Western MA Trans Resource Guide

The process is explained on the Mass.gov website. Below are the details.

How to File
You can file for a legal name change in-person, by mail, or online. To do so in-person, you go to the office of the Register of Probate in the Probate and Family Court in the county in which you reside. In Hampden County, the court is at 50 State Street in Springfield. In Hampshire County, the court is at 15 Atwood Drive in Northampton. The hours for both courts are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. If you file by mail, this is also where you would send your request. Go here to file online. There is an additional fee of $22 for e-filing.

What You Will Need to Bring/Send

--A certified copy of your birth certificate
One can be ordered here. The cost and delivery time depend on whether the request is made in-person (in Dorchester, MA), online, by mail, or by phone.

--Previous name change decrees (if any)
If your name has been previously changed by decree of court or at marriage, either a copy of record of birth so amended, a copy of such decree, or a copy of record of marriage must be filed with the application.

--Name Change Petition Form
This form is available here. The form asks why you are changing your name. You do not have to indicate that you are trans or nonbinary and do not need to be on hormones, to have had gender-affirming surgery, or to have a letter from a doctor or therapist. Some people choose to write "personal reason" or "it's the name I use."

As long as you are not changing your name in order to commit fraud, you have the legal right to change your name. A criminal record check and a check of outstanding court cases, warrants, and restraining orders will be done for all name-change petitioners over 7 years old. If you are denied the right to change your name because of a criminal record, you may wish to contact a lawyer.

Cost
The cost to file for a name change is $180. The fee may be paid by money order or personal check (if in-person or by mail) or by credit card (if in-person or online). If you receive public benefits, have an income near or below the federal poverty line, or otherwise cannot afford $180, you may request that the fee be waived by declaring indigence. The forms to do so are available here.

Process
All name change petitions are published in a local newspaper. There is a separate charge for publication and you can usually choose the paper in which the notice is published. If you have a good reason that the notice should not be published, you can file a motion to waive publication and an affidavit (a sworn statement) stating why you do not wish to have this information published. You may have to appear before a judge to explain your reasons.

Each probate court has a different process for handling name changes. In some courts, you may go before a judge or before a judge's clerk. In other courts, the judge looks at the name change application outside of the petitioner's presence. You may be able to finish everything that day or you may be required to return on a subsequent date.'

For additional help, see the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition's Identity Document Assistance Network

 Changing the Name on Your License

To file for a name change on a Massachusetts driver's license, you need to go to a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Service Center. In Western Massachusetts, RMV Service Centers are located in Easthampton (16 Pleasant Street), Greenfield (18 Miner Street), Chicopee (1011 Chicopee Street), Springfield (1250 St. James Avenue), Pittsfield (333 East Street), and North Adams (33 Main Street). A list of all RMV locations, hours, and directions are available on the RMV website. You must make an appointment to have a new photo taken and a signature captured.

What You Will Need to Bring

--A court order showing your legal name change (see the information above on legally changing your name in Massachusetts).

--Your Social Security card with your new legal name
After obtaining a name change court order, you need to go to a Social Security office to obtain a new Social Security card before you can change your name with the RMV. In Western Massachusetts, Social Security offices are located in Holyoke (200 High Street), Springfield (70 Bond Street), Pittsfield (78 Center Street), and North Adams (96 Marshall Street). Hours and directions are available on the Social Security website.

--Proof of address/residency, such as a utility bill or bank statement with your name and address on it.

--Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or ID Card Application
The form is available here.

Changing the Gender on Your License

To change the gender marker on a Massachusetts driver's license, you will need to make a reservation at an RMV Service Center, as described above for a name change.

What You Will Need to Bring

--Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or ID Card Application
The form is available here. The gender marker can be F, M, or X, and no proof of gender identity is required to change your gender marker.

Cost

The cost to obtain an amended driver's license is $25.

More information on amending a driver's license is available on the Mass.gov website.
 

Name and/or gender marker changes on a Massachusetts birth certificate can be done in-person (in Dorchester, MA) or by mail. 

What You Will Need to Bring/Send

--If you are changing your name and/or gender marker, you will need to complete the Applicant Affidavit in Support of Amendment of a Birth Certificate for Sex. The gender marker can be F, M, or X, and no proof of gender identity is required to change your gender marker.

--If you are changing your name, you will also need a court order showing your legal name change (see the information above on legally changing your name in Massachusetts).

Cost

The cost to obtain an amended birth certificate is $70 in-person and $82 by mail.

More information on amending a birth certificate is available on the Mass.gov website.