Transgender Name & Gender Marker Change — A Guide for Bakersfield and Kern County Residents

Changing your legal name and gender marker is one of the most personally significant legal processes a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming person can undertake. California has some of the most progressive and accessible name-and-gender-change laws in the country — thanks in large part to the Gender Recognition Act (SB 179), which took effect in 2019, and subsequent legislation that has continued to streamline the process.

If you're in Bakersfield, Ridgecrest, Delano, or anywhere in Kern County, here's exactly how the process works — from the court petition to updating your birth certificate, driver's license, Social Security, and passport — and how to get your paperwork prepared correctly.

California's Gender Recognition Act (SB 179): What It Changed

Before SB 179, California required a physician's declaration and a court hearing to change your gender marker. That's no longer the case. Here's what the law now provides:

• No medical documentation required — You do not need a doctor's letter, proof of surgery, or proof of hormone therapy to petition for a gender marker change or a court order recognizing your gender. A simple sworn affidavit attesting to your gender identity is sufficient.
• Nonbinary recognition — California recognizes three gender markers: male, female, and nonbinary. Birth certificates, driver's licenses, and state ID cards all accommodate the nonbinary option.
• No publication required for gender changes — While a name change petition now generally requires publication (under a 2025 amendment), petitions that include a request for a gender marker change or recognition of gender are exempt from the publication requirement. The court will seal the record if you request it.
• Minors can petition — A minor can petition for a gender marker change with parent or guardian consent. The process is accessible and designed to minimize barriers.

Step 1: The Court Petition — Name and Gender Change Combined

The process starts at the Kern County Superior Court. You can petition for a name change alone, a gender marker change alone, or both together. Most people do both in a single petition to minimize court visits and filing fees.

For Kern County residents, you'll file at the Civil Division of the Superior Court at 1215 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. The key forms are:

• NC-100 Petition for Change of Name — The basic name change petition form. You state your current name, your proposed new name, and the reason for the change.
• NC-110 Attachment to Petition for Change of Name — Required with NC-100. Includes your address history, criminal history disclosure (if any), and declarations under penalty of perjury.
• NC-120 Order to Show Cause for Change of Name — The proposed order that the judge signs setting your hearing date and requiring publication (unless exempt).
• NC-130 Decree Changing Name — The final order the judge signs granting your name change.
• NC-125 Petition to Recognize Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate — This is the gender-recognition form. You attest under penalty of perjury that the request is to conform your legal gender to your gender identity and is not for any fraudulent purpose. No medical evidence required. You also use this form to request a new birth certificate reflecting your correct name and gender.
• NC-225 Order Recognizing Change of Gender — The proposed order the judge signs recognizing your gender and directing the California Department of Public Health to issue a new birth certificate.

The combined filing fee for a name and gender change petition in Kern County is approximately $435. Fee waivers are available for low-income petitioners — file Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) along with your petition.

Step 2: The Court Hearing (or Waiver)

For name-change-only petitions, the court generally sets a hearing 6-8 weeks out and requires publication of the Order to Show Cause in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four consecutive weeks before the hearing. In Bakersfield, that's The Bakersfield Californian.

However, if your petition includes a request for a gender marker change or recognition of gender (using form NC-125), you are exempt from the publication requirement under California Code of Civil Procedure § 1277.5. You should specifically request that the court waive publication and seal the record. The judge reviews the petition in chambers — a formal hearing is typically not required for a gender-related petition unless the judge has questions or the petition is contested.

This confidentiality provision is critical: it means your name and gender change are not advertised in the newspaper, and the court record can be sealed so your deadname is not accessible through a public records search. Be sure to request sealing on your petition.

Step 3: Certified Copies of the Court Orders

Once the judge signs the Decree Changing Name (NC-130) and the Order Recognizing Change of Gender (NC-225), you'll need multiple certified copies — not just photocopies. Every agency below requires a certified copy. I recommend at least 6-8 certified copies. The Kern County Superior Court clerk charges approximately $25-40 for the first certified copy and $15-25 for each additional copy.

Step 4: The Post-Court Paperwork — Every Agency, Every Form

The court order is just the beginning. Each government agency and institution has its own process for updating your name and gender marker. Here's the complete checklist:

California Birth Certificate

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Vital Records office issues new birth certificates for individuals born in California. Submit:

• Form VS 24 — Application for New Birth Certificate Following Recognition of Change of Gender (if gender is changing — this is a separate form from the court's NC-125)
• Certified copy of the Decree Changing Name (NC-130)
• Certified copy of the Order Recognizing Change of Gender (NC-225)
• Filing fee: $23 for the new birth certificate
• Mail to: CDPH Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410

If you were born in another state, you'll follow that state's procedure. Some states (including conservative states) have restrictive policies for birth certificate amendments — check your birth state's vital records office for current requirements. A California court order recognizing gender change is binding, but some states have resisted honoring out-of-state gender-change orders. If your birth state is hostile to transgender birth certificate amendments, consult an attorney familiar with that state's law.

California Driver's License or State ID

The DMV updates your name and gender marker directly — no court order required for the gender marker alone, but you do need the court order for the name change:

• Name change: Visit a DMV office with the certified Decree Changing Name. Complete Form DL 44 (available at the DMV). You must update your name with Social Security first — the DMV verifies your name against the SSA database. This takes 24-48 hours after the SSA updates your record.
• Gender marker change: Complete Form DL 329 (Gender Category Request). You self-certify your gender — male, female, or nonbinary. No medical documentation, no court order needed for the gender marker alone. Submit at any DMV office or online through the DMV portal.
• Bakersfield DMV: 3120 F Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Appointment strongly recommended — walk-in wait times can be 2+ hours.

Social Security Administration

Update your name and gender marker with the Social Security Administration:

• Name change: Complete Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Card). Submit with certified Decree Changing Name and proof of identity (current unexpired passport, or driver's license plus another document). Mail or visit the Bakersfield Social Security office at 5300 Office Park Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93309.
• Gender marker change: The SSA now permits self-selection of gender marker (male or female — nonbinary is not currently available at the federal level). Submit Form SS-5 with a certified court order recognizing gender change, a signed physician's letter, or a valid U.S. passport reflecting the correct gender. As of recent policy updates, self-attestation alone may be accepted — check the current SSA guidance at ssa.gov.

U.S. Passport

The U.S. Department of State allows self-selection of gender marker (M, F, or X for nonbinary) on U.S. passports. For a name change:

• If your current passport was issued less than 1 year ago: File Form DS-5504 (no fee for name change) with certified Decree Changing Name and new photo.
• If your passport was issued more than 1 year ago or you don't have one: File Form DS-11 (first-time application, in person at a passport acceptance facility — many Bakersfield post offices serve as acceptance facilities) or Form DS-82 (renewal by mail, if eligible). Standard passport fees apply.
• For a gender marker change: Simply mark M, F, or X on the form. No medical documentation required. The gender marker on your passport does not need to match the gender marker on any other document.

Other Agencies and Institutions

• Kern County voter registration — Re-register with your new name at registertovote.ca.gov. Your name must match your DMV record.
• Kern County property records — If you own real property, record a certified copy of the Decree Changing Name with the Kern County Recorder (1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield) to update title records. Recording fee: approximately $21 for the first page.
• Banks and financial institutions — Each bank has its own procedure. Typically requires certified Decree Changing Name plus updated government ID.
• Employer, insurance, and benefits — Submit certified Decree and updated SSA card to HR.
• Medical providers — Update your name and gender marker with each provider. Kaiser Permanente (Bakersfield Medical Offices on Ming Avenue), Dignity Health, and Clinica Sierra Vista all serve the Bakersfield area.
• Educational records — California Education Code requires schools to update a student's name and gender on records upon request. Submit certified Decree to the registrar. This includes Bakersfield College and CSU Bakersfield.

Common Mistakes in Kern County Transgender Name & Gender Petitions

• Forgetting to request sealing — If you don't specifically request that the court seal the record in your petition, your deadname, current legal name, and new name become a matter of public record accessible to anyone who searches court records. This is the single most important privacy protection in your petition — explicitly request it.
• Filing in the wrong courthouse — You must file in the county where you reside. For Bakersfield and most Kern County residents, that's the Kern County Superior Court on Truxtun Avenue. But the civil division handles name and gender changes — not family court, not probate.
• Not getting enough certified copies — One certified Decree is not enough. Each agency (CDPH, DMV, SSA, State Department, county recorder, banks) requires a certified copy. Get at least 6-8 at the time of the order — it's much harder to get additional copies months later if the record has been sealed.
• Updating DMV before Social Security — The DMV verifies your name electronically with the SSA. If you update the DMV first, your name won't match the SSA database and your DMV transaction will fail. Update SSA first, wait 24-48 hours, then visit the DMV.
• Missing the out-of-state birth certificate complication — Your California court order can change your name on an out-of-state birth certificate (for the name), but gender marker changes on out-of-state birth certificates are governed by the birth state's law — not California's. If you were born in Tennessee, Texas, Florida, or another state with restrictive policies, your California gender-recognition order may not be sufficient to amend that state's birth certificate. This is a fast-changing area of law — check your birth state's current policy.

How an LDA Can Prepare Your Kern County Name & Gender Change Petition

Transgender legal clinics and LGBTQ+ legal aid organizations exist in California but often have long waitlists — especially in Kern County, where resources are more limited than in Los Angeles or the Bay Area. As a Kern County Legal Document Assistant (LDA #237), I prepare the complete name-and-gender-change document set for a flat fee: the Petition for Change of Name, the Petition to Recognize Change of Gender, the proposed decrees and orders, and the request to seal the record. I also prepare the post-court forms — the VS 24 birth certificate application, the DMV gender category request, and the SSA application — so you walk out of the courthouse with everything you need to update every agency.

The clerk's counter at the Bakersfield courthouse can be intimidating, and the forms are not designed for self-represented petitioners filing a combined name-and-gender petition. I make sure every form is complete, every box is checked, and the sealing request is properly made.

Important: I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice about your specific situation, nor can I represent you if your petition is contested. I prepare documents at your direction. I am committed to providing respectful, dignified document preparation services to all Californians, and I welcome clients from the LGBTQ+ community.

Bakersfield Resources for the Transgender Community

• The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity (The Center) — Based in Bakersfield, provides support groups, resources, and referrals for the LGBTQ+ community in Kern County.
• Trans Lifeline — 1-877-565-8860. Peer support hotline run by and for trans people.
• TransFamily Support Services — Provides guidance for transgender youth and their families through the legal name and gender change process.
• California Courts Self-Help Center — The Kern County Superior Court has a self-help center on the first floor at 1215 Truxtun Avenue that can answer procedural questions about filing a name or gender change petition.

Bakersfield Transgender Name & Gender Change FAQs