ID Documents | Vermont

You begin by filing documents with your county’s Division of Superior Court to obtain an “Order Changing Name.”

For an adult name change you will need to submit the following documents:

• Name change petition form:
  • Form PC 122 for an adult: Form 122 Adult Name Change Petition 
  • Form PC 123 for a minor: State of Vermont Superior Court Probate Division Unit Docket No. In re: Petition to Change Name of Minor
    • If the minor is over 14 years of age, the minor’s consent must be obtained before the name change can proceed
• Certified copy of Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• $150 check (Note: If you cannot afford the filing fee you can submit Form 228: Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs) 

Steps to take:

1. Don’t sign the name change petition form until you are in front of the court clerk or the judge. Each court does things differently. Leave the signature part of the form blank, except that you should include your name, mailing address, and phone number/email.
2. At the top of the form, put your name where it says, “In re” and your town and state where it says “of.” Leave the docket number blank if you don’t have one. Put the name of your county where it says court “Superior Court Unit.”
3. Mail or bring documents to your local probate court. We suggest that you bring an extra copy of the paperwork you submit and ask the clerk to stamp it with the filing date for your records. 
4. The court will send you a notice with a hearing date.
5. Plan to attend a short hearing. The judge may ask you a few questions, like confirming that nobody is forcing you to change your name or there is no opposing party. 
6. If the judge approves your petition, you will be issued an Order Changing Name.

Note: You can get a certified copy of your Vermont birth certificate from the Department of Health’s Vital Records Office. Submit an application form or apply online and pay $10 per copy requested. This process varies from state to state. If you were born outside of Vermont, you should contact your state’s Department of Health or Vital Records Office to ask about getting a copy of your birth certificate.

Once the Order Changing Name is issued, you can get a certified copy for a $5 fee at the courthouse. Having several copies is useful. If you have multiples, you will not need to wait for one agency to return a copy before you can apply to change another record.

No. Vermont does not have this requirement.

Before you change your name and/or gender on your Vermont driver’s license or non-driver ID, you must make these changes on your Social Security card.

You should update your license or non-driver ID within 30 days of a legal name change. You can do this by bringing the documents listed below to your local DMV office. Once you update your information, the DMV will issue you a temporary ID and mail you a new ID.

To change the gender marker on your ID, the DMV does not ask for any documentation. Just submit an application form with the updated information. Vermont now allows three gender marker options on state IDs: Male (“M”), Female (“F”), or Other (“X”).

Documents you need:

• Application for Replacement License (VL-040) or Non-Driver ID (VL-017) listing the new name and/or corrected gender marker
• If changing name: Original or certified copy of Order Changing Name
• An identification document, like a driver’s license or passport
• Social Security verification showing the new name (new SS card, W-2, or other forms)
• Two documents showing street address (mail you get at a street address, lease, utility bill, etc.)
• Replacement fee ($20 for License or $24 for Non-Driver ID). There may be more fees for an enhanced license.

NOTE: Beginning May 3, 2023, if you want to use a state ID to fly domestically or enter a federal building, it will need to be a REAL ID. To obtain a REAL ID, in addition to all the requirements above obtain a VT ID, you must also document your lawful presence in the U.S. For more information about obtaining a VT REAL ID, see: Real ID | Department of Motor Vehicles 

If changing only the name on your Vermont birth certificate

Mail the documents listed below to the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records, 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402. The Vital Records Office should process the change. If you ask for a certified copy and pay the $10 fee, you will get a copy of your updated certificate.

Documents you need:

• Cover letter saying you want to change the name on your birth certificate
• Certified copy of Order Changing Name
• No specific form is required, but we recommend that you submit an Application to Correct or Amend a Vermont Birth Certificate
• If you would like certified copies of the updated birth certificate once issued, submit an application form and $10 per copy requested.

If changing the gender marker on your Vermont birth certificate

Note: In April 2022, Vermont passed a law that will simplify the process of changing the gender marker on a Vermont birth certificate and allow a non-binary “X” option. The law went into effect on July 1, 2022. Please check back here or with the Vermont Vital Records Office for more information about the new process.

Mail the documents listed below to the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records, 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402.

Documents you need:

• Application for New Vermont Birth Certificate Following Sex Change
• Certified copy of the original birth certificate
• If changing name: Certified copy of Order Changing Name
• Affidavit of Physician in Support of New Birth Certificate
• If you would like certified copies of the updated birth certificate once issued, submit an application form and $10 per copy requested.

If the Office of Vital Records approves your application, it will process the change. If you have asked for copies and paid the $10 fee, you will get a copy of your updated certificate.

If the office denies your application, you can appeal to the probate court (see below). Contact Legal Services Vermont for advice.

Appealing a denial of gender marker change on Vermont birth certificate

If the Vital Records Office denied your application to change the gender marker on your birth certificate, you can appeal to the Vermont probate court and ask the judge to reconsider that decision. File the documents below with your county’s Probate Division of Superior Court. 

Documents you need:

• Petition Form for Issuance of Order Confirming Gender Reassignment
• Copy of the application packet submitted to the Office of Vital Records (above documents)
• Copy of the Office of Vital Records’ decision
• Any other information you want the court to consider
• $150 check or Fee Waiver Form (228)

If the probate court agrees that you qualify to have your gender marker changed, it will issue an order that your sexual reassignment has been completed. The Office of Vital Records should then process the updated birth certificate.

The Transgender ID Project is a joint project of GLAD, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), and law firms Ropes & Gray LLP and Goodwin. It matches a resident from any of the six New England states with a pro bono (free) attorney at one of these law firms. However, because of the popularity of the program, it may be several weeks before you are contacted by an attorney from one of these firms. For more information and to apply for the Project, go to: Transgender ID Project – GLAD.

However, in most cases, by using the information and forms provided here, you can update these documents fairly easily on your own without the assistance of an attorney.