How to Change Your Gender with Social Security
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You can't change your gender online with Social Security; you must mail your application or visit an office.
You'll need to prove your identity and citizenship status.
The gender on the IDs you use to prove your identity don't have to match your SSA gender selection.
You can't change your gender online with Social Security; you must mail your application or visit an office.
You'll need to prove your identity and citizenship status.
The gender on the IDs you use to prove your identity don't have to match your SSA gender selection.
Changing your gender identity with the Social Security Administration (SSA) isn’t as straightforward as changing your name on the same record, though the steps are similar. You’ll use the same application, but you can’t submit your request online. You’ll have to mail your application or take it to an SSA office.
You don’t have to provide legal or medical documentation to justify your gender marker selection, but you will have to prove your identity and citizenship.
» Learn more: NerdWallet’s LGBTQ+ financial planning guide
How to change the gender marker on your Social Security record
Unlike when you update your name on your Social Security card, requesting a change to your gender marker doesn’t require legal or medical documentation of your current gender. The gender markers on documentation you provide don’t have to match the gender marker you’re selecting with Social Security.
However, you do have to prove your identity and citizenship.
If you are updating a gender marker for a minor who doesn’t have the necessary documentation, you can request to submit medical records that show gender, a final adoption decree or school records such as an ID card or administrative documents.
Proof of identity
The SSA accepts only specific types of IDs. These documents must be original or certified copies and up to date. The SSA doesn’t accept expired documentation or photocopies. The agency also prefers that IDs have a recent photograph. Examples of documentation that meets this criteria include:
U.S. passport.
U.S. driver’s license.
State-issued ID other than a driver’s license.
If you don’t have this documentation or lost it and can't get it replaced within 10 days, you can provide other documentation, such as a health insurance card (cannot be for Medicare) or a student, employee or military ID.
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Proof of citizenship
If you’ve never proven your citizenship status to the SSA before, you’ll need to do it as part of your application. If you were born in the U.S., you can provide a birth certificate or passport. If you were born outside of the U.S., depending on if you are a citizen, you can provide several different certificates, forms and visa documentation.
Mailing the application
You cannot update your gender marker online. Here's how the application process works:
Download the “Application for a Social Security Card” form from the SSA website.
Decide if you want to download it and fill it out on a computer before printing it or print it first and fill it out by hand. Instructions for how to complete the form are on Page 3 of the document.
Gather the necessary documentation to prove your identity.
Mail or take the packet to an SSA office. You can locate the SSA office that’s closest to you through SSA.gov.
Although the SAA returns records that you send with your application, you can use certified copies to avoid losing an original document if your packet is lost.
Visiting a local SSA office
If you want someone to help you with the process, you can complete your application in person at a local SSA office. But SSA offices can’t guarantee to see you the same day and may require you to schedule an appointment. You can search for the nearest office at SSA.gov.
To make save time at your appointment, you can prepare for the process by:
Getting your documentation together for proving your identity and citizenship.
Find the SSA office that works best for you and might be less busy by serving a smaller area.
Call your local SSA office to see if you need to schedule an appointment. Ask what the average wait time is for a given day.
If you’re unsure of how to complete your application or prepare for an appointment, you can call the SSA at 800-772-1213.
Reasons to change your gender on your Social Security record
If you identify as a gender other than what is in your Social Security record, there are several reasons you might want to change your gender marker. They all might not resonate with you, but everyone’s situation is different when it comes to gender identity.
For consistent identification. If you’ve updated your gender marker on IDs such as your driver’s license, passport or birth certificate, your Social Security record will not match. Updating your gender marker ensures your records match.
For statistics. The SSA uses its gender data as a demographic when calculating annual unemployment and poverty rates in statistical reports. If you want to be included in the agency’s statistics as the gender with which you identify, you’ll have to update your marker.
For personal validation. Some transgender people feel that having their gender reflected in records and on IDs validates their identity.
To avoid being outed or discriminated against. Individuals who have mismatched gender markers on their IDs and records are at a higher risk of being outed or facing discrimination . If you are worried about these situations, it might be helpful to update your gender marker.
There is no law requiring your gender identity with Social Security to match your gender identity with other agencies or IDs. If you are hesitant to change your gender identity with the SSA, you can wait to do so.
Although the SSA allows you to change your marker to reflect the binary gender with which you most identify, the agency’s terminology is inconsistent. On the Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5) and in many of its online resources, the SSA uses “sex” instead of “gender” or “gender identity.” When updating your record, you’ll likely see that these terms are used interchangeably.
The SSA currently only offers male and female gender options. The agency announced in 2022 that it is investigating how to implement a gender nonconforming marker. If you identify as gender nonconforming, consider if you want to choose a binary option or wait until an X-style marker is introduced. But keep in mind that the SSA hasn’t released an update on the nonbinary marker since 2022.
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Social Security gender terminology and options