PennDOT to Add Third Gender Option for State IDs
Starting next year Pennsylvania residents will have an easier option to choose something other than male or female when selecting their gender for driver's licenses and state identification.
In 2020 motorists and those getting state identification will have the option to choose the letter "X" rather than "M" for male or "F" for female.
The move adds Pennsylvania to the thirteen other states that allow residents to choose a non-binary option on their driver's licenses according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
The change will not affect the federal REAL ID regulations because under federal law the listing of one's gender is left up to the state's discretion.
In 2010 PennDOT started allowing transgender people to get driver's license gender markers without having to undergo a sexual reassignment surgery, as long as they had a doctor's signature showing they were living full-time in the gender lifestyle on their license. This change in 2020 would remove the step of needing a doctor's signature.