Step 5 - Update birth certificate

The instructions below will guide you step-by-step through the process.  If at anytime you are unsure of what to do, the tan colored box will give you more information and tips.  If you would like to contact an attorney or the courthouse, find resources for your area by selecting the county.
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Please note - The process on this page does not apply if the person changing their name was not born in the state of Florida.  If you were born in a state other than Florida, you must check with your state's department of health to determine what is required to amend your birth certificate.  If you need help finding this information you can contact the Southern Legal Counsel.    

read before proceeding

The Florida Department of Health recently changed its policy to prohibit gender marker amendments on Florida birth certificates. You can still amend your legal name on your FL birth certificate, using the court order for legal name change, but they are refusing to amend gender markers regardless of what evidence is submitted in support of the requested amendment. Southern Legal Counsel is working to challenge this discriminatory new policy, and we hope to restore the rights of all transgender folks born in Florida to possess accurate birth records reflecting their gender identity. Contact Simone Chriss​​​ at Southern Legal Counsel if you are discriminated against by the FL Dept of Health.

Because the Florida Department of Health recently changed its policy to prohibit gender marker amendments, the processes below are for information only.

1 - Fill out application for amendment to florida birth Certificate

The first step to updating the legal name and gender marker on your Florida Birth Certificate is to fill out the amendment form below.

We don't currently have an automated form, sorry. Download the blank form and fill it out.
Want to work with an attorney?
Select your county to see options to work with an attorney.
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What department handles birth certificates?
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) Bureau of Vital Statistics
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application_for_amendment_to_florida_birth_certificate.pdf
File Size: 171 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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birth_certificate_amendment_instructions.pdf
File Size: 59 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Important instructions:
  • Write the sex (male or female) that you now identify with on the "Sex" line
  • For "Type of Amendment", check the boxes for "Correction" and "Legal name Change"

There are also instructions on Page 2 of the Application for Amendment form.

2 - fill out affidavit of amendment of certificate of live birth

The second step to updating the legal name and gender marker on your Florida Birth Certificate is to fill out the affidavit of amendment form below.  

​We don't currently have an automated form, sorry. Download the blank form and fill it out.

​Very important - The affidavit of amendment form will need to be notarized before you are able to sign and turn it in.  Please make sure you do not sign the form before you are at the notary.
Have questions?
Contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics at 904-359-6900, extension 9005.

What is an "affidavit"?
A fancy word for an official form.
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birth_certificate_affidavit.pdf
File Size: 163 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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​Important instructions:
  • Write the word "Name" in the box "Item omitted or in error"
  • Write your former legal name in the box "Birth certificate shows"
  • Write your new name exactly as shown on your court ordered name change under in the box "Should be"
  • Write the word "Sex" in the box "Item omitted or in error"
  • Write the sex (male or female) that you were assigned at birth in the box "Birth certificate Shows"
  • Write the sex (male or female) that you now identify with in the box "Should be"

Additional instructions are provided on Page 2 of the form.

Download and print the form, fill it in with black ink but don't sign it yet. You will need to sign the affidavit in front of a notary (we'll take care of that in the next step).

3 - Sign and notarize your affidavit

The purpose of a notary is to ensure that you are really the person that is signing and filing the affidavit.  Your county clerk's office can usually notarize your documents for a small fee.
Does your work schedule make it hard to get to the clerk's office for a notary?
There may be other options to have your affidavit notarized.  A quick google search for a notary in your area may bring up several options.  There is also www.notarize.com that can notarize documents over the internet.

4 - Get Medical certification of appropriate clinical treatment

The sample physician's letter below is specific to updating your birth certificate.  So make sure to use the letter below for this step, and don't use a similar form that was created in a previous step.

Share these requirements with your doctor's office.

The Medical Certification of Appropriate Clinical Treatment must be on a doctor's office letterhead and include:
  • Doctor's full name
  • Doctor's license or certificate number (M.D. or D.O.)
  • Issuing state or other jurisdiction of medical license or certificate
  • A statement that the patient has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (specify male or female)
  • A statement that he/she has either treated the individual in relation to the individual's change in gender or has reviewed and evaluated the medical history of the individual in relation to the individual's change in gender
  • A statement that the doctor has a doctor/patient relationship with the individual; and
  • Language stating "I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct."​

Below is a sample physician's letter.  Remember that it needs to be on your physician's letterhead.

bc_-_sample_physicians_letter.pdf
File Size: 270 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
What is "appropriate clinical treatment"?
Under the current policy, no specific type of treatment is required and the details of the treatment need not be included in the letter from the physician.

All that is necessary is for the physician to state that the individual has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition. What is considered appropriate clinical treatment is a unique and personal determination to be made by the individual and their health care provider.

5 - Mail documents

Mail the following:
  • Completed Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record
  • Notarized Affidavit of Amendment to Certificate of Live Birth
  • Certified copy of court order for legal name change (from Step 1 - Petition)
  • Medical Certification of Appropriate Clinical Treatment
  • Payment of required $20.00 fee

Mail to:
Department of Health
Office of Vital Statistics
ATTN: Amendment Section
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
Please note - The Department of Health has undergone a recent change in leadership and we are currently working with them on their policy for amending gender markers on Florida Birth Certificates.

​We are working to ensure that all transgender Floridians are able to obtain accurate birth certificates. If you experience any difficulty in updating the gender marker on your birth certificate using the process and forms detailed below, please contact Simone Chriss at [email protected] or (352) 271-8890.
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To check on the status of your application
Contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics at 904-359-6900, extension 9005.

Congratulations!

That wasn't easy, we're proud of you!
Sources: DOH Forms