HB 18-1046

House Bill 18-1046 changes Colorado’s birth certificate laws to make it easier for individuals to update their gender designation without needing a court order. This means that people can now apply directly to the state registrar to change their gender on their birth certificates, which was previously only possible after getting specific legal approvals from courts. The bill also allows those who already have amended birth certificates to request new ones reflecting these changes. It applies to both Colorado-born individuals and those born in other states or countries where court orders are required for such changes. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now official and enforceable.

Official Summary

Under current law, a person born in Colorado who seeks a new birth certificate from the registrar of vital statistics (state registrar) to reflect a change in gender designation must obtain a court order indicating that the sex of the person has been changed by surgical procedure and ordering that the gender designation on the birth certificate be amended, and the person must obtain a court order with a legal name change. The bill repeals that provision and creates new requirements for the issuance of birth certificates in cases of changes to gender designation or for an intersex individual. The bill requires that the state registrar issue a new birth certificate rather than an amended birth certificate. The bill allows a person who has previously obtained an amended birth certificate under previous versions of the law to apply to receive a new birth certificate. A person is not required to obtain a court order for a legal name change in order to obtain a new birth certificate with a change in gender designation. The courts in this state are given jurisdiction to issue a decree to amend a birth certificate to reflect a change in gender designation for persons born in another state or foreign jurisdiction if the law of such other state or foreign jurisdiction requires a court decree in order to amend a birth certificate to reflect a change in gender designation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

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