The Gender On ID Cards In BC Can Now Be Changed Without Confirmation From A Doctor

Anyone who is changing their gender designation on a B.C. government ID no longer needs to get confirmation from a doctor or psychologist.

As of January 10, a person who is changing their gender on a B.C. Services Card, driver’s licence, ID card or birth certificate is able to do so without medical confirmation.

A press release from the government of B.C. said that the change in policy "stems from initial progress made when B.C. was the first jurisdiction in Canada to revise its legislation to remove the requirement for surgery before an individual can change the gender on their birth certificate."

This change also comes after B.C. officially recognized the "X" gender marker on government identification in 2018. In order to have this gender designation on your identification though, you needed a doctor or psychologist to sign off on it, until now.

Grace Lore, the parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said that "moving to a non-medical model of gender identification will reduce a real barrier that two-spirit, transgender, non-binary and other gender-diverse people in the province face when trying to change their identification documents."

"Each individual knows their own gender best, and today, I am proud that our government is recognizing this by taking landmark action," Lore added.

In order to change their gender designation on B.C. IDs, people need to fill out an Application for Change of Gender Designation. If someone is under 19 years old, they also need to have proof of support from a parent or a guardian.

Adrian Dix, the minister of health in B.C., said that the government will continue to work toward "creating a health-care system that works for everyone."