Trans Resource Navigator

Driver’s license and state ID in North Dakota

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 or F with a letter from a doctor

You can change the sex on a North Dakota driver's license or ID to M or F with the DOT's Gender Designation Form (SFN 61146), signed by you and by a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist. X is not available. No court order or surgery is required.

Main cost
$8
Apply
In person

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

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Driver License Division handles licenses and non-driver IDs. To change the sex marker, bring the Gender Designation Form (SFN 61146) to a driver license site. You fill out Part 1 and certify, under penalty of perjury, that the request is to make your ID reflect your gender identity. A licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist who has treated you fills out Part 2, stating that your gender transition "has been completed and is permanent." The form does not require surgery; what "completed" means is up to your provider's professional judgment. Therapists who are not psychologists (for example, LPCs or LCSWs) are not on the list.

Only M and F are available. A court order and a birth certificate change are not required, which matters because North Dakota does not allow sex changes on its birth certificates.

To change your name, bring a certified court order (or marriage certificate or divorce decree) after you have updated your name with Social Security.

Be aware that since 2025 North Dakota law defines "sex" throughout the Century Code as biological sex at birth. The DOT has not announced any change to the license process, and it revised the gender form in April 2026, but call ahead to confirm.

Steps

  1. Update your name with Social Security first (if changing your name)[7]

    The DOT checks your name against Social Security records. Update your Social Security record with your court order before you go to the DOT.

  2. Get the Gender Designation Form signed by an eligible provider[1]

    Print SFN 61146, complete Part 1, and ask a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist who has treated you to complete and sign Part 2. A primary care or hormone provider is usually the easiest choice.

  3. Gather your documents[5][4]

    Bring:

    • Your current North Dakota license or ID.
    • The signed SFN 61146 (for a sex marker change).
    • A certified court order, marriage certificate, or divorce decree (for a name change). Court seal required; no photocopies.
    • Proof of identity and proof of North Dakota residential address. The DOT's REAL ID page lists accepted documents.

  4. Visit a driver license site[6][4][2]

    Go in person to a North Dakota driver license site; appointments are available through the DOT's online scheduler. You will get a new photo and pay the substitute license fee.

    Cost
    $8 substitute (duplicate) driver's license; $3 substitute license to correct name or address

Costs and fee waivers

WhatCostNotes
Substitute (duplicate) driver's license[2]$8Statutory fee for a substitute license. Whether the DOT charges $8 or $3 for a sex-marker-only change was not confirmed.
Substitute license to correct name or address[2]$3

More detail

Forms1 form: SFN 61146

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

SFN 61146Gender DesignationSometimes required: Required to change the sex marker.

Required to change the sex marker. Not needed for a name-only change.

How to fill it out

  • Part 1 (you): your name, date of birth, and address; check Male or Female; sign. Your DLN (license number) goes at the top if you have one.
  • Part 2 (provider): the provider checks their license type (physician, PA, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist), checks Male or Female, and signs under penalty of perjury.
  • The form must list the provider's clinic address and phone; the DOT may call to verify.

Open SFN 61146[1]

RequirementsTimeline
Other
The provider must be licensed in the United States as a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and must have treated you. State law now defines "sex" as biological sex at birth throughout the Century Code; the DOT has not announced any change to this process.
How long it takes

The change is processed at your visit. Ask staff whether your new card is printed on site or mailed.

After you finishYour license can be used as supporting ID elsewhere, but it does not change other records.

Your license can be used as supporting ID elsewhere, but it does not change other records. Next:

  • Passport: the federal government currently issues passports only with the sex assigned at birth; see the passport guide.
  • Birth certificate: North Dakota does not allow sex marker changes; you can still update the name.
  • Keep the approved SFN 61146 copy for your records.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • If your provider is unsure about the "transition completed and permanent" wording, it is a clinical judgment; no surgery or specific treatment is named on the form.
  • Call the Driver License Division at 701-328-2600 before your visit to confirm the current form and fee.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 1 other guide

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

7 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. SFN 61146 Gender Designation (4-2026)North Dakota Department of Transportation, Form. accessed
    “I have treated the above named applicant, and in my professional opinion, a gender role transition has been completed and is permanent.”
  2. N.D.C.C. ch. 39-06, Operators' LicensesNorth Dakota Legislative Branch, Law. accessed
    “A substitute operator's license is eight dollars unless the substitute is for erroneous information due to a change in name or address, then the fee is three dollars.”
  3. N.D.C.C. ch. 1-01, General Principles and DefinitionsNorth Dakota Legislative Branch, Law. accessed
    “"Sex" means the biological state of being male or female, based on the individual's nonambiguous sex organs, chromosomes, or endogenous hormone profiles at birth.”
  4. Driver License (FAQ)North Dakota Department of Transportation, Official page. accessed
    “The exception to this is you will need to present documentation if you've had a name change, change of address, or gender change.”
  5. REAL ID InformationNorth Dakota Department of Transportation, Official page. accessed
  6. Driver License SitesNorth Dakota Department of Transportation, Official page. accessed
  7. North Dakota Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed