If you are interested in changing your gender marker, we recommend that you start with this first step. If this does not apply to you, then please feel free to move on to the next step: Obtaining a Change of Name Order.

The first step for those looking to change their gender marker, is finding a trans-affirming doctor who will sign a letter, on their office letterhead, saying two things: a) that you are “irrevocably committed” to changing your gender; and b) that you have received “appropriate clinical treatment.” We recognize that this language is transphobic, and may be triggering for many folks, but unfortunately, this is currently the legal language that is required. Also, this letter must come from a licensed physician. A letter from a nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, psychologist, licensed social worker, or other therapist will not work.

If you don’t have a doctor to write your letter, please reach out to us at NameChange@sagatucson.org.

Attached is a template of the required document. Download and email this document to your doctor. Ask your doctor to insert the appropriate information in place of the red text, print it out on their letterhead, sign it, and return it to you. Many doctors who have worked with SAGA have this letter ready to go and are able to hand you a letter during your visit with them. If your doctor is unfamiliar with this process and has questions, please feel free to direct them to us.

[Attach Doctor’s Letter - editable word document]

Heads Up About Fees

The current filing fee for a name change petition is $258. You can pay with cash, check, or credit card. If you are not able to pay the fee you may file a request for a full waiver or deferral (i.e. payment plan) of the filing fee by filling out the Fee Waiver-Deferral Request form (link). You are ensured to get the full waiver or deferral if you meet these requirements:

Full Waiver: You are eligible for a full waiver of all fees and costs if you can attach proof that you are on Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Deferral: If you receive SNAP benefits (aka food stamps), you may file a copy of your EBT card or other proof, to receive a payment plan.

If you request a waiver or deferral based on receiving either of the above benefits, you do not have to fill out the financial portions of the Fee Waiver-Deferral Request form. If you do not qualify based on either of those benefits, you may still have a chance to get a full waiver or a deferral by completing the financial portions of the Fee Waiver-Deferral Request form.

Make sure to file your Fee Waiver-Deferral Request form and a blank Order with the Clerk’s Office before filing your Name Change Petition. Go to the Clerk’s Office at the Pima County Superior Court at 110 West Congress in downtown Tucson. Make sure you go to the counter in the Clerk’s Office marked “civil,” not “criminal.” The Clerk’s Office will give you a phone number to call in about 7 to 10 days to find out if the request has been granted. Once the request has been granted, you will need to go back to the Clerk’s Office and file your Name Change Petition.

If you are not able to get a full waiver and still need financial support, try looking into SAGA’s Name & Gender Marker Change Microgrant program. In the Fall of 2022 we distributed $5,000 of Name & Gender Marker Change Microgrants and this past April 2023 we distributed another $5,000. Check our Mutual Aid page (link) for more information.

Filling Out a Name Change Petition

If you are 18 and over, or an emancipated minor, download the Adult Name Change Petition (link).

If you are under 18, download the Minor Name Change Petition (link) and the Parent’s Consent to Minor’s Name Change (link). You will need your parents to complete your forms. If one parent refuses to sign the Parent’s Consent to Minor’s Name Change form, or if you cannot locate them, contact SAGA for assistance.

Complete your forms by inserting your information in place of any red text. If you live in a different county than Pima County in Arizona, you may replace “Pima” with the county that you reside in. When you are finished, make sure to change the whole document to black text. Remember, do not sign the petition until you are in front of the clerk. We advise this because clerks in Pima County have been telling people they need their petitions notarized. If you feel comfortable, you can tell the clerk that the law does not require notarization and signing your petition in front of them confirms your identity.

If you have a felony conviction on your records, you will need to revise the paragraph that says you “have no felony convictions” by adding at the end "except" followed by:

A description of the nature of your conviction

The court that convicted you

The case number, if you have it

What your sentence was and whether you have completed your sentence

Felony convictions should not bar you from getting a court to grant your name change. Also, past felony charges usually do not have to be disclosed on a name change petition in Arizona.

If you cannot truthfully make the declarations in the petition for any other reason, contact SAGA for support.

Filling Out a Civil Cover Sheet

Recently, Arizona is requiring that folks must now file a Civil Cover Sheet (link) along with their Name Change Petition. On the first page, write your full legal name next to “Plaintiff’s Name(s)” and write your full address next to “Plaintiff’s Address.” On the second page, check the “Change of Name” box under “Other Civil Case Types."

Filing a Name Change Petition and Civil Cover Sheet

Once you’ve completed your form(s), print three copies of your Name Change Petition. Take all three Name Change Petition copies and one copy of your Civil Cover Sheet and go to your local Superior Court. For folks in Tucson, we suggest going to the Pima County Superior Court at 110 West Congress in downtown Tucson. Go to the counter in the Clerk’s Office marked “civil,” not “criminal,” and present your forms. Sign your forms in front of the clerk. The clerk will keep one petition, and will stamp the other 2 copies for you as proof of filing. Make sure to keep these copies in a safe place, in case you may need them in the future.

Starting during the pandemic, individuals are being asked to wait for the judge to call you back for a court hearing. This may take a few weeks. If it takes longer than a few months, contact SAGA for support.

When you are called for a court hearing, you will be directed to the courtroom, where you will be questioned privately by the judge and your court order signed. If you are seeking a name change for your child, take your child with you. Remember these tips:

If a judge deadnames or misgenders you, you can say: “Your honor, would you please call me [your name] and use [your pronouns]?”

If you are petitioning for your child’s name change, we encourage you to verbally request the judge to seal their name change court file so their name change petition is not an open record accessible to the public: “Your honor, would you please seal my child’s records?”

Once your order is signed, the judge will direct you to go to the Clerk’s Office, where you will be given a certified copy of the court’s order at no cost. You should only need one certified copy to change all of your documents, since it will be photocopied and returned to you by each agency you present it to. If you need another copy, you can get a photocopy from the clerk’s office for 50 cents a page, but a certified copy will cost you $27.

Note: You may have to pay for another certified copy if you wait more than a couple months to change all your documents since the agencies may insist on a more current certification.

[Attach Civil Cover Sheet - PDF]

[Attach Adult Name Change Petition - editable word document]

[Attach Minor Name Change Petition - editable word document]

[Attach Parent’s Consent to Minor’s Name Change Form - editable word document]

[Attach Fee Waiver-Deferral Request Form - PDF]

Once you have a certified copy of your name change order, head to a local Social Security Office. The office closest to downtown Tucson is at 88 W 38 S.; the other office is at 3808 N 1st Ave. Sign in or use whatever other procedure they have to get in line to be served. You will need a completed copy of Social Security Form SS-5 (link). You may be able to get a copy and complete it while you wait. However, it’s probably best to download it here, and complete it in advance (instructions are included with the form). In the box where it asks for your sex, mark which box affirms you.

When you are called to the window, give the clerk the certified copy of your name change order, the completed Form SS-5 and your current driver’s license or ID card. You have to update your Social Security records before you can get your new driver’s license or ID, so just use your old one for now. The clerk will photocopy the name change order and return it to you. Once your request has been processed, the clerk will give you confirmation (probably, a stamped copy of your SS-5 form). A Social Security card with your new name will be mailed to you in a few days. Although your gender marker doesn’t appear on your Social Security card, it’s still useful to change it in their records for other reasons.

Note: A doctor’s letter is no longer required to change your gender marker on your Social Security records. Also, unfortunately Social Security is still only accepting M or F gender markers. Social Security does not accept X gender markers.

Wait two or three days after changing your Social Security records, then visit your local Motor Vehicle Division office. Note: A third party license office may not be able to handle a name change request, so we recommend you go to an actual MVD office.

At the MVD tell the intake clerk you want to change the name and/or gender marker on your license. They will give you a number and a form to complete. Complete the form indicating that you want to change your name and/or your gender marker. When your number is called, hand the clerk the completed form, a certified copy of your name change order, your original doctor’s letter* and your current driver’s license or ID card. It is likely that the clerk will be unfamiliar with the process for changing your gender marker and will take your documents to a supervisor. Don’t panic. If they come back and say they can’t do that, refer them to their own Policy 3.1.1 (link) on gender marker changes (see the top of page 5). You can also print a copy to take with you.

The fee for a new license with your new name and gender, as well as a new photo, is $12.

Once the clerk has processed your request, the clerk will direct you to another station to get a new picture. After a few minutes, you will walk out with a new license affirming the real you. Congratulations!

*Note: A doctor’s letter is only required for those who are changing their gender marker from F to M or M to F. For those who want to change their gender marker to X, you unfortunately must purchase a US passport reflecting the gender marker X first. Arizona state laws do not allow X on driver’s licenses or state IDs without showing a federal ID reflecting an X gender marker. Therefore, because US passports are the only form of federal ID that allow X gender markers, you must obtain a US passport with an X gender marker before being able to obtain an Arizona driver’s license or state ID with an X gender marker.

For trans and gender expansive folks who were born in Arizona, a obtaining a US passport with your affirmed name and gender marker may be helpful if you are not able to change your gender marker on your Arizona birth certificate due to Arizona’s transphobic laws, which require surgery in order to change one’s gender marker on their birth certificate. In any situation where someone wants to see your birth certificate, you should be able to present your US passport instead.

Note: You do NOT NEED a doctor’s letter to change your gender marker on a US passport. You may now also select F, M, or X as your gender marker. Yay!

Changing Only Your Name

If you already have a passport and just want to change your name, and you qualify to use Form DS-82 (link), you can apply for a new passport by mail using that form. Form DS-82 lists the eligibility requirements. With Form DS-82, you must also mail:

Your most recent Passport;

A recent color photograph 2x2 inches in size;

A certified copy of your Name Change Order

Fee (fees vary - go to the Department of State Passport Fees (link) to calculate your fee)

If you don’t qualify to use Form DS-82, you must use Form DS-11 (link) and apply in person.

Changing Your Gender Marker

If you want to change both your name and your gender marker on your passport, or just your gender marker, you must use Form DS-11 (link) and take your application to a passport facility in person. You can find the closest passport facility by searching here (link). With Form DS-11, you must also bring:

Proof of US Citizenship (for example: a previous U.S. Passport, certified Birth Certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or Report of Birth Abroad);

Proof of Identity that contains your signature and photograph that is “a good likeness to you” (for example: a previous U.S. Passport, a Driver’s License, a State ID, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Government Employee Identification Card). Note: You must present the original AND provide a photocopy of the front and back sides;

A recent color photograph 2x2 inches in size;

If you are changing your name on your passport, a certified copy of your Name Change Order;

Fee (fees vary - go to the Department of State Passport Fees (link) to calculate your fee)

[Attach Form DS-82 in English - PDF]

[Attach Form DS-11 in English - PDF]

This guide is specifically for people who have an Arizona birth certificate. Each state has different rules to update a birth certificate. If you were issued a birth certificate from a different state in the US, you may visit the National Center for Trans Equality’s website (link) to learn more.

Here are the things you must bring to Vital Records to change your birth certificate if you are only changing your name:

A Birth Certificate Request form (link)

In "Purpose of Request" write: "amendment to name"

You must fill out the form with the name that is currently on your birth certificate

An Affidavit to Correct a Birth Certificate form (link)

Your certified copy of your court ordered name change

$30 fee (link) paid by money order (no personal checks)

If you would like to change your gender marker as well, you unfortunately must also have had surgery (top and/or bottom) and submit a letter from your surgeon stating that you have had "sex change surgery" as reflective of the AZ statute:

"for a person who has undergone a sex change operation or has a chromosomal count that establishes the sex of the person as different [than on original certificate]." (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-337 (A)(3) (2006))

There is no legal definition for "sex change surgery," so it is up to the discretion of your doctor (unfortunately), to support this claim. Additionally, the doctor will need to provide their physician’s medical license or certificate number.

[Attach Birth Certificate Request form in English - PDF]

[Attach Affidavit to Correct a Birth Certificate form in English - PDF]