FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2023

Equality Illinois Heralds July 1st Effective Date of Trans-Affirming Birth Certificate Law 

CHICAGO – Effective July 1, trans and gender-expansive individuals born in Illinois will be able to self-identify for gender marker corrections on their birth certificates because of a law approved by Governor JB Pritzker earlier this year, according to Equality Illinois, the state’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

Gov. Pritzker signed Public Act 102-1141 on February 17, 2023. The law was advanced by Equality Illinois, the Transformative Justice Law Project, Lambda Legal, and Chicago House and Social Service Agency and sponsored by State Sen. Laura Fine (D–Glenview) and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D–Glenview).

“Many states across the country are advancing hateful, harmful, and discriminatory anti-trans policies. But this law, which advances the state’s commitment to equality and inclusion, reduces barriers, and will help trans and gender-expansive people be safer as their authentic selves.” said Equality Illinois Director of Communications Myles Brady Davis.

The law brings the state’s birth certificate law into alignment with federal policies for Social Security records and U.S. Passports and the state’s driver’s license policy – all of which only require self-identification to correct the gender marker on those documents. For birth certificates, the old law in Illinois required an individual to provide a healthcare provider’s note to the Illinois Department of Public Health in order to correct the gender marker. After Public Act 102-1141 takes effect on July 1, an individual born in Illinois would be able to correct the gender marker on their birth certificate by providing a self-attested form and the applicable fee to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

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