For individuals wanting to change their legal name and/or gender marker, we offer services to both adults and minors. We can petition the court to change your legal name, your legal gender marker, or both.
For Adults:
The first thing to know is that you are required to have lived within the same county in Utah for one year immediately prior to filing the paperwork to change your name and/or gender. So if you haven’t resided in the same county within Utag for one year yet, you will need to wait. When filing for a name and/or gender marker change you will also need to indicate whether you are on probation or parole- if so, you will not be able to change your name and/or gender marker.
After verifying that you have met the above qualifications, for a gender marker change only (whether in conjunction with a name change or not) under Utah law you will need to establish care with a mental health provider (preferably someone who is WPATH informed and/or who regularly works with transgender individuals). Also, if you plan to receive any medical gender-affirming treatment, you’ll want to establish care with that provider as well. After collecting the necessary documents listed below, we will begin to draft your petition.
Once the petition is drafted and filed, we will prepare you for and attend a hearing addressing your desire to change your legal name and/or gender marker. After attending this hearing, we will receive a court-signed order with your changed name and/or gender marker, you can get your amended birth certificate from the office of vital records.
Necessary Documentation:
- Letter from your primary care provider and/or therapist that says that you experience significant distress because of the current sex on our birth certificate (required for gender marker change only)
- Background check from The Department of Corrections
For Minors:
Like adults, minors wishing to legally change their legal name or gender marker must have lived in the same county in Utah for one consecutive year. Minors wishing to have their gender marker changed in addition to their name must be at least 15 years and 6 months of age at the time of filing, have the consent of their legal guardian, and have letters from medical providers that describe the distress the minor experiences from the current gender marker on their birth certificate. You will need to file a request to the court for them to appoint a Private Guardian ad Litem to represent the minor in their case. The attorneys at our office have lots of experience in representing both the minors seeking these changes (as Private Guardian ad Litems) and their adult parents. After you have filed a request for a Private Guardian ad Litem, we will begin to draft your petition. Once the petition is drafted and filed, we will prepare you and your minor for and attend a hearing addressing the minor’s desire to change their legal name and/or gender marker. After attending this hearing, we will receive a court-signed order with their changed name and/or gender marker, you can then get their amended birth certificate from the office of vital records.
If you would like to go to the Utah Court website and complete the documentation yourself, we are happy to review it at no cost. Another resource for name and/or gender marker documents is the Rainbow Law Clinic via the University of Utah law school Pro Bono Initiative. They will help you get all of the paperwork and then review it for you at no cost as well.
If you would like us to complete the paperwork and file it for you, we offer a reduced fee for our services. If you have already resided in the same county within Utah for one year, and you already have a mental health provider established, we can schedule a time to meet with you (no cost) to explain the process and the options/resources available more thoroughly.