This is a guide for trans or gender non-conforming people who want to change their legal name and/or gender marker (the "M" or "F" on many government issued IDs that often reflects a person's sex assigned at birth). It includes step-by-step information about how to navigate these processes in Maine, and links to other helpful resources for navigating these changes in federal systems (Social Security Administration, and getting a passports).
For more information about name changes in general, including name changes related to a marriage or divorce, or name changes for minors, see our general information on How to Change Your Name in Maine.
If you live in New England, you may be able to get free legal representation through the GLAD Pop-Up ID Project. From GLAD: "Transgender people living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont) seeking to update their legal name and gender on federal and state documents can receive free legal representation through this rapid-response program."
Is this classroom for you?
You may use this classroom if:
- You live in Maine (or, in the case of a birth certificate change, were born in Maine)
- You are over the age of 18
- You are trans and/or gender non-conforming
- You want to change your name, gender marker, or update your ID documents to reflect your identity
How to use this classroom
We've set up this classroom to reflect the most common steps you will need to take.
We've created this classroom so you can walk through a process step-by-step and keep track of your progress. The general topics are on the left side of your screen. With this classroom, you don't need to complete all the steps. You can choose to read only the steps that you want to learn about.
- Click on the name of the step you want to visit OR use the “next” and “previous” buttons at the bottom of each page to go between sections of the classroom.
- Click the gray checkmark next to each step when you’re done. It will turn green. Next time you come back to the classroom, you can pick up where you left off.
- OR read through the steps without checking them off just to learn more about the process. If you check something off by mistake, just click on the checkmark again to un-check it.
Special thanks to attorney Zack Paakkonen of Portland Legal, LLC for consulting with us on this guide.
November, 2016