On this page, sex and gender are used interchangeably based upon the language used by the office the papers are filed at.
It is always a good idea to speak with an attorney before filing legal papers with the court. The paperwork you will need to change your sex designation on government issued documents may be different depending on where you were born. Look for the heading on this page that describes where you were born, for the information you need to change your sex designation.
Sex designation change applications are public records. This means they can be found and viewed by anyone. If you have personal safety concerns, you can ask the court to "seal" the records. Once a record is sealed it can only be opened by an order issued by the court or at your request. If you are concerned for your safety or your children's safety, read about Privacy.
Note: If you want to change your sex designation and your name, read Name Change Basics.