You can change the name you prefer at any time. Just choose a name you like and ask people to use it. You can do the same with your gender pronouns.
If you want that name to be your new legal name, you have to do more. You will need help from adults.
In many places, you have to see a judge and get a court order for name change to do that. This legal step will help you change many other important things.
Below are links that gender diverse youth in American can use to see how to do it in their state. If you live outside the USA, please see the international resources page.
United States
- Alabama (PDF)
- Alaska (PDF)
- Arizona (PDF)
- Arkansas (PDF)
- California (PDF)
- Colorado (PDF)
- Connecticut (PDF)
- Delaware (PDF)
- District of Columbia (PDF)
- Florida (PDF)
- Georgia (PDF)
- Hawaii (PDF)
- Idaho (PDF)
- Illinois (PDF)
- Indiana (PDF)
- Iowa (PDF)
- Kansas (PDF)
- Kentucky (PDF)
- Louisiana (PDF)
- Maine (PDF)
- Maryland (PDF)
- Massachusetts (PDF)
- Michigan (PDF)
- Minnesota (PDF)
- Mississippi (PDF)
- Missouri (PDF)
- Montana (PDF)
- Nebraska (PDF)
- Nevada (PDF)
- New Hampshire (PDF)
- New Jersey (PDF)
- New Mexico (PDF)
- New York (PDF)
- North Carolina (PDF)
- North Dakota (PDF)
- Ohio (PDF)
- Oklahoma (PDF)
- Oregon (PDF)
- Pennsylvania (PDF)
- Rhode Island (PDF)
- South Carolina (PDF)
- South Dakota (PDF)
- Tennessee (PDF)
- Texas (PDF)
- Utah (PDF)
- Vermont (PDF)
- Virginia (PDF)
- Washington (PDF)
- West Virginia (PDF)
- Wisconsin (PDF)
- Wyoming (PDF)
Territories
- American Samoa (unclear)
- Guam (unclear)
- Northern Mariana Islands (unclear)
- Puerto Rico (unclear)
- U.S. Virgin Islands (unclear)
Foreign nationals in the US
- Immigration resources (lawyer needed)
Resources
National Center for Transgender Equality (transequality.org)
- Identification Documents and Transgender People (PDF)