NEWS / WV bill to lock sex designation on birth certificates

A newly introduced bill in the West Virginia House of Delegates would require the child’s sex on state-issued birth certificates to be listed as either male or female, prohibiting the term “non-binary”. The bill would also make it impossible to change the sex marker on the vital record, even if the individual later undergoes gender reassignment surgery.

Under the new provision, the birth certificate sex marker would be set permanently at birth on the original birth certificate record, which is maintained by the West Virginia Vital Statistics Office.

According to Lootpress, The bill would also make it harder to change the sex marker on driver licenses, learner permits, and identification cards. Applicants would need to provide medical documentation confirming completion of gender reassignment surgery as well as a court order ruling on the gender designation change.

The Division of Motor Vehicles would be tasked with verifying the required medical documentation and court order. Without this documentation, the DMV would be prohibited from changing the sex marker on the identification markers.

Supporters of the bill underscore that the bill would ensure consistency, while critics argue that it would restrict access to accurate identification for transgender and non-binary West Virginians.

If you need to retrieve a birth certificate to get it apostilled or authenticated for use abroad, feel free to contact us via e-mail at info@apostille.us or by phone at (212) 233-7061. You can also place an order on our website.