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Rhode Island birth certificates

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 Rhode Island, you can change the sex on your birth certificate to M, F, or X by signing an affidavit at the state Office of Vital Records. No medical documentation or court order is needed, and the change is not marked as amended. Changing the name requires a certified court order. Fees are $10 plus $22 to $25 for the new copy.

Main cost
$10
Apply
By mail or in person
Typical wait
3 to 4 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
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Free help
  5. Requirements
  6. Minors
  7. After you finish
  8. Tips
  9. Laws and other guides
  10. Sources

How it works

Rhode Island's vital records regulation (216-RICR-10-10-1 § 1.37) tells the State Registrar to change the sex on a birth certificate, without indicating the change, when you sign an affidavit. RIDOH offers M, F, or X. No doctor's letter, surgery, or court order is required.

RIDOH says you come to the Office of Vital Records (Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd, Cranston) so staff can prepare the affidavit for you to sign. Bring a government photo ID. Call 401-222-5339 to book an appointment.

To change the name, you need a certified court order changing your name (R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-21(c)). A name change is marked as amended on the certificate; a sex change is not.

Important: once an item has been amended, it cannot be amended again without a court order. Be sure of the marker you choose.

This process only applies if you were born in Rhode Island. If you were born elsewhere, follow your birth state's rules.

Steps

  1. If changing your name, get a certified court order first[1][3]

    Rhode Island residents use a probate court decree from their city or town (see the name change guide). For children, a Family Court order is also accepted.

  2. Book an appointment at the Office of Vital Records[1][4][5]

    Call 401-222-5339. Tell staff you are changing the sex on your birth certificate and, if applicable, your name. The office is at Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd, Cranston, RI 02920, open weekdays 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.

    If you cannot come in person, ask whether they can send you the affidavit to sign before a notary and mail back; Namesake reports this is possible.

  3. Sign the affidavit and pay[1][4]

    Bring a government photo ID (driver's license, passport, military ID, naturalization certificate, or green card), the certified court order if changing your name, and a check or money order payable to "General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island". Staff prepare the affidavit; you sign it choosing M, F, or X.

    Cost
    $10 amendment fee; $22 certified copy of the new record, in person; $25 certified copy of the new record, by mail; $18 each additional copy ordered at the same time

  4. Receive the new certificate by mail[5][2][4]

    The certificate is mailed to you, usually in about 3 to 4 weeks. The sex field is not marked as amended; a changed name is.

    Time
    3 to 4 weeks

Costs and fee waivers

WhatCostNotes
Amendment fee[1]$10
Certified copy of the new record, in person[1]$22
Certified copy of the new record, by mail[1]$25
Each additional copy ordered at the same time[4]$18Reported by Namesake; not on RIDOH's fee sheet.

Free help

Legal clinics, organizations, and funds that help with this.

More detail

RequirementsWhere you live, age, timeline
Where you live
You must have been born in Rhode Island. You do not have to live in Rhode Island now; RIDOH accepts name-change orders from courts in your current state.[1][2][5]
Age
Any age. For someone under 18, a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative signs the affidavit.
How long it takes

About 3 to 4 weeks after your application.

MinorsPeople of any age can change the sex field.

People of any age can change the sex field. For a minor, a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative signs the affidavit.

[1][2]
After you finishUse your updated birth certificate as proof of identity for your passport and other records.

Use your updated birth certificate as proof of identity for your passport and other records. Most agencies do not require it, so this step is optional for many people.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Choose your marker carefully. After one amendment, a further change needs a court order.
  • If you were born in Rhode Island, list your birth-certificate name on your probate petition so the decree covers the birth record.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

5 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Requirements and Fees for Changes to Birth, Marriage, or Death RecordsRhode Island Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Official page. accessed
    “The person who wants to change their birth certificate must come to the Office of Vital Records to self-attest, so staff can create an affidavit”
  2. 216-RICR-10-10-1, Vital RecordsRhode Island Department of Health, Regulation. accessed
    “the State Registrar shall change the certificate of birth to reflect the new sex designation, without indicating such change, upon receipt of an affidavit”
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-21, Correction and amendment of vital recordsRhode Island General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “Upon receipt of a certified copy of a court order changing the name of a person born in this state ... the state registrar of vital records shall amend the certificate of birth to reflect the new name.”
  4. Rhode Island Birth CertificateNamesake, Organization. accessed
    “Gender markers will not be specifically marked as amended when changed.”
  5. Rhode Island Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “It will take 3-4 weeks to process your amendment request.”