Correcting or Amending a Birth Certificate After a Sex Change/Reassignment

A sex change/reassignment is defined as changing the sex listed on the person’s birth certificate to female, male, or nonbinary to match the person’s sex identity.

Though this change only requires the registrant’s self-attestation, a court order is required to change the name.

Note: A sex change/reassignment is not the same as a sex field correction.  A sex field error correction is completed to correct a clerical error made by the hospital or Local Registrar at the time the sex information was entered on the birth certificate, (i.e., entering female for male, or male for female).

An Affidavit to Amend a Record VS 24 (PDF) form must be submitted to change the sex listed on the birth certificate to match the person’s sex identity.  The name may be changed on the same VS 24 form, however a certified court order name change is required.  The VS 24 form must:

Note: If the sex field is being changed with a court order and the registrant is unavailable to sign, then two people with knowledge of the facts must complete the Affidavit and Signatures Section. 

Information for correcting or amending a birth certificate after a sex change/reassignment is located in the Affidavit to Amend a Birth Record pamphlet.  To request an informational pamphlet, please provide the recipient’s name, mailing address, and the name of the pamphlet, "Affidavit to Amend a Birth Record," to the Amendment Section at AMENDVR@cdph.ca.gov or call (916) 445-2684.

To change the name on the birth certificate while changing sex, a certified copy of the court order changing name must be submitted.

Certified Court Order

A “certified” copy of the court order must be a copy of the order that was originally prepared by the court and signed by the judge.  It cannot be an original printout.  The photocopy you receive from the court must have all of the following:

• An original court seal
• A signature (or signature stamp) of the judge
• An original signature (or signature stamp) of the court clerk

Supporting Documents

Supporting documents are used to support the information being amended.  Acceptable documents include copies of the following:

• Vital Records (birth, death, marriage)
• Any other documents that support the request for the amendment
  
• A certified name change order is required to change the name listed on the birth certificate.
  

Sworn Statement

A notarized Sworn Statement, completed by an authorized person, is required to receive a certified authorized copy of the amended certificate.  Please visit the Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy webpage for a list of authorized persons.

Certificate Fees

• Sex Change/Reassignments require a twenty-three dollar ($23) fee to process, which includes one certified copy of the new certificate
• Additional copies are twenty-five dollars ($25) each

Processing Times

CDPH-VR processing times may occasionally increase as do the volume of requests.

Currently Sex Change/Reassignments are processed within six (6) to eight (8) weeks from the date CDPH-VR receives the request.

Helpful Tips

• Complete all documents in black ink
• No erasures, alterations or whiteouts are allowed on the VS 24 form
• This form will assist in creating the new birth certificate

Helpful Links

Affidavit to Amend a Record VS 24 (PDF) form

Amendment Sworn Statements (English) (Spanish)

Directory of County Vital Record Offices

Other Amendment Types

General Birth Amendment

Court Order Name Change

Correcting a Sex Field Error

Adoption

Acknowledgement of Paternity/Parentage

Adjudication of Facts of Parentage

Supplemental Name Report

Death/Fetal Death

Marriage