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Louisiana 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.
LimitedM or F with proof of surgery

If you were born in Louisiana, you can get a new birth certificate with a different sex only by suing the state registrar in district court and proving you have had sex reassignment surgery; the judge must be convinced before ordering a new certificate. No X marker exists. A 2026 law defining sex as observed at birth adds uncertainty. Changing only the name requires a Louisiana court name-change judgment and a $27.50 fee.

Main cost
$27.50
Apply
By mail
Typical wait
8 to 12 weeks

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. Minors
  7. After you finish
  8. Tips
  9. Laws and other guides
  10. Sources

How it works

Sex marker. Under La. R.S. 40:62, a person born in Louisiana who has had "sex reassignment or corrective surgery" may petition the district court of the parish where they live or were born (nonresidents file in the parish of birth). The suit is filed against the state registrar of vital records; your spouse, if you are married, is a necessary party, and the district attorney is too if you also ask for a name change. You must attach a certified long-form copy of your original birth record. The court requires whatever proof it considers necessary that you were diagnosed, that surgery was performed, and that your anatomy was changed. If the judge agrees, the court orders a new certificate, and the original certificate and court papers are sealed at Vital Records. You can ask for a name change in the same suit.

What changed in 2026: Act 814 (effective August 1, 2026) adds a definition to R.S. 1:8 that "sex" means biological sex observed or clinically certified at birth. It did not expressly repeal R.S. 40:62, but it may make judges or Vital Records less willing to grant changes. Talk to a lawyer before filing.

Name only. Send Vital Records a certified copy of a Louisiana name change judgment, the petition, and the district attorney's answer, with the Application to Amend and $27.50. Only the name is changed (R.S. 13:4754).

Born in another state? Follow the rules of the state where you were born; Louisiana Vital Records only holds Louisiana births.

Steps

  1. Get the court judgment[1][2][3][8]

    • Sex marker: file a petition under R.S. 40:62 against the state registrar in the district court of your parish of residence or birth, with a certified long-form copy of your original birth record and medical proof of surgery. Name your spouse if married, and the district attorney if you also want a name change. A lawyer is strongly recommended.
    • Name only: get a name change judgment under R.S. 13:4751 (see the name change guide).

  2. Send the application to Vital Records[5][1]

    Mail the Application to Amend, a copy of your photo ID, your current birth certificate, certified copies of the judgment (plus the petition and the district attorney's answer for a name change), and the fee to: Vital Records Registry, Attn: Amendments Department, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. For a sex change judgment, R.S. 40:62 also requires the court papers to be sent to the registrar within ten days of the judgment; send your own copy anyway.

    Cost
    $27.50 amendment fee (includes one certified copy); $9 additional certified copies ordered with the amendment (each)

  3. Wait for the new certificate[5]

    Vital Records says amendments take about 8 to 12 weeks. A specialist reviews each application and will contact you if more is needed, which adds time.

    Time
    8 to 12 weeks

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[6]

LDH says Vital Records fees are set by statute and are not subject to waiver. Court costs for the R.S. 40:62 suit can be waived with an In Forma Pauperis affidavit if you qualify.

WhatCostNotes
Amendment fee (includes one certified copy)[5][6]$27.50Non-refundable. Add a $15 search fee if you cannot send the original certificate, and $0.50 state charge on mail orders. Vital Records fees are set by statute and cannot be waived.
Additional certified copies ordered with the amendment (each)[5][6]$9A certified birth certificate ordered separately costs $15.

More detail

Forms1 form: Application to Amend

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Application to AmendApplication to Amend Certificate of BirthRequired

How to fill it out

  • List each item to change (name, sex) exactly as it should appear.
  • Include a legible copy of your government photo ID, your current (incorrect) birth certificate, the certified court documents, and a check or money order payable to Vital Records Registry.

Open Application to Amend[5]

RequirementsWhere you live, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Louisiana. You do not need to live in Louisiana; nonresidents file the sex-change suit in the parish of birth.[1][7]
Other
For a sex marker change, R.S. 40:62 requires proof of sex reassignment or corrective surgery.
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

After a sex change judgment, the original certificate and the court papers are sealed at Vital Records and can be opened only on your demand and by order of the court that granted the judgment.

[1]
How long it takes

Months for the court case (longer if contested), then 8 to 12 weeks at Vital Records.

MinorsR.S. 40:62 applies to anyone born in Louisiana who has had surgery, but Louisiana has banned gender-affirming surgery for minors since…

R.S. 40:62 applies to anyone born in Louisiana who has had surgery, but Louisiana has banned gender-affirming surgery for minors since January 1, 2024, so a minor cannot meet the requirement. First and middle names of a child under 12 can be corrected by an affidavit signed by both parents.

[1][4][5]
After you finishUse the new certificate to update records that rely on it.

Use the new certificate to update records that rely on it. Social Security and the US passport currently do not change sex markers, even with an amended birth certificate. Keep certified copies of the court judgment in a safe place.

Tips1 tip from people who have done this
  • A Louisiana name change judgment works for the name on the certificate even if you live elsewhere now; a gender judgment from another state may need to be made executory in Louisiana, and community reports say these are often refused.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

8 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. La. R.S. 40:62, Issuance of new birth certificate after anatomical change of sex by surgeryLouisiana State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “The court shall require such proof as it deems necessary to be convinced that ... sex reassignment or corrective surgery has been properly performed upon the petitioner”
  2. La. R.S. 13:4754Louisiana State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “which judgment shall be accepted by the registrar who may alter only the name of the registrant.”
  3. La. R.S. 1:8 (Act 814 of 2026)Louisiana State Legislature, Law. accessed
    “"Sex" means an individual's biological sex, either male or female, as observed or clinically certified at birth.”
  4. La. R.S. 40:1098.2Louisiana State Legislature, Law. accessed
  5. Amendments to Birth RecordsLouisiana Department of Health, Vital Records, Official page. accessed
    “The non-refundable fee for correcting or amending a birth certificate is $27.50, which includes one certified copy. Requests are processed in approximately 8 to 12 weeks.”
  6. Vital Records service feesLouisiana Department of Health, Official page. accessed
    “Vital Records fees are set by statute and are subject to change during any Legislative Session. They are not subject to waiver.”
  7. Request a Birth or Death CertificateLouisiana Department of Health, Official page. accessed
    “The Louisiana Vital Records Registry ONLY maintains birth and death records that occurred in Louisiana.”
  8. ID Documents CenterLouisiana Trans Advocates, Organization. accessed
    “it's been regularly reported to us that these are denied, and folks are forced to navigate the process within Louisiana.”