Legal Transition in Connecticut

This page includes the following

• • Legal Name & Gender Change, in general

  • Legal Name Change in Connecticut

  • Legal Gender Marker Change in Connecticut

  • Comments On & Resources For Legal Name & Gender Marker Change

Legal Name & Gender Change, in general

LAST DATE EDITED: 09/06/2025

For individuals in the United States, you file a court order with the state in which you claim residency; you can do this with Connecticut, since the majority of your year is spent living in New Haven! However, you can also choose to seek a court order in the state that you come from, which varies. 

Go to your state’s website or call to find out what forms you will need to fill out. Depending on the state, you may also be required to publish a notice of the name change. You will need to file the forms with a court clerk and generally pay filing fees that can be in the range of $150–$300, although it may be less or more depending on the state. And you will need to go to court to get your formal name change order. This resource provides information for each state. This ID Change Library provides information for federal and state ID changes, as well with associated fees.

Legal Name Change, in Connecticut

LAST DATE EDITED: 09/06/2025

This section is an adaptation and summary of the guide available here by Mallory Sanchez, J.D. of the Center for Children's Advocacy.

Name changes fall under the purview of the probate court in Connecticut. Bring the required documents to the probate court in your district (the closest probate court to Yale campus is at 200 Orange Street, 1st Floor, P.O. Box 905 New Haven, CT 06504-0905) and tell a clerk that you would like to file a petition of name change. Some probate courts only take forms by mail or drop box. After filing, the court will notify you of a hearing date. Beginning July 1st 2023, there is no fee in Connecticut to file for a name change.

The required documents consist of: 

• Petition for Change of Name

• Affidavit Re Change of Name

• Certified copy of long form birth certificate

• Photocopies of two forms of ID, including at least one photographic ID

After the court you will need to change your name with Social Security before you can change it elsewhere. 

Correcting your Social Security Card is free and can be done through the mail or in person. You must use original documents or certified copies rather than photocopies; Social Security will return the originals to you.

You will need

• Proof of legal name change 

• Proof of identity 

• Proof of US citizenship (if not already established)

• Application for a Social Security Card

You are required by law to notify the DMV within 30 days of changing your name or address. You must apply in person to change your name on your license or non-driver ID and surrender your current ID. 

You will need

• A court order showing your legal name change

• Change of Name Request (E-78)

• A check for the appropriate fee ($30)

Note that due to the combination of terms for the DMV and Social Security it will be prudent to have prepared materials for all three of the elements above before sending in probate court name change documents.

If you already have a valid passport, you may be eligible to submit a renewal application by mail to update your legal name. If not, you will have to apply in person at a passport acceptance facility. 

You will need

• A Passport Application or Passport Renewal Application 

• Your most recent passport

• A recent color photograph 2x2 inches in size

• Order for Name Change (certified copy showing a seal and officiate/judge signature)

• The appropriate fee (for persons over 16, the fee is $165 for first-time applications and $130 for all other applications)

Note on forms: you can renew your passport through the mail if you are eligible to use form DS-82. If you are required to apply in person, you must use form DS-11. To determine whether you can apply by mail or not, and to make sure you have the correct form, use the Form Finder on the State Department website.

If you WERE born in Connecticut, to change ONLY the name on your birth certificate you must go through the town you were born in. Submit the following to the town clerk, either through the mail or in person.

You will need:

• An original certified court order of name change

• A notarized affidavit

• Government-issued photo ID (for the parent, if the parent is filling out the forms on behalf of a minor child)

If you were NOT born in Connecticut, see the office of vital records website for the state you were born in for instructions on updating the name on a birth certificate. 

To change your name on U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services documents, you must provide sufficient evidence of the name change.

If you are scheduled for an interview, you may update your information at the time of the interview. If your application is pending, you can go to your online account and upload a letter explaining the change with supporting documentation. If you do not have an online account, you can email USCIS-updategenderinfo@uscis.dhs.gov with the request.

If your application is not pending and you do not have an interview scheduled, there are different forms you need to fill out and submit for each type of document.

You will need

• A letter explaining the change requested (for interview or pending application). 

• Court order or other vital document record

• Form for the applicable document

Once your name has been legally changed, update your Yale records with this form.

Legal Gender Marker Change, in Connecticut

LAST DATE EDITED: 09/06/2025

This section is an adaptation and summary of the guide available here by Mallory Sanchez, J.D. of the Center for Children's Advocacy.

A court order is not necessary to change any federal or state document gender markers, nor is it possible to obtain one, unless you are attempting to change an out-of-state birth certificate.

The requirements for changing the gender on your birth certificate vary state-by-state. Some states require that you have had surgery, other states do not. In some states you need a court order, in others you may be able to use a letter from a physician. The National Center for Transgender Equality has state-specific information in their Identity Documents Center linked here. Connecticut can issue a court order to change a birth certificate from another state, but make sure that your birth state will accept an out-of-state court order.

If you are an American citizen born abroad, you will need to go through the State Department to replace your Consular Report of Birth Abroad with some information linked here. 

The CT DMV allows the choice of M, F, or X as a gender marker on driver's licenses and non-driver state IDs, which you can self-select. You do not need to present a letter from a physician or have any other documentation to change your gender with the DMV. If the person requesting the change is a minor, a parent or guardian must be present and sign the B-385 form, or the minor must submit a signed and notarized 2D form with the B-385. If you have never had a state ID, simply fill out the usual application with the gender marker you would like.

You will need

• Form B-385

• A check for the appropriate fee ($22.50 for a non-driver photo ID)

Pursuant to an Executive Order issued on January 20, 2025, federal agencies have been directed to stop processing applications for gender marker changes. This will affect individuals' ability to change gender markers on Social Security cards, passports, and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services documents. Please refer to Mallory's document (linked again here) for the most up-to-date information.

Comments On and Resources For Legal Name & Gender Marker Change

LAST DATE EDITED: 09/06/2025

Trans Lifeline offers micro-grants to fund people’s document changes (except birth certificates), 75% of which are reserved for BIPOC. Follow them or join their mailing list if this is a financial burden for you and they will literally just calculate and send the total money needed for your updates when you apply. A volunteer will be assigned to you to help you through the process, if you need it. Microgrant applications usually open on the 1st and the 15th of each month, with spots typically filling up in under a minute. However, someone can apply on your behalf, so applying with a friend can help your chances. While the very narrow window of opportunity can seem daunting, this change in their process has significantly cut down on wait times for folx. 

https://www.translifeline.org/microgrants

As this is edited, we also encourage you to consider your personal safety as you navigate this process. As the current situation targeting trans people unfolds nationally and internationally, it can be incredibly dangerous to seek these avenues of gender-affirmation. Keep in mind whether changing your name and gender might place you in a position of visibility, whether it be through publicly accessible court records or going through airport security.