Changes or amendments to birth certificates are done by the state agency that issued the original certificate.
Every state has its own policy regarding changes to birth records. Some states will issue a new birth certificate with corrected name and sex; some will amend the document but leave the original information intact; a few will not change sex designation at all. Some require a surgeon’s letter documenting sex reassignment surgery, and others require a court order of change of sex.
What you are able to have changed and what documentation you have to submit depends entirely on the state in which you were born.
- Summaries of birth certificate policies for individual states and Canadian provinces – From Dr. Becky’s website
The best thing to do is to visit the website of the public health or vital records department of your birth state, or contact them directly to get the most current information on the procedure and requirements.
Here is birth certificate information for people born in Oregon:
- Oregon Center for Health Statistics
Changing a birth certificate (contact info and instructions)
Request to change birth certificate (PDF printable form)
As another example, here is information from California:
- California Department of Public Health – Vital Records
Information on correcting or amending a California birth certificate
How to change a California birth certificate (PDF publication)
How to change gender on a California birth certificate (PDF publication)
Normally you can request and pay for a copy of your new or amended birth certificate at the time you submit the changes.
If you have not amended your birth certificate but need to obtain a copy of the original, you can request one through the vital records agency of the state or county where you were born. This usually requires a notarized sworn statement of identity to get an authorized copy (i.e. you have to prove you are yourself). This can be problematic if you have legally changed your name, so you may want to contact the agency and ask how the request forms should be filled out and if they need to receive documentation of your name change.