If you look at your Quebec health insurance card or your passport, you’ll notice that it includes your legal name and a gender marker: F, M, or X. This is the case for many pieces of ID and other official documents. If you’re trans, non-binary or genderqueer, you can change your gender marker and first name to match your gender identity. This step in your legal transition is called a “change of sex designation” in Quebec.
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Changing your legal information to match your gender identity
If you want to legally change your gender marker, you need to send an application to Quebec’s registrar of civil status, the Directeur de l’état civil.
For your new gender marker, you can choose F, M, or X. You can use this application to legally change your first name at the same time, but you don’t have to.
If you have a child, you can also use this application to change your parental title on their act of birth. You can choose “mother”, “father” or “parent”.
Your first application is free. You can apply to change your gender marker and first name again later if you need to, but you will need to pay a fee.
This application is right for you if you want to change your first name and gender marker because of your gender identity. But you would need to use a different application if you wanted to change your full legal name or substitute your usual given name with a different one on your act of birth.
Requirements to know before applying
You need to meet some requirements to legally change your gender marker and first name. Quebec residency is the most important one. Most people don’t need approval from family members or a licensed medical professional, but some do. You don’t need to seek gender-affirming medical care if you don’t want to.
Quebec residency
In most cases, you need to have been living in Quebec for at least a year before you can file an application. As an exception to this rule, you can file an application in Quebec if you were born here and are now living somewhere where you can’t make this change.
Approval from family members
Legally changing your first name and gender marker is a personal decision. Most people can file an application by themselves and don’t need to involve their family. Here are some exceptions to this rule, broken down by age:
Age
Who can file the application or say no
18 or older
You file the application yourself. No one can say no to you changing your gender marker or first name.
Your child can say no to you changing your parental title on their act of birth if they’re 14 or older. So, you will need to submit proof that your child received a copy of your application.
14 to 17
You can file the application, or your parent or legal guardian can do it for you.
If you file the application yourself, you don’t need to tell your parents or legal guardian. They can’t say no to your application.
If your parent or legal guardian files the application for you, they need to submit proof that you received a copy. If you didn’t want them to file this application for you, you can say no to it.
13 or younger
A parent or legal guardian needs to file the application for their child. Usually, the other parent or legal guardian needs to receive a copy of the application and can say no to it.
If Quebec’s registrar of civil status can’t process your application because a family member says no, you may be able to ask a court to decide. You can ask a legal professional for advice or help with this.
Approval from a licensed medical professional
If you’re 18 or older, you don’t need a letter from a licensed medical professional for your first application. If you need to change your gender marker and first name again later, you will need a letter for that application.
If you’re 17 or younger, you need a letter from a licensed medical professional to apply. This letter confirms the changes you’re requesting are right for you.
Gender-affirming care
You don’t need to seek gender-affirming care to legally change your gender marker and first name. You get to decide if you want to transition legally, medically, or both. You can make each these decisions separately, whenever you feel ready.
Choosing the right application form
The form you need to use depends on your age and situation. Here’s a list:
Age and situation
Form to use
You’re 18 or older.
You’re between the ages of 14 and 17 and filing the application yourself.
You’re between the ages of 14 and 17 and your parent or legal guardian is filing the application for you.
You’re filing an application for your child who is 13 or younger.
Each form comes with a bit of a different process and different required documents. Read the form carefully and get help if you need it.
The organization Juritrans offers trans ID legal clinics in person and virtually. They can help you fill out the form. The organization Aide aux trans has a helpline and other resources for people who are trans, non-binary or questioning their gender.
If the legal name change is for someone who was born outside Quebec, you need to start with an extra step. You need to submit an “Application for Insertion of an Act Made Outside Québec into the Québec Register of Civil Status” together with the required documents. You will need a certified French translation of any official documents, like birth certificates, that are written in another language.
Changing your ID and other documents
If Quebec’s registrar of civil status approves your application, they will make changes to your act of birth and your act of marriage or civil union (if you have one). If you’re a parent, they will also change your first name and parental title on your child’s act of birth.
Quebec’s registrar of civil status can inform certain provincial government bodies about the change. This is explained in more detail in the part of the application called “Application for the Simplified Forwarding of Information Following a Change to the Act of Birth”.
You’re responsible for telling anyone else who needs to know about the change. You will also need to take some extra steps to change your ID:
Piece of ID
What you need to do
Health insurance card
Fill out this online questionnaire. It will give you detailed instructions for how to get a new health insurance card based on your specific situation.
Driver’s licence
Book an in-person appointment at a service outlet for Quebec’s automobile insurance board, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). Make sure to bring the certificate you received from Quebec’s registrar of civil status, the Directeur de l’état civil.
Passport
Apply for a new passport and include the form called “Request – Sex or Gender Identifier”. You can find a copy of this form on the Government of Canada’s website.
Changing other legal documents is optional
You can also ask to change any legal documents that you signed using your deadname. Examples of legal documents include a contract or a will. You might have to pay something to change the document, depending on what it is.
If you don’t do this, legal documents using your deadname are still valid. And any court cases opened under your deadname can continue under your new name. Your rights and responsibilities stay the same as they were before you changed your first name.