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.
Most courts and government offices have resumed normal operations with the formal end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Make sure to contact your local court or other government offices for details on their current operating hours and procedures, including if they require appointments for in-person visits.. You should keep dated copies of any materials you submit by mail or electronically.
Last updated November 2023
How friendly are the ID policies in your state?
State driver's license policy grades
State birth certificate policy comparison
To obtain a legal name change in Nebraska, an applicant must submit a petition to the court and show reasonable cause for the name change. Applicants over the age of 19 must publish notice once a week for four weeks; applicants under the age of 19 must publish notice once a week for two weeks. (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-21,271 to 25-21,273)
For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Nebraska, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Nebraska resource.
To obtain a legal name change in Mississippi, an applicant must submit a petition to the court. No publication is required. (Miss. Code. Ann. §§ 93-17-1 to 93-17-31).
For detailed instructions on adult name changes in Mississippi, see this LawHelp Interactive's Mississippi Adult Name Change resource.
For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Mississippi, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Mississippi resource.
In order to update name and/or gender on a Nebraska ID, the applicant must submit (1) a State ID Card Data Form, (2) a court order certifying the name change, if applicable and/or (3) a form signed by a licensed physician certifying that the applicant has undergone the necessary sex reassignment procedures required for social gender recognition. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles addresses name change here. Applicants must notify the DMV of a legal name change within 60 days of the name change.
Nebraska will issue a new birth certificate "upon receipt of a notarized affidavit from the physician that performed sex reassignment surgery on an individual born in this state and a certified copy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction changing the name of such person." The record will be sealed and can only be accessed by a court order. NE Code § 71-604.01.
To apply for an updated birth certificate, the applicant should submit to the Vital Records Office the following: