The Gender Recognition Act 2004 enables transgender people to apply to the Gender Recognition Panel to receive a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Applicants who are granted a full Gender Recognition Certificate, from the date of issue, are considered in the eyes of the law to be of their acquired gender.
Having a certificate means you can:
- acquire a new birth or adoption certificate, if it was registered in the UK
- get married or form a civil partnership in your affirmed gender
- acquire a new marriage or civil partnership certificate, if it was registered in the UK
- have your affirmed gender on your death certificate when you die
It will not change your legal status as the father or mother of a child.
You can read more about how to apply on gov.uk.
Getting a new birth certificate
When you’re issued a Gender Recognition Certificate, we’re notified by the Gender Recognition Panel. This means we’ll add your details to the Gender Recognition Register, which registers:
- your affirmed or acquired gender
- your new name, if you have one
Sending you a draft
We’ll send you a draft of the information to be recorded in the Gender Recognition Register in the form of a draft birth certificate. This is to:
- show you what the birth certificate would look like
- resolve any questions before the registration goes ahead
After you confirm the draft is correct
We’ll then:
- create a new record in the Gender Recognition Register
- advise how to acquire a new birth certificate
If you’re adopted, we can also issue a new extract from the Adopted Children Register if appropriate.
Your current contact details will not be recorded in the register, such as your address.
The Registrar General for Scotland maintains a confidential link between the original birth record and the record in the Gender Recognition Register. The Gender Recognition Register is not open to public scrutiny.
Registration of Marriage or Civil Partnership after gender recognition
If you're married or in a civil partnership, after gender recognition you can:
- re-register your marriage or civil partnership
- do nothing and leave the register entry as it is
If you re-register your marriage or civil partnership, we'll update the entry to reflect your gender recognition certificate.
You can read guidance on registering marriages and civil partnerships following gender recognition.
To apply you should complete either:
Contacts
For application for gender recognition certificates, contact the Gender Recognition Panel.
Gender Recognition Panel
PO Box 9300
Leicester
LE1 8DG
Telephone: +44(0) 300 1234 503
Email: GRPenquiries@justice.gov.uk
For information on the registration processes or about registering after gender recognition, contact us.
