FL Bans Gender Changes On State IDs, Drawing Criticism

FLORIDA — Members of the Florida transgender community can no longer change their genders on their driver's licenses due to a statewide ban.

A Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles memo sent Friday to county tax collectors said a policy was rescinded that had allowed the change.

Florida law previously granted transgender residents the opportunity to submit either a court order for a name change or a signed official statement from a physician detailing the person is undergoing treatment for gender transition, per the National Center for Transgender Equality.

"Permitting an individual to alter his or her license to reflect an internal sense of gender role or identity, which is neither immutable nor objectively verifiable, undermines the purpose of an identification record and can frustrate the state's ability to enforce its laws," the memo states, per Miami New Times.

The ban has drawn criticism since being established, including from Attorney Alejandra Caraballo, who maintained that the measure criminalizes the transgender community.

"Any trans person who has had theirs changed is potentially subject to suspension. Anyone attempting to change it after could be criminally prosecuted for 'fraud,'" Caraballo said on X, formerly Twitter.

Ash Orr, spokesperson for the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement to USA Today that the new policy is harmful and specifically takes aim at the transgender community.

"Access to identity documents is crucial in daily life, impacting activities like work, voting, travel and engagement with government institutions," Orr said in a Tuesday statement, per USA Today. "Ensuring everyone, including transgender people, have accurate official documents, such as driver's licenses, is vital for upholding our institutional rights."

Read more via USA Today and Miami New Times.