Trans Resource Navigator

Montana

ID documents
Mixed
Care
Mixed
Shield lawA state law that protects patients and providers of gender-affirming care from investigations, subpoenas, or extradition attempts by states that ban that care.
No

Montana's legislature has passed several laws aimed at trans people, but state courts have blocked most of them under the Montana Constitution's strong privacy and equal protection guarantees.

More about Montana

Right now you can change the sex on a Montana birth certificate by affidavit and on a driver's license with that amended certificate, because of an injunction the Montana Supreme Court upheld in April 2026. Name changes require newspaper publication and a hearing unless your safety is at risk. The 2023 ban on care for minors has been struck down, adults can get hormone therapy, and Montana has no shield law.

This state’s pages are drafts written from official sources and not yet checked by a person. What this means

Your documents, in order

Most people go in this order, because each office checks the one before it. On every document, updating your name and changing your gender marker are separate questions with separate answers.

  1. Legal name changeState court
    Name
    YesNewspaper notice sometimes, court hearing required
  2. Social SecurityFederal, same in every state
    Name
    YesAfter your legal name change
    Gender marker
    NoCannot be changed right now
  3. Driver's license / state IDMontana DMV
    Name
    YesAfter your legal name change
    Gender marker
    In courtFor now: M or F with an amended birth certificate
  4. US passportFederal, same in every state
    Name
    YesAfter your legal name change
    Gender marker
    NoCannot be changed right now
  5. Birth certificateOnly if born in Montana
    Name
    YesAfter your legal name change
    Gender marker
    In courtFor now: M or F with your own signed form

Born somewhere other than Montana? Your birth certificate follows the state where you were born. Choose your birth state

Gender-affirming care

Adults
Allowed
Under 18
Allowed
Adults in Montana can get gender-affirming care, including informed hormone therapy at clinics in Missoula and Bozeman.Find clinics, health centers, telehealth, and ways to pay

Local help

Statewide organizations

Sources for this page (6)

Sources

6 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.

  1. Kalarchik et al. v. State of Montana et al.ACLU of Montana, Organization. accessed
    “transgender Montanans will continue to have access to accurate and usable identity documents while the case proceeds.”
  2. Cross v. StateACLU of Montana, Organization. accessed
  3. Bill redefining sex signed nearly a year after it passedDaily Montanan, News. accessed
  4. Montana Legal Services AssociationMLSA, Organization. accessed
  5. Name Change AssistanceTransVisible Montana, Organization. accessed
  6. Trans LifelineTrans Lifeline, Organization. accessed