Sarah Toce
The following information is provided by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP).
Driver’s license policies govern the process by which a person can change the gender marker on their driver’s license in the U.S. Many transgender people choose to update the gender marker on their identity documents so that it matches their gender identity.
Accurate and consistent gender markers on identity documents help transgender people gain access to public spaces and resources, as well as dramatically reducing the risk that they will face violence, discrimination, or harassment.
Additionally, states may allow individuals to identify as something other than male or female on their driver’s licenses. The ease of the process to change gender markers is independent of how many gender options (i.e., male, female, nonbinary) are available.
However, many states have not yet modernized their policy or process, making it significantly challenging for transgender people to access identification that matches their gender identity and protects their safety.
This map examines the variation in state policies regarding both the process of changing one’s gender marker, as well as the gender marker options available in a given state. This map’s categories were developed in conversation with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and based on their driver’s license process grading system, available here.
