Welcome to our one-stop hub for name and gender change information. Find out how to update your name and gender on state and federal IDs and records.
COVID-19 disruptions: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many courts and government offices have made significant changes to their operating procedures. This may cause delays in the processing of your name or gender marker change requests as a result. Contact your local court or other government offices for more details. You should keep dated copies of any materials you submit by mail or electronically. We understand this is a hardship for many, and we encourage you to reach out for support if you are distressed.
Not sure where to start? Here's a quick overview.
How friendly are the ID policies in your state?
State driver's license policy grades
State birth certificate policy comparison
Last updated February 2023
To obtain a legal name change in Kentucky, an applicant must submit a petition to the court. No publication is required; the court keeps the name change in a book of records. (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 401.010-401.040).
For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Kentucky, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Kentucky resource.
To change the name on a Kentucky ID, the applicant must submit a document demonstrating the name change, such as a birth certificate or court order. To change the gender marker, the applicant must submit one of the four documents:
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet addresses name changes here.
Kentucky will issue an amended certificate of birth "[u]pon receipt of a sworn statement by a licensed physician indicating that the gender of an individual born in the Commonwealth has been changed by surgical procedure and a certified copy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction changing that individual's name." Certificates shall be marked as amended. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. 213.121. The Office of Vital Statistics is at 275 E. Main St. 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621 and can be reached at (502) 564-4212.