Trans Resource Navigator

Driver’s license and state ID in Kansas

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

Kansas does not allow changing the sex marker on a driver's license or ID. A 2026 law (SB 244) also made licenses that had already been changed invalid; holders were told to surrender them by March 25, 2026. You can still update your name.

Main cost
$16
Apply
In person

Draft from official sources, September 24, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify

In court: Doe v. State of Kansas

No court order blocks SB 244 as of September 24, 2026. The law is in effect.[4]

About this case

Transgender Kansans represented by the ACLU, ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr challenge SB 244 under the Kansas Constitution, including the invalidation of driver's licenses. A temporary restraining order was denied March 10, 2026. An evidentiary hearing on a temporary injunction was set to begin September 29, 2026.

District Court of Douglas County, Kansas. Last update 2026-09-24. Case page

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

House Substitute for SB 244, passed over Governor Kelly's veto in February 2026, defines "gender" in the driver's license law as sex at birth (K.S.A. 77-207). Under the amended K.S.A. 8-243(g), any license issued before July 1, 2026 that shows a different gender "shall be invalid". The Division of Vehicles must correct its records, send written notice, and issue a new license showing sex assigned at birth when the old one is surrendered.

If you had changed your marker: the Division of Vehicles says affected people received a letter. You bring your current card to a driver's license office and surrender it. No other documents are needed; you get a temporary license right away and the new card by mail in 10 to 14 days. The Division says people who had not done this by close of business March 25, 2026 are "subject to all applicable penalties" if stopped by police. You can check whether your license is valid with the free online status check, which shows the same status police see.

Name changes are still processed normally with a certified court order.

Steps

  1. Check whether your license is still valid[2]

    If you ever changed the sex marker on a Kansas license or ID, use the Division of Vehicles' free driver's license status check. Its status is what police see.

  2. If your card was invalidated, surrender it for a new one[2]

    Bring your current card to a driver's license office. No other documents are needed unless you are changing something else, like your address. You get a temporary license right away. If you believe your license was invalidated in error, you can appeal under K.S.A. 8-259, but an appeal does not keep your current card valid.

  3. Update your name with a certified court order[3]

    Update Social Security first, then bring the certified name change order and your current card to a driver's license office.

    Cost
    $16 name change on a driver's license or learner's permit; $12 name change on an ID card

Costs and fee waivers

WhatCostNotes
Name change on a driver's license or learner's permit[3]$16$8 credential fee plus $8 photo fee.
Name change on an ID card[3]$12$4 credential fee plus $8 photo fee.

More detail

RequirementsTimeline
Other
Applies to all Kansas driver's licenses and ID cards.
How long it takes

Temporary license the same day; the permanent card arrives by mail in 10 to 14 days.

After you finishYour Kansas license will show the sex assigned at birth.

Your Kansas license will show the sex assigned at birth. If you have a passport or another state's document with a different marker, carry what you need for travel and work, and talk to legal aid if an employer or landlord questions the mismatch.

Tips1 tip from people who have done this
  • Driving on a license the state has invalidated can lead to penalties. Check your status online before you drive.
Laws and other guides2 laws

Laws and rules

Sources

4 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. House Substitute for SB 244, enrolled textKansas Legislature, Law. accessed
    “Upon the surrender of any such license, the director shall issue a new driver's license to such individual with the correct gender identification for such individual.”
  2. Gender Reclassification FAQs, Driver's LicenseKansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “If you have not changed your driver's license credentials already, you must now do so by close of business March 25, 2026.”
  3. Kansas Credential Fee ChartKansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “Name Change on ID $4.00 $8.00 $12.00. Name Change on DL or LP $8.00 $8.00 $16.00”
  4. Doe v. State of KansasACLU of Kansas, Organization. accessed