in 2025 and 2026. If a mismatch causes trouble at work, school, or with police, the ILS LGBTQ+ Project can advise.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • You can vote in Indiana even if your gender presentation does not match your ID, but you must be registered in the name on your ID. Update your registration at indianavoters.in.gov after the name change.
  • Keep your old card's receipt and a copy of any previously changed card. If the BMV contacts you about a marker changed before February 2026, get legal advice before responding.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

9 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Amending your driver's license or identification cardIndiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “Effective Feb. 12, 2026, the BMV will no longer provide customers with the option to change their gender on their Indiana credential by using a court ordered gender change or physician statement per Amended Rule 140 Indiana Administrative Code section 7-1.1-3.”
  2. BMV fee chartIndiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “Amend or replace credential $9.00 ... Non-voter identification card $9.00 ... Voter identification card Free”
  3. Fees and taxesIndiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “$0.40 + 2.06%”
  4. Rulemaking docket (LSAIndiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Regulation. accessed
  5. Executive Order 25-36, Respecting the biological dichotomy between men and womenOffice of the Governor of Indiana, Official page. accessed
    “"Sex"-when referring to a human being- means an individual human being's immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
  6. Indiana bans driver's license gender changes despite public pushbackWFYI, News. accessed
  7. Public can comment on proposed BMV rule to ban gender marker changesWFYI, News. accessed
  8. BMV doesn't have to provide nonbinary gender marker on IDs under Court of Appeals rulingWFYI, News. accessed
  9. Updating ID documents packet (rev. 8.7.25)Indiana Legal Services, LGBTQ+ Project, Organization. accessed
    “IMPORTANT: You have to change your name with Social Security first. After that, wait one business day before going to the BMV.”