IDPH launches modernized process to change gender on birth certificates

The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced that it became easier for Illinois residents to change the gender listed on their birth certificate as of July 1, under a new law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in February. The update to the state’s Vital Records Act that took effect at the conclusion of Pride Month was enacted under HB0009 which allows people to change the gender on their birth certificate by signing a statement affirming their gender identity or intersex condition.

Following this year’s Pride Month, I couldn’t be happier that we are making it easier for Illinoisans to change the gender listed on their birth certificate,” Pritzker said in a news release. “Our trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and intersex neighbors deserve to have documentation that affirms their identity without having to jump over dozens of bureaucratic hurdles. After all, this is the Land of Lincoln and Obama – and here, we welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community as they are.”

Until now, transgender and intersex Illinoisans seeking to change the gender on their birth certificate were required to provide certification from a health care professional that the individual had undergone gender reassignment surgery or other clinical treatment. The change makes gender-affirming documentation more accessible and recognizes the distinction between biological sex and gender for many transgender individuals.

For information about how to make changes to an Illinois birth certificate, including making corrections, changing the gender and changing gender with a name change, go to the IDPH Birth Records page on the department’s website.

To request a gender change, individuals must submit by regular mail a signed and notarized affidavit of correction, a copy of their current ID and a $15 fee for processing to the IDPH Division of Vital Records.

The amendment to the Vital Records Act also allows for residents of domestic violence shelters to receive up to four free original birth records a year if they meet certain criteria.