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Driver’s license and state ID in Maine

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

Maine lets you choose M, F, or X on your driver's license or state ID by signing a one-page Gender Designation Form under penalty of perjury. No doctor's letter, court order, or surgery is needed. Bring the form and your current card to a BMV branch; the replacement costs $5 for a standard card or $30 for a REAL ID.

Main cost
$5
Apply
In person
Typical wait
2 to 3 weeks

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

How it works

Since November 2019 the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has accepted a simple self-attestation: you swear that the change is so your card "accurately reflects my gender identity and is not for any fraudulent or other unlawful purpose." You can choose male, female, or non-binary (X); the X option has been offered since 2018.

In March 2025, after federal passport changes, the Secretary of State publicly confirmed that nothing has changed for Maine licenses and IDs: the federal executive order does not apply to state credentials, existing cards with changed or X markers stay valid, and REAL ID with an X marker is still issued.

Changing your name on the card is a separate request that needs proof of your legal name change (your Certificate of Name Change from Probate Court). You can do both at the same visit and pay one fee.

Steps

  1. Fill out and sign the Gender Designation Form[1][7]

    Print the form, choose M, F, or X, and sign it. No doctor, therapist, or notary is needed.

    Form
    MVL-20

  2. If your name is changing too, bring proof[7]

    Optional

    Bring your certified Certificate of Name Change (or other court order). Update Social Security first so the records match. Pine Tree Legal Assistance advises updating the BMV within 30 days of your name change.

  3. Visit a BMV branch or mobile unit[4][7][1]

    Bring the original signed form, your current license or ID (you must surrender it), and name-change proof if needed. You will get a new photo and a temporary paper card, and pay the replacement fee ($5 for a standard card, $30 for REAL ID). If you do the name and gender change together, you pay once.

    Cost
    $5 replacement license or ID card, standard (non-REAL ID); $30 replacement license or ID card, REAL ID

  4. Receive your new card by mail[6]

    The BMV mails the card. For ID cards the BMV says to allow two to three weeks.

    Time
    2 to 3 weeks

Costs and fee waivers

No fee waiver is available for this step.[4]

The BMV does not list a fee waiver for replacement cards. Funds such as Genderbands help with document costs.

WhatCostNotes
Replacement license or ID card, standard (non-REAL ID)[4][5]$5
Replacement license or ID card, REAL ID[4][5]$30Assumed to apply to a gender or name correction on a REAL ID; confirm at the branch.

More detail

Forms1 form: MVL-20

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

MVL-20Gender Designation FormRequired

How to fill it out

  • Top section: your name, address, Social Security number, and license/ID number exactly as on your current card.
  • Gender Designation Statement: print your name and check Male, Female, or Non-binary.
  • Sign and date. You are swearing under penalty of perjury that the request reflects your gender identity; no other documentation is required.
  • The BMV accepts only the original signed form, not a photocopy or fax.

Open MVL-20[1][7]

RequirementsWhere you live, timeline
Where you live
You must hold or be applying for a Maine driver's license or state ID card.[1][2][3]
How long it takes

One branch visit, then about 2 to 3 weeks for the card to arrive by mail.

After you finishYour Maine card is valid for driving, voting, and ID in Maine whatever marker it shows, and the Secretary of State says REAL ID cards with…

Your Maine card is valid for driving, voting, and ID in Maine whatever marker it shows, and the Secretary of State says REAL ID cards with an X are still being issued. Federal records are different: as of September 2026, US passports and Social Security records only show sex assigned at birth, so your documents may not match. The TSA accepts state IDs with an X marker.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • You do not need to change your name, your birth certificate, or anything else first. The Gender Designation Form alone is enough for the marker.
  • If a clerk asks for medical proof, politely point to the form's self-attestation statement and the Secretary of State's March 2025 guidance, and ask for a supervisor. GLAD Law Answers (800-455-GLAD) can help.
Laws and other guides1 law, 3 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

7 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Gender Designation Form (MVL-20, rev. 11/04/2019)Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Form. accessed
    “I hereby swear, under the penalty of perjury, that this request for the selected gender designation to appear on my Driver's License/ID Card is for the purpose of ensuring that my Driver's License/ID Card accurately reflects my gender identity and is not for any fraudulent or other unlawful purpose.”
  2. Guidance about Gender Designations on Maine Driver's Licenses (as of March 3, 2025)Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Official page. accessed
    “Maine-issued driver's licenses and state IDs are governed by state laws, not the federal executive order. That means that individuals may receive or update a credential to reflect their gender identity.”
  3. Secretary of State Offers Public Guidance Regarding Gender Designations on Maine Driver's Licenses (3/03/2025)Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Official page. accessed
    “The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles will continue to offer the option of a gender marker "X" designation on driver's licenses and identification cards upon receipt of a completed gender designation form. This policy has been in place in Maine since 2018.”
  4. I Need a Replacement (Duplicate) License/Identification CardMaine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “There is a $5 fee for a duplicate non-compliant license/identification card. There is a $30 fee for a duplicate REAL ID license/identification card.”
  5. MV-10, Request for Duplicate Driver's License, Identification Card, or Learner's Permit (rev. 08/2025)Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Form. accessed
    “$5.00 for a learner's permit or a non-compliant license or identification card, or $30.00 for a REAL ID license or identification card”
  6. State Identification CardsMaine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Official page. accessed
    “Identification cards will be mailed within two-to-three weeks from the date ordered.”
  7. How to change your name and gender marker in Maine (last updated September 2025)Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Organization. accessed
    “You no longer need a medical provider to fill out this form - you are now able to 'self-attest' ... You will have 30 days to do this once your name change is official!”