Texas stops letting drivers change sex on licenses

The state Department of Public Safety website removed a section on changing the sex information on driver’s licenses this week. Driver License Division chief Sheri Gipson confirmed to local news outlet KUT on Wednesday that Texans may no longer change government documentation in response to a court order. Previous department policy allowed drivers to list a different sex than their biological sex on a license if they presented a new birth certificate or a certified court order.

What prompted the change? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton raised concerns about the validity of court orders issued to demand state agencies change government records, the department told KUT in a statement. The Department of Public Safety stopped accepting court orders for changing sex information on driver’s licenses as of Aug. 20, according to the Texas State Law Library. Now the sex on a driver’s license may only be changed to rectify a clerical error.

The new policy applies to all governmental departments, including the Texas Department of State Health Services, meaning the court orders necessary to change a birth certificate may no longer be accepted.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Arkansas removing the “X” gender option for driver’s licenses earlier this year.