Current Version
| Region | Georgia |
| Issue | Right to change legal gender |
| Status | Legal, but requires surgery |
| Start Date | Nov 1, 1982 |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | Legal gender recognition was formally codified into state law with the comprehensive rewrite of the vital records chapter under Ga. L. 1982, p. 723. Currently codified at Ga. Code Ann. § 31-10-23(e), the statute explicitly mandates that the state registrar amend the sex on a birth certificate upon receipt of a certified court order. This court order must conclusively verify that the individual's sex has been "changed by surgical procedure" and that their legal name has been updated. To execute this administrative change, the applicant must submit the court order and a medical certification featuring the physician's original signature to the State Office of Vital Records. Despite this strictly medicalized and judicial framework, the statute guarantees privacy by ensuring that the newly issued birth certificates are not marked as "amended." |
| Sources | https://share.google/ZvrHNCxWrlQn04P2K https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1118&context=mjgl https://lambdalegal.org/publication/changing-birth-certificate-sex-designations-state-by-state-guidelines/ https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/ga-codepdf/download |
Revision History (4)
| Old Value | New Value (Current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | Jul 1, 2006 | Nov 1, 1982 |
| Description | Georgia requires surgery for legal gender recognition. A court order is also required to change your birth certificate. | Legal gender recognition was formally codified into state law with the comprehensive rewrite of the vital records chapter under Ga. L. 1982, p. 723. Currently codified at Ga. Code Ann. § 31-10-23(e), the statute explicitly mandates that the state registrar amend the sex on a birth certificate upon receipt of a certified court order. This court order must conclusively verify that the individual's sex has been "changed by surgical procedure" and that their legal name has been updated. To execute this administrative change, the applicant must submit the court order and a medical certification featuring the physician's original signature to the State Office of Vital Records. Despite this strictly medicalized and judicial framework, the statute guarantees privacy by ensuring that the newly issued birth certificates are not marked as "amended." |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/ga-codepdf/download | https://share.google/ZvrHNCxWrlQn04P2K https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1118&context=mjgl https://lambdalegal.org/publication/changing-birth-certificate-sex-designations-state-by-state-guidelines/ https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/ga-codepdf/download |
Show Difference | ||
edited by DaisyGeekyTrans. Found start date.
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | 2006 | Jul 1, 2006 |
| Sources | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/ga-codepdf/download |
Show Difference | ||
edited by DaisyGeekyTrans. Adding start year.
Helpful?
0 | Old Value (Original) | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | (unknown) | 2006 |
| Sources | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/31/31-10-23.html |
Show Difference | ||
created by DaisyGeekyTrans
Helpful?
0 | Original entry | |
|---|---|
| Status | Legal, but requires surgery |
| Start Date | (unknown) |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | Georgia requires surgery for legal gender recognition. A court order is also required to change your birth certificate. |
| Sources | https://transequality.org/documents/georgia-identity-documents#:~:text=The%20applicant%20must%20submit%20either%20a%20court,a%20physician's%20letter%20certifying%20the%20gender%20change.&text=Georgia%20will%20amend%20the%20sex%20on%20a,such%20individual's%20name%20has%20been%20changed.%22%20Ga. https://www.georgialegalaid.org/resource/what-should-i-know-about-name-changes-and-gender-marker-changes-in-georgia https://www.findlaw.com/state/georgia-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-georgia.html#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20Marker%20in,Prepare%20to%20pay%20filing%20fees. https://thehobsonlawfirm.com/can-you-legally-change-your-gender-in-georgia/#:~:text=Changing%20Your%20Gender%20on%20a%20Georgia%20Birth%20Certificate,had%20a%20legal%20name%20change. |