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Michigan birth certificates

Update your name
Limited
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 Michigan you can get a new birth certificate showing male, female, or X by mailing MDHHS Vital Records a signed Sex Designation Form with the application and $50. No medical documentation or court order is required. Changing the name on it requires a court order.

Main cost
$50
Apply
By mail

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

Under MCL 333.2831(c), the State Registrar must create a new birth certificate showing a sex designation other than the one assigned at birth when you send the state's Sex Designation Form. The registrar may not require any other document except, if you are also changing your name, the court order. You choose male, female, or X (which covers all designations other than male and female, including intersex).

If you send your name change order at the same time, the new certificate also shows your new name, and it does not need the special wording otherwise required to leave your birth name off.

Steps

  1. Gather the forms, a copy of your ID, and payment[4][6][2]

    Complete the Sex Designation Form and the Application to Correct or Change a Michigan Birth Record. Include a photocopy of an unexpired government photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport, passport card, or military ID). If you are also changing your name, include a certified copy of the court order.

  2. Mail the packet to Vital Records Changes[4]

    Mail to Vital Records Changes, P.O. Box 30721, Lansing, MI 48909 (for rush service, address it to "Vital Records Changes RUSH" at the same box and include the $25 rush fee). Pay by check or money order to "State of Michigan." Originals are not returned, and prepaid return envelopes are not used.

    Cost
    $50 application fee (includes one certified copy); non-refundable; $16 each additional certified copy; $25 rush processing (optional)

  3. Wait for the new certificate[5][6]

    MDHHS's changes page currently lists 8 to 10 weeks for regular processing and 6 to 8 weeks expedited, not guaranteed. The clock starts when they have every required document. One certified copy comes with the $50 fee. Check status at 517-335-8666 or MDHHS-VR-Changes@michigan.gov.

    Time
    8 to 10 weeks (6 to 8 rush)

Costs and fee waivers

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

MDHHS does not publish a fee waiver for amendments. Funds such as Genderbands and Trans Lifeline microgrants sometimes help with document fees.

WhatCostNotes
Application fee (includes one certified copy); non-refundable[4]$50
Each additional certified copy[4]$16
Rush processing (optional)[4]$25

More detail

Forms2 forms: Sex Designation Form, DCH-0847-CHGBX

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Sex Designation FormState of Michigan Sex Designation Form (birth certificate)Required

How to fill it out

  • Your name as it appears on the record and your date of birth.
  • Check the current sex under "From" and the new one (Male, Female, or X) under "To."
  • Sign with an original signature (no faxes or photocopies). A parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18; a child over 15 signs too.

Open Sex Designation Form[3]

DCH-0847-CHGBXApplication to Correct or Change a Michigan Birth RecordRequired

How to fill it out

  • Part 2: check "Self" (or parent or guardian).
  • Part 3: check "Correct/Change birth record for adult" (or minor). Also check "Court ordered legal name change" if you include a name change order.
  • Part 4: the name and details exactly as on the current certificate; under Gender check the new designation. If changing your name, fill in New Name.
  • Part 6: list the sex (and name, if changing) as it appears now and as you want it.
  • Part 7: sign. Page 2: enter the fee total; make the check or money order payable to "State of Michigan."

Open DCH-0847-CHGBX[4]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Michigan. Where you live now does not matter. If you were born in another state, that state's rules apply.[1][3]
Age
Adults 18 and older sign for themselves. For a minor, a parent or legal guardian signs; if the child is over 15, both the parent or guardian and the child sign.
How long it takes

About 2 to 3 months from mailing, depending on MDHHS's current backlog.

MinorsA parent or legal guardian can request the change for a child under 18 using the same form; if the child is over 15, the child must sign…

A parent or legal guardian can request the change for a child under 18 using the same form; if the child is over 15, the child must sign too. Guardians must include court guardianship papers.

[3][4]
After you finishUse the new certificate to update other records that accept it.

Use the new certificate to update other records that accept it. As of September 2026 the Social Security Administration and the State Department will not change the sex field on a federal record based on it. Order extra copies now; ordering later is a separate request.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Choose carefully. According to the form, any later request to change the sex on your Michigan birth certificate again requires a court order.
  • Doing your name change first? Check item 12 on the court petition, or send the order together with the Sex Designation Form, so your birth name does not appear on the new certificate.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

  • MCL 333.2831(c): New certificate of birth showing a sex designation other than at birth, on a signed state form alone
  • MCL 333.2872: Name change on a birth record; addendum or new certificate
  • 2024 PA 230 (HB 5303 of 2023): Codified self-attestation for birth certificate sex designation; effective April 2, 2025

Other trusted guides

Sources

6 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. MCL 333.2831, New certificate of birthMichigan Legislature, Law. accessed
    “A request that a new certificate be established to show a sex designation other than that designated at birth. The request must be accompanied by a form approved by the director and signed by the individual indicating a sex designation.”
  2. MCL 333.2872, Name change addendum or new certificateMichigan Legislature, Law. accessed
  3. State of Michigan Sex Designation Form (birth certificate)Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records, Form. accessed
    “Any subsequent requests to change the sex on the birth certificate requires a court order. (R.325.3259)”
  4. Application to Correct or Change a Michigan Birth Record (DCH-0847-CHGBX, Rev 04/30/2025)Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Form. accessed
    “Application Fee: $50.00 (Includes one copy). Additional Certified Copies: $16.00 each. RUSH Processing Fee: $25.00”
  5. Correct/amend a vital record or legal name changeMichigan Department of Health and Human Services, Official page. accessed
    “Processing times are currently 8-10 weeks (regular) & 6-8 (expedited) [not guaranteed].”
  6. Frequently asked questions on how to correct or change a Michigan birth certificate (Rev. 03/23/2026)Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Official page. accessed
    “A signed Michigan Vital Record's Sex Designation Form or a court order determining sex designation.”