How to update your gender on formal documents in Queensland

What is this resource? 

What is this resource? 

This resource is for trans and gender-diverse young people and their families in Queensland. 

We answer some common questions about updating your gender on formal documents, such as your: 

• birth certificate issued in Queensland 
  • If you are living in Queensland but your birth was registered outside Queensland, we also explain how to get a recognised details certificate, which can help you update your gender on other documents. 
• driver’s licence records 
• federal documents: 
  • passport 
  • Centrelink 
  • Medicare records. 

To find out more, click on the hyperlink above for the document or record you want to update. 

Can you update your gender on formal documents? 

On most formal documents, yes. However, different documents have different requirements and different gender identity options. 

The steps required depend on whether the document you would like to change is issued by: 

1. a state or territory government organisation; or  

2. a federal government organisation. 

How to update the gender on your Queensland birth certificate 

Birth certificates are issued and regulated at a state and territory level. This means that the approach to updating your birth certificate to match your gender identity will be different depending on which state or territory your certificate was issued in. In Queensland, this is managed by the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.  

You can apply to ‘change your record of sex’ in Queensland if: 

• your birth or adoption was registered in Queensland; and 

• you have not changed your record of sex in Queensland in the last 12 months; and 

• you are at least 16 years old. 

You may also choose to change your first name and middle names at the same time. 

You do not need to have had gender-affirming surgery to apply. 

What if your birth was registered outside Queensland?

If your birth was registered somewhere else in Australia, you will need to apply to update your gender in the state or territory you were born in. The factsheet for the state or territory that issued your birth certificate will have the eligibility requirements for updating the gender on your birth certificate.     

What if you are under 16 years old?   

If you are under 16, your parent(s) or legal guardian can apply on your behalf. Your application must by supported by an assessment from a ‘developmentally informed practitioner‘, confirming that you understand the meaning and legal effects of altering your record of sex. For more information, see the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website. 

Recognised details certificate 

If your birth was registered outside Queensland but you have lived in Queensland for at least 12 months, you can apply for a recognised details certificate instead. This certificate can help you update your gender on other documents (see below). 

You can apply for a recognised details certificate if you are 16 or above; and: 

• You have lived in Queensland for at least one year; and 

• You have not changed your record of sex in Queensland in the last 12 months; and 
• Your birth is not registered in Australia

If you are in the custody of Corrective Services or have been previously convicted of certain types of offences you will require written approval from the CEO Corrective Services prior to applying. See further information here. 

This certificate can help you update your gender on other documents. 

How do you apply to ‘change your record of sex’ or for a recognised details certificate? 

1. Complete the relevant form (all forms are available here) 
   • If you are 16 or older, the form includes a statutory declaration declaring that you identify as the sex stated in your application and live or seek to live as a person of that sex. You must make this declaration before a Justice of the Peace or other authorised witness. 
   • If you are under 16, your parent(s) or guardian must make a declaration before another adult that all the information they have provided is correct. If you are aged 12 to 15, you also need to make a declaration that you identify as the gender on the form. 
   • You can nominate your sex descriptor in your application form.  
2. Get your supporting documents: 
   • One of the following: 
     • if you are 16 or older: a supporting statement from an adult (18 years or older) who has known you for at least 12 months (this statement is made on the application form); or 
     • if you are under 16: a supporting assessment from a ‘developmentally informed practitioner‘ (this assessment is made on the application form). 
   • Copies of your proof of identity documents (see list here), certified by an authorised witness such as a Justice of the Peace or a Legal Practitioner: 
     • If you are under 16, your parent(s) or guardian will also need to provide certified proof of their identity/identities. 
   • If your current birth certificate shows a different sex marker to your proof of identity documents, you also need to provide a certified copy of document(s) showing details of this change (for example, a recognised details certificate from another state or territory). 
   • If you are applying for a recognised details certificate, you also need to provide: 
     • a certified copy of your birth or adoption certificate; and 
     • a certified copy of proof that you have lived in Queensland for at least 12 months.  
3. Submit your application and supporting documents by either: 
   • posting them to Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, PO Box 15188, CITY EAST QLD 4002; or 
   • taking them in person to the Brisbane registry customer service centre at Level 32, 10 Ann Street, Brisbane (you can prebook an appointment online here). 
4. Pay the required fees: 
   • There are separate fees to change your record of sex and to order a new official birth certificate. See here for more information about the types of birth certificates available and associated fees. 
   • If you are applying for a recognised details certificate, the application includes one copy of your recognised details certificate and the current fees are listed here: If you were born outside of Queensland | Your rights, crime and the law | Queensland Government . 

How to update the gender on your driver’s licence records 

The steps to update the records associated with your driver’s licence depend on the state or territory that issued your licence. 

What you need to do in Queensland 

There is no sex/gender marker on physical driver’s licence cards issued in Queensland. However, the Department of Transport and Main Roads records the sex of each person when they apply for a licence. 

To update the records associated with your driver’s licence, you will need to visit a transport and motoring customer service centre with your updated birth certificate or a recognised details certificate. 

For your updated sex descriptor, you can choose between male, female or whatever descriptor is on your Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages record. 

Where to get help and more information 

Updating documents: 

• The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender. 

• The Attorney-General’s Department provides guidance on what is required to make a statutory declaration in Queensland. 

• For more information updating your gender on your driver’s licence, visit the Queensland government’s website. 

Support

• The Department of Foreign Affairs offers travel advice for LGBTQIA+ travellers on its Smart Traveller website. 
• Parents of Gender Diverse Children provides peer support nationally to parents and those parenting trans and gender-diverse children. 
• The LGBTI Legal Service offers free and confidential legal advice to Queensland residents who identify as members of the LGBTIQA+ community. To see if they can help with your type of legal issue, call Client Services on (07) 3124 7160 or visit their website.