Name Change
Many transgender people change their legal name to better reflect their gender identity. While state laws generally allow individuals to change their legal name for any non-criminal purpose, many states still have outdated and burdensome requirements that create substantial barriers to achieving a legal name change. One of the most common and problematic requirements is that a person must publicly post or publish their legal name change request, often in a local newspaper. This not only poses a financial obstacle (as the publication typically must be paid for), but also puts the person at risk of potential harm, harassment, or discrimination. Another significant barrier is that many states have additional rules and restrictions on name changes for people who have a criminal record. These aspects of the name change process are reflected in the map below. For more information, please see the Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE)Â Identity Documents Center.
Recommended citation for this set of maps:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Identity Document Laws and Policies.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/identity-document-laws-and-policies/. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Recommended citation for this specific map:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Name Change Policies.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/identity-document-laws-and-policies/#name-change. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Percent of Transgender Population Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender population (ages 18+) living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender people in the U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.
