Trans Resource Navigator

Massachusetts birth certificates

Change detected, under review. An official source this page relies on changed recently. Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.

  • Page changed: Amend a birth certificate for sex of the subject (2026-10-12) · #250
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 Massachusetts you can change the sex on your birth certificate to female, male, or X by signing an affidavit. No medical documentation or court order is needed. The fee is $50 plus $32 per certified copy by mail ($20 in person). You can add a court-ordered name change at the same time.

Main cost
$50
Apply
By mail or in person

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. Free help
  5. Forms
  6. Requirements
  7. After you finish
  8. Tips
  9. Laws and other guides
  10. Sources

How it works

Under G.L. c. 46, § 13(e), an adult, an emancipated minor, or a parent or guardian of a minor can request a sex designation of female, male, or X ("X" may indicate another gender or an undesignated gender). The only requirement is an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, that the request is to conform the record to your gender identity and is not for a fraudulent purpose. "No medical or healthcare related documentation, court order or proof of change of name shall be required."

The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) says it issues a new birth certificate. You can also change your name on it in the same request by including a certified copy of your court decree. If you change the sex now and the name later, you have 3 years to add the name (or 3 years from your 18th birthday if the change was made while you were a minor); RVRS may waive that limit for good cause.

Massachusetts does not let you change only the name on a birth certificate; the name change goes with a sex designation change. This guide applies only if you were born in Massachusetts; if you were born elsewhere, follow your birth state's rules.

Steps

  1. If you want the new name on it, get your court decree first[2][1]

    Optional

    A name can only be changed on a Massachusetts birth certificate with a court-certified copy of a legal name change (see the name change guide). If you are not changing your name, skip this step.

  2. Complete the affidavit (or use Namesake)[2][5]

    Fill out the RVRS applicant affidavit. Namesake's free form filler produces a completed Massachusetts birth certificate affidavit.

    Form
    R-116

  3. Submit by mail with a notarized affidavit[3][2]

    Mail the notarized affidavit, any certified name change decree, and a check or money order payable to Commonwealth of Massachusetts ($50 plus $32 per certified copy you want) to:

    Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, Attn: Amendments 150 Mt. Vernon St., 1st Floor Dorchester, MA 02125

    Cost
    $50 one-time amendment fee; $32 certified copy of the amended record, by mail (each)

  4. Or apply in person by appointment[3][2]

    Email vip-amend@state.ma.us or RVRSAmendments@mass.gov, or call 617-740-2600, to book an RVRS appointment in Dorchester. Bring photo ID; notarization is not required in person, and copies cost $20 each. You can also ask the clerk of the city or town where you were born (in Boston, the City Registrar); local fees may differ.

    Cost
    $50 one-time amendment fee; $20 certified copy of the amended record, in person (each)

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[2][6]

RVRS publishes no fee waiver for amendments. MTPC's Identity Document Assistance network offers financial help with ID document costs.

WhatCostNotes
One-time amendment fee[2][3]$50
Certified copy of the amended record, by mail (each)[2][3]$32
Certified copy of the amended record, in person (each)[2][3]$20

Free help

Legal clinics, organizations, and funds that help with this.

More detail

Forms1 form: R-116

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

R-116Applicant Affidavit in Support of Amendment of a Birth Certificate for SexRequired

How to fill it out

  • Write your full name, date and place of birth, and your parents' names exactly as they appear on your current certificate.
  • Choose the new sex designation: female, male, or X.
  • If you are also changing your name, write the new name and attach a court-certified copy of your name change decree.
  • Give your current name, address, and a phone number or email so RVRS can reach you.
  • Sign in ink (digital signatures are not accepted). If you mail it, sign in front of a notary. If you apply in person, bring photo ID instead.
  • You may write your own affidavit if it contains the same information and ends with the attestation printed on the RVRS fact sheet.

Open R-116[3][2][4]

RequirementsWhere you live, age
Where you live
You must have been born in Massachusetts. Where you live now does not matter.[1][3]
Age
18 or older, or an emancipated minor. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian with legal custody signs the affidavit.
After you finishKeep at least one certified copy.

Keep at least one certified copy. You usually do not need an updated birth certificate for other documents: the RMV lets you self-select M, F, or X without it, and the US passport currently cannot show a changed sex marker regardless of your birth certificate. It can still help for jobs, schools, and some benefits.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • If you mail your application, the affidavit must be notarized and signed in ink; RVRS does not accept digital signatures.
  • A parent or guardian can make this change for a child of any age with the same affidavit; no doctor's letter is needed.
Laws and other guides1 law, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

  • G.L. c. 46, § 13(e): Change of sex designation (female, male, or X) on a birth record by affidavit; optional name change; 3-year window

Other trusted guides

Sources

6 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. G.L. c. 46, § 13, Correction of recordsMassachusetts Legislature, Law. accessed
    “No medical or healthcare related documentation, court order or proof of change of name shall be required by a local clerk, the state registrar or any other official in connection with a request under this paragraph.”
  2. Amend a birth certificate for sex of the subjectRegistry of Vital Records and Statistics, Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
    “Amendment fee $50 one-time. Certified copy of amended record (by mail) $32 per copy. Certified copy of amended record (in person) $20 per copy.”
  3. Fact Sheet, Amending the Sex Designation on a Birth CertificateRegistry of Vital Records and Statistics, Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
    “A new birth certificate will be issued upon receipt of the evidence outlined below.”
  4. ID Documents, MassachusettsGLAD Law, Organization. accessed
  5. Massachusetts Birth Certificate guideNamesake, Organization. accessed
  6. Identity Document Assistance (IDA) NetworkMassachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Organization. accessed