Wisconsin

ID Documents Center

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.

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Last updated July 2023

Name Change, Driver's License & Birth Certificate Policies in:

Federal IDs and Records:

Wisconsin Name Change Laws

To obtain a legal name change in Wisconsin, an applicant must submit a petition to the court. The applicant must publish a notice of the hearing in a newspaper once a week for three weeks prior to the hearing date, however the publication requirement can be waived for the applicant’s safety. Any person required to register as a sex offender many not chnage their legal name. (Wis. Stat. Ann. § 786.37 & Wis. Stat. Ann. § 985.07)

For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Wisconsin, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Wisconsin resource.

Wisconsin Drivers License Policy & Procedures

In order to update name on a Wisconsin ID, the applicant must:

First change name with the Social Security Administration;
Then submit a passport or court order demonstrating the name change (if applicable).

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation addresses name changes here.

In order to update the gender marker on a Wisconsin ID, the applicant must submit:

An affidavit or statement from a licensed physician certifying the gender change; or
A court order for gender change.

Wisconsin Birth Certificate Laws

Wisconsin will issue an amended birth certificate upon receipt of a court order "to change the name and sex of the registrant on the certificate due to a surgical sex-change procedure." The certificate will be marked as amended unless "...the court orders the state registrar to prepare a new certificate" S.A. §§ 69.15 (4). The applicant should submit a birth certificate request form, the certified copy of the court ordered name and/or gender change, a notarized letter from the doctor that performed SRS, and payment of any applicable fees. The Wisconsin Office of Vital Records has, upon request, a form to request a gender change court order and the updated certificate.