Maine birth certificates
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- 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 Maine and are 18 or older, you can get a new birth certificate showing male, female, or X (non-binary) by mailing a notarized form VS-7 and $60 to Vital Records. No court order or medical letter is needed. You can change your first and middle names on the same form. The new certificate is not marked "amended."
- Main cost
- $60
- Apply
- By mail or in person
- Typical wait
- 4 to 6 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
How it works
Since 2021 (PL 2021, c. 309), Maine law lets the State Registrar establish a new birth certificate after an application for a gender marker change. Adults simply complete form VS-7, sign it in front of a notary, and swear under penalty of perjury that the request is not fraudulent. You can choose Male, Female, or X (Non-binary).
- The new certificate shows your new marker and, if you ask at the same time, your new first and middle names. It is not marked "amended".
- The original is sealed; only you or your legal representative can see it, except by court order.
- To change your last name, or to change your name at a different time from your marker, you need a court name change first (see the name change guide), then the court's VS-14 form and $60.
- Once an item is amended, any later change to that same item needs a court order, so double-check your choices.
Steps
Fill out form VS-7[4]
Choose Male, Female, or X, and list new first and middle names if you want them changed too.
- Form
- VS-7
All signatures must be notarized. Municipal clerks, banks, and many libraries have notaries, often free.
- Form
- VS-7
Check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine" ($60, plus $6 for each extra copy you want). Mail to: Data, Research, and Vital Statistics, Vital Records, 11 State House Station, 220 Capitol Street, Augusta, ME 04333-0011. Applications without payment are returned. You can instead make an in-person appointment in Augusta by calling (207) 287-3181.
Wait for your new certificate[4]
Corrections are processed in the order received and may take 4 to 6 weeks. A certified copy of the new certificate is mailed to you with any documents you sent.
- Time
- 4 to 6 weeks
Costs and fee waivers
No fee waiver is available for this step.[4]
The VS-7 instructions state that the Department has no authority to waive fees. Funds such as Genderbands help with document costs.
More detail
Forms2 forms: VS-7, Declaration of Gender Transition
Open a form for tips on filling it out.
Forms everyone files (1)
VS-7Application to Correct a Vital Record in MaineRequired
How to fill it out
- Check Birth at the top and write your full name exactly as it appears on your current birth certificate, with your date and city or town of birth.
- Sex/gender: check what the record shows now (M, F, or U) and what it should show (Male, Female, or X (Non-binary)).
- Items to correct: if you also want new first and middle names, list the current names on the left and the new names on the right. Do it now; a later separate request costs another $60.
- Sign in front of a notary public or municipal clerk. Leave the "Personal Affidavit Section" blank unless you are changing a marriage certificate (your spouse signs there).
- Add your mailing address, email, and phone so Vital Records can reach you.
Forms only some people need (1)
Declaration of Gender TransitionGender Marker Change Health Care Professional Declaration (minors only)Sometimes required: Only for a child under 18. A licensed health care provider with a bona fide patient…
Only for a child under 18. A licensed health care provider with a bona fide patient relationship affirms that the requested gender matches the child's gender identity.
RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
- Where you live
- You must have been born in Maine. Where you live now does not matter. If you were born in another state or country, that place's rules apply.[3][4][1][2]
- Age
- 18 or older (or an emancipated minor) apply for themselves. For a minor, the parents listed on the certificate (or a court-appointed guardian) apply, all signatures notarized, plus a Declaration of Gender Transition signed by a licensed health care professional who treats the child.
- How long it takes
About 4 to 6 weeks after Vital Records receives your application.
After you finishThe new certificate is proof of your name and sex for state purposes.
The new certificate is proof of your name and sex for state purposes. As of September 2026, the Social Security Administration and the State Department will not change the sex field based on it, but a birth certificate with new first and middle names can support a name update. If you have a Maine marriage certificate, the same VS-7 can amend it too (your spouse must sign the personal affidavit). If you were born outside Maine, contact your birth state.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
- Order a few extra copies ($6 each) with the same request; ordering later costs $15 for the first copy.
- You do not need to amend your birth certificate to change your Maine driver's license or ID.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 3 other guides
Laws and rules
- 22 M.R.S. § 2765: New certificate of birth following gender marker change; not marked "amended"; original sealed
- 22 M.R.S. § 2705: Amendment of vital statistics records; gender marker changes governed by § 2765
Other trusted guides
- Maine DHHS, Change the Gender Marker on Your Birth Record
- Pine Tree Legal Assistance, How to change your name and gender marker in Maine. Last updated September 2025.
- Advocates for Trans Equality, Maine identity documents. Parts of the birth certificate section are out of date (it still mentions a physician's affidavit).
Sources
5 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
- 22 M.R.S. § 2765, New certificate of birth following adoption, legitimation or gender marker change
“When a new birth certificate is established after changes are made to the gender marker ... the requested gender marker and, if requested at the same time, the first and middle names ... must be entered on the new birth certificate. A new birth certificate may be requested by a parent on behalf of a minor. The new birth certificate may not be marked "amended."”
- 22 M.R.S. § 2705, Amendment of vital statistics records
“Amendment of a certificate following adoption, legitimation or gender marker change is governed by section 2765, subsections 2-A and 2-B.”
- Change the Gender Marker on Your Birth Record
“A replacement certificate will be created, and the original certificate will be sealed from public inspection ... The completed application and the $60.00 fee may be mailed to the address below or an in-person appointment may be made by calling (207) 287-3181.”
- VS-7, Application to Correct a Vital Record in Maine (with instructions)
“A change of gender of an adult 18 years or older and the change of their first and middle names on a birth record may be amended to align with the gender identity at any point in time by completing the application with the applicant's signature notarized. ... The processing time for corrections may be up to 4 to 6 weeks.”
- Request Documents
“$15.00 per certificate, $6.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. ... Corrections or amendments of any vital record [by appointment only]”