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Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025

Is it possible to change the gender on your birth certificate in Minnesota if you were born outside the state?

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost
no

An email response from the Office of Vital Records at the Minnesota Health Systems Bureau confirms that birth certificates are the jurisdiction of the state where an individual was born. Because of this, Minnesota’s Office of Vital Records can only work to help people amend birth certificates if they were born in Minnesota. Other states have varying requirements for amending a birth certificate, along with filing fees.

If someone was born in Minnesota and wanted to change the gender on their birth certificate, they must have a letter from a physician indicating that they are receiving care associated with gender transition, or a court order to change gender on the document. Some other states, including neighboring Wisconsin, only allow a gender marker change to someone’s birth certificate if they have undergone gender-affirming surgery. Kansas and Tennessee do not currently allow gender to be changed on birth certificates.

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