Voting & Civil Rights

All identification can be updated to show a new legal name. A court order is usually necessary.

Right now, some identification cannot be updated to show a different sex or gender marker. This depends on where the identification comes from:

• In Illinois, people can update both their legal name and gender marker on all identification issued by an Illinois agency. The gender marker does not need to match on all identification, except for identification issued by the same agency. For example, an Illinois driver’s license and an Illinois identification card for the same person must contain the same information, since both are issued by the Illinois Secretary of State.

• For non-Illinois state identification, like birth certificates from other states, the rules depend on the specific state’s laws.

• For federal identification, like passports and Social Security cards, people can update their legal name. Generally, people cannot update their gender marker on federal identification right now. Talk to a lawyer before trying to change the gender marker on federal identification. Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources or call the IL Pride Connect Legal Hotline at (855) 805-9200.

Learn more about:

• Updating identification after a legal name change, and 
• Updating sex and gender markers on identification.

Start the update process by making a list of the identification that will change. Include columns for:

• The type of identification,
• Whether you can find the original copy of the identification,
• Where the identification was issued,
• What information needs to be updated, and
• When the update is submitted (fill this one out later).

If information needs to be corrected that cannot be changed right now, decide whether to keep track of that on the same list.

Look for original identification that shows the old information. To update information, most agencies require a copy of the out-of-date identification. For certain forms of identification, including Illinois driver’s licenses and passports, the original must be returned as part of the update request.

During this step, pay attention to which agency issued the identification. The process to follow will be different depending on whether the identification is from Illinois, the federal government, or a non-Illinois state. Write this information down on the list.

If any identification is missing or has expired, check the update rules for that specific identification before requesting a replacement. Many agencies have an update process to handle situations where the old identification is lost. Requesting a new copy of out-of-date identification before updating it may cause legal issues.

Each agency that issues identification has a different update process. Learn more about Updating identification after a legal name change and Updating sex and gender markers on identification. 

Generally, if a legal name is changed, it will be necessary to start by updating:

• Government-issued photo identification like driver’s licenses, Illinois identification cards, and passports, and
• Social Security cards.

Create detailed records for each update request:

• Scan or take photos of old identification before returning it as part of the update process,
• Save copies or screenshots of the application for updating the identification,
• Make copies of all correspondence related to the update, and
• Keep notes of the date and time, along with a short summary, of any calls or face-to-face efforts to update the information.

Write down the date that updates were submitted on the list. If successful, mark the line complete. Add a copy of the new identification to the update file.

If there are issues with updating identification, use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources. The IL Pride Connect Legal Hotline at (855) 805-9200 and the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP) may also be able to help.

After getting the new identification, update information in other systems. Important updates may include:

• Bank accounts,
• Health providers,
• Credit cards,
• Credit reports,
• Utilities, 
• Voter registration, 
• Loans and mortgages, 
• School and educational records, and
• Subscriptions.

This list is not exhaustive. Any system with outdated information can likely be updated. Some systems may require legal documents to be updated first.

Keep track of update requests. If there are any issues, legal help may be needed. Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources. The IL Pride Connect Legal Hotline at (855) 805-9200 and the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP) may also be able to help.