Utah

Change your name and sex designation in Utah

The big picture: Utah uses court for both. A name change needs a year of living in your county and a hearing. A sex designation change needs a judge to find strong proof of six things. That is more proof than Oregon or Washington ask for. The court's own online tool and forms walk you through it.

Last checked against official sources: November 3, 2026.

Why it matters

• Utah's birth certificate office changes the sex designation only with a court order. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page
• Knowing the six things the judge looks for, before you file, helps you gather the right proof the first time. Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111

What happened in 2026

A 2026 bill called H.B. 183, "Sex Designation Amendments," would have changed these rules. A Senate committee sent it back to the Rules Committee on March 4, 2026, and a bill tracker lists it as not passed. Source: Utah Senate notice, March 4, 2026 Source: LegiScan, HB 183 Not official The law on this page is the version that took effect May 7, 2025. Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111 Our reading

Can you ask for a name change?

• You must have lived in the county where you file for at least one year. Source: Utah Code 42-1-1
• You cannot file if you are in the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections. You also cannot file if Adult Probation and Parole supervises your probation or parole. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page
• You must say on the petition whether you are on the sex, kidnap, and child abuse offender registry. Source: Utah Code 42-1-1
• The court says you cannot change your name to avoid debts or criminal penalties, or to commit fraud. The new name also cannot be "bizarre, unduly lengthy, ridiculous, or offensive to common decency." Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page

What you must prove for a sex designation change

The judge must find "clear and convincing evidence" of all six of these. That means strong proof, more than "more likely than not." Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111

1. You are not involved in any kind of lawsuit.
2. You are not under Department of Corrections custody or supervision (the law's word is "offender").
3. You are not asking in order to commit a crime, avoid debts, interfere with other people's rights, affect a criminal sentence, or commit fraud.
4. You have transitioned to the sex you are asking for.
5. You have lived as that sex, in a consistent way, for at least six months.
6. The sex now on your birth certificate causes you "clinically significant distress or impairment."

The judge also weighs two kinds of evidence: Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111

• your medical history, care, or treatment related to transition
• proof that the sex you are asking for is sincerely held and part of your core identity

Court steps

Utah Courts lists five steps. These follow its page. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page

1. Step 1 Check that you can file, and gather proof

   Done with step 1: Check that you can file, and gather proof

   Read the name change limits and the six things above. For a sex designation change, gather your proof before you fill out forms.

2. Step 2 Fill out and file the forms

   Done with step 2: Fill out and file the forms
   • Easiest: Utah MyPaperwork (online forms that file for you) (official site). It asks you questions, fills in the forms, and sends them to the court for you.
   • Or use the PDF forms on the Utah Courts name and sex change page (official site).
   • File in the district court for the county where you live. Find your Utah district court (official site). Filing PDF forms in Utah County? File with the Provo courthouse.
   • Pay $375 or ask for a fee waiver. Utah Courts: ask for a fee waiver (official site).

3. Step 3 Go to the hearing

   Done with step 3: Go to the hearing

   The court schedules a hearing. Go to it. The judge may ask you questions. If the judge signs the order, ask how to get a certified copy. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page Source: Utah Code 42-1-1

   On the offender registry and asking for a name change? Send form 1703FA to the Offender Registration Program at least 30 days before the hearing: Offender Registration Program, Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, 4315 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT 84129, or registry@utah.gov.

4. Step 4 Send the order to Utah Vital Records

   Done with step 4: Send the order to Utah Vital Records

   Born in Utah? Send three things to Utah Vital Records: a certified copy of the signed order, Utah Vital Records form 902 (PDF) (official site), and the fee. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page

   It can take several weeks. Mailing address: Vital Records and Statistics, PO Box 141012, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012 Copy

5. Step 5 Tell everyone else

   Done with step 5: Tell everyone else

   Social Security (required if your name changed), the Driver License Division, your passport, banks, work, school, and doctors. Use the after-court checklist.

What it costs

• Court filing fee: $375. Source: Utah Courts fees Our reading Utah lists $375 as its general civil filing fee and links its fee page from the name and sex change page.
• Can't pay? Utah Courts: ask for a fee waiver (official site).
• Certified copy of the order: $4 per document plus 50 cents per page. Source: Utah Courts fees
• Vital Records: a fee to amend the birth certificate, and an extra fee if your case was sealed. We could not find the amounts. Not confirmed Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page

Who can see your case

When you ask for a sex designation change, including a name and sex change together, the court marks the case private. The papers you file are not public. The case history, public hearings, and records of public hearings still are. Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page Utah Courts: non-public records (official site).

A name-only case is not covered by that rule.

Utah birth certificate

• For people born in Utah. Utah's law applies only to birth certificates the state issued. Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111
• After the court order, Vital Records issues a new birth certificate that does not show which parts were changed, unless you ask it to.
• Vital Records also issues an amendment history that lists the changed fields and the date, and keeps a record of every amendment.

Driver license or ID

For a name change, the Driver License Division asks for legal documentation of the change, and accepts sealed court documents. Source: Utah Driver License Division

We could not find an official Utah page about changing the sex on a license or ID. Not confirmed Ask the Driver License Division (official site) before you go.

Changes for someone under 18

Utah has strict rules for a child's sex designation change. Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111

• A judge cannot grant it for a child younger than 15 years and 6 months.
• A judge cannot grant it unless the parent or guardian with legal custody gives permission.
• For a child 15 years and 6 months or older, the court appoints a guardian ad litem, a lawyer for the child. Unless the court finds them unable to pay, the parent or guardian pays for it.
• Known parents get notice and can object. The hearing is closed to the public.
• The judge must find clear and convincing evidence that the change is in the child's best interest. The judge must also find it would not create a risk of harm.
• The order does not take effect until the child is at least 16.

Good questions

What does "involved in any kind of lawsuit" mean for me?

The law uses those words and does not define them further on the page we read. If you are part of any court case, such as a divorce, custody case, debt case, or eviction, talk to a lawyer before you file. Source: Utah Code 26B-8-111 Our reading

Can I ask the court to use my pronouns?

Utah Courts has a page and a form for telling the court your pronouns. Utah Courts: tell the court your pronouns (official site).

What if the judge says no?

You can appeal. Utah Courts says appeals can be complicated and suggests getting legal advice. Utah Courts: finding legal help (official site). Source: Utah Courts name and sex change page

Could I file in another state instead?

Name changes are usually filed where you live. Oregon's law lets any Oregon circuit court hear a legal sex change. But we have not found an official answer for people who live outside Oregon. A Utah office also might not accept another state's order. Talk to a lawyer first. Our reading Read the Oregon question.

Get help in Utah

• Utah Courts Self-Help Center (official site): help with court forms and where to file.
• Utah Courts: finding legal help (official site): the court's list of ways to find a lawyer or legal help.
• Utah MyPaperwork (online forms that file for you) (official site)
• More free and low-cost help

Sources for this page

We read each of these on the date shown. See every source and what each label means.

1. Petition for Name or Sex Change (Gender Marker Change), Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
2. Utah Code 26B-8-111: Birth certificate name or sex designation change, Utah State Legislature (Effective May 7, 2025). Checked November 3, 2026.
3. Notice: 2nd Substitute H.B. 183, Sex Designation Amendments, returned to Rules Committee (March 4, 2026), Utah State Senate (March 4, 2026). Checked November 3, 2026.
4. Utah HB 183 (2026) bill status, LegiScan (Status as of March 6, 2026). Checked November 3, 2026. Not official
5. Utah Code title 42, chapter 1: Change of Name (42-1-1 to 42-1-3), Utah State Legislature (42-1-1 as amended by 2025 chapters 291 and 299). Checked November 3, 2026.
6. MyPaperwork, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
7. Court directory, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
8. Fees, Utah State Courts (Fees effective May 6, 2026). Checked November 3, 2026.
9. Fee waivers, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
10. Amendment of a Record by Court Order (form 902), Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics (Linked from Utah Courts). Checked November 3, 2026.
11. Non-public records, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
12. Utah Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health and Human Services (Live site). Checked November 3, 2026.
13. Name change (Driver License Division), Utah Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
14. Notice of Pronouns, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
15. Finding Legal Help, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.
16. Self-Help Center, Utah State Courts (Live page). Checked November 3, 2026.