B.C. removes medical barrier for gender designation change on most people’s ID

Most transgender, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people in B.C. no longer need a doctor to sign off on a change in gender designation on their provincial ID.

An ‘X’ gender marker has been an option on BC Services Cards, driver’s licences, birth certificates and BCID cards this this province for over three years. Surgery is not required, however, a physician or psychologist’s confirmation was required before any gender designation change would take effect on the documents.

Now, anyone aged 12 and up can update those documents without that medical confirmation. However, children 11 and younger will have to submit a physician’s or psychologist’s confirmation.

Adults wanting to change their gender designations will have to complete an application, which includes a self-declaration. However, minors will also need proof of parent and/or guardian support.

Related article: ‘X’ gender identity now recognized on B.C. government ID

“Trans people have a legal right to have their names and gender markers recognized,” said Adrienne Smith, litigation director for the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre’s All-Genders Legal Clinic.

“This change removes a barrier that will make the government application process easier for people. We still have lots of work to do to streamline the name and gender change application process. Our community has been calling for change for a long time. Removing this barrier to legal recognition signals that our government is listening.”

Adults wanting to change their gender designations will be required to complete an Application for Change of Gender Designation, which includes a self-declaration. People under 19 will also need to provide proof of parent and/or guardian support.

For people born in B.C.

If you want to change the gender designation on your birth certificate, you should do that first. You will have to pay a fee to get a new birth certificate.

The next step would be to send a copy of the new birth certificate to Health Insurance BC (HIBC). The province says HIBC will then send you a letter when the update has been made. After that, you would go to a driver licensing counter to have your photo BC Services Card and driver’s licence or BCID updated.

There is also fee for updating your licence or BCID.

If you don’t want to update your birth certificate but do want to change the gender designation on other documents, you can submit an Application for Change of Gender Designation to HIBC and then continue the process from there.

If you don’t have a BC Services Card, you can take the application and ID directly to a driver licensing office to update just your licence or BCID.

For B.C. residents born elsewhere in Canada

If you want to change the gender designation on a birth certificate, you should start with that by contacting the issuing Vital Statistics Agency. Once a new birth certificate has been received, you should send a copy to HIBC, if that applies to you.

If you don’t want to update your birth certificate, you can submit an Application for Change of Gender Designation to HIBC or take it directly to a B.C. driver licensing office. HIBC should send you a letter when this update is complete and direct you to an ICBC counter to have the photo BC Services Card and B.C. driver’s licence or BCID updated.