If you are transgender or nonbinary and live in Oregon, state law gives you some of the strongest protections in the country. Oregon transgender rights cover discrimination in jobs, housing, and public spaces, require insurers to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care, and let you update the gender marker on your driver’s license or birth certificate without a court order. A legal name change still requires a court petition, but you can combine it with a gender marker change in the same filing.
Where Oregon Law Protects You From Discrimination
Gender identity has been a protected class under ORS Chapter 659A since the Oregon Equality Act. That means three big areas of daily life are covered.
At work, an employer cannot fire you, refuse to hire you, demote you, or pay you differently because you are transgender.1Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 659A.030 – Discrimination Because of Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Marital Status, Age or Expunged Juvenile Record Prohibited Job assignments and working conditions are covered too. An employer also cannot force you to use a gender-neutral restroom in place of the one that matches your gender identity.2State of Oregon. Gender/Gender Identity at Work
In housing, landlords, sellers, and lenders cannot deny you a unit, change your lease terms, or refuse financing because of your gender identity.3Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 659A – Unlawful Discrimination in Employment, Public Accommodations and Real Property Transactions In public accommodations, including restaurants, stores, hotels, and medical offices, a business open to the public has to serve you on equal terms.4Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 659A.403 – Discrimination in Place of Public Accommodation
What To Do If You’re Discriminated Against
You have more than one path. You can file a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) through its online Complaint Resolution Center, by emailing boli_help@boli.oregon.gov, or by calling 971-245-3844.5State of Oregon. File a Complaint You can file with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, use your employer’s internal grievance process, or sue in state or federal court.6State of Oregon. Discrimination at Work
The deadlines matter. A BOLI complaint has to be filed within 180 days of the incident. A civil lawsuit for employment discrimination based on gender identity has a five-year window.7Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 659A.875 – Time Limitations A housing discrimination lawsuit has to be filed within two years. These are firm, so acting early keeps every option open.
Changing Your Gender Marker
Neither the DMV nor the state vital records office requires a court order for a gender marker change in Oregon.
Driver’s License or State ID
Go to any DMV office and ask to update your card. You can select M, F, or X. No court order, no doctor’s letter, no supporting paperwork about your sex or gender is needed, and the DMV does not verify your selection against Social Security records or any other database.8Oregon Department of Transportation. Changing Your Gender Marker on Your Driver’s License or ID Card You pay the standard replacement fee: $30 for a driver’s license, $40 for an ID card.9Oregon Department of Transportation. Driver Licensing and ID Card Fees
Birth Certificate
Since 2017, you can change the name and sex on an Oregon birth certificate by mailing a notarized application to the Oregon Health Authority. No court order required.10Oregon Health Authority. Change Birth Record to Support Gender Identity You attest that you are making the request to affirm your gender identity and provide identity documentation.11Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 432.235 – Requirements for Amending or Correcting Vital Record
The amendment fee is $35, and the first certified copy ordered by mail is $25, for a total of $60.12Oregon Health Authority. Vital Records Fees If you obtained a certificate within the past year, you can exchange it for the amended one for no extra charge beyond the amendment fee.13Oregon Health Authority. Change a Birth Record The new certificate does not show that it was amended.
Changing Your Legal Name
A legal name change does require a court order. If you want to change both your name and your sex at the same time, you can put both in a single petition.
Download the Petition for Change of Name/Sex packet from the Oregon Judicial Department website or pick one up at any circuit court.14Oregon Judicial Department. Change of Name or Sex Packet (Adult) A name-only change is filed in the circuit court of the county where you live. A sex change, or a combined petition, can be filed in any circuit court in Oregon.15Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 33.460 – Jurisdiction; Grounds; Procedure
The filing fee is $124.16Oregon Judicial Department. Circuit Court Fee Schedule 2026 If you cannot afford it, you can request a fee deferral or waiver by submitting financial documentation with the petition. A judge reviews the paperwork without a hearing in most cases. If the judge finds the change consistent with the public interest, they sign a General Judgment granting it.17Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 33.410 – Jurisdiction; Grounds Order several certified copies from the clerk. You’ll need them to update records with other agencies.
Disclosures That May Affect Your Petition
The petition asks whether you owe child support arrears, have a protective or restraining order against you, are on probation or parole, or are required to register as a sex offender.14Oregon Judicial Department. Change of Name or Sex Packet (Adult) None of these automatically bars a name change, but the court weighs them in the public interest determination. Be ready to explain the circumstances and provide case numbers. A judge may deny the petition if the change looks designed to evade legal obligations or interfere with someone else’s rights.
Sealing the Court Record
You can seal the court record of a sex change by checking a box on the petition. For a name-only change, sealing is available if you participate in Oregon’s Address Confidentiality Program under ORS 192.826, which protects survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and similar threats.14Oregon Judicial Department. Change of Name or Sex Packet (Adult) A sealed record won’t appear in public court databases.
Updating Federal Records After Your Oregon Changes
The federal picture has narrowed since early 2025, so some updates work and others no longer do.
For Social Security, submit Form SS-5 with your certified court order and a current ID such as a driver’s license or passport, and sign the form with your new name. As of January 31, 2025, the Social Security Administration no longer allows changes to the sex marker on Social Security records. The name update still goes through.
For a U.S. passport, Executive Order 14168 (January 20, 2025) ended the X marker, and the State Department now issues passports with only M or F, which the government requires to match the applicant’s sex assigned at birth.18U.S. Department of State. Sex Marker in Passports A name update is still available if you submit a certified court order with your application or renewal.
For Oregon voter registration, complete a new paper form (SEL 500), available at post offices, libraries, and county elections offices or by mail from the Elections Division. Fill out the updates section and send it to your county elections office.19Oregon Secretary of State. Update Voter Registration Information Updates are accepted until 8 p.m. on Election Day, though last-minute changes close to an election may mean picking up your ballot in person.
Insurance Coverage for Gender-Affirming Care
Under ORS 743A.325, Oregon health insurers cannot apply blanket cosmetic exclusions to gender-affirming procedures or deny coverage simply because a treatment relates to gender transition.20Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 743A.325 – Gender-Affirming Treatment; Rules Covered treatments include hormone therapy, facial feminization surgery, tracheal shave, hair electrolysis, and surgical revisions when a provider determines they are medically necessary.21Cornell Law Institute. Oregon Administrative Code 836-053-0441 – Gender Affirming Treatment
Before denying a gender-affirming claim, an insurer has to have the denial reviewed by a healthcare provider with experience in gender-affirming care. These rules apply to individual plans, employer group plans, marketplace plans, and the Oregon Health Plan.22Oregon Department of Financial Regulation. Gender-Affirming Care
On consent: Oregon residents 15 or older can consent to their own medical care, including gender-affirming treatment, without a parent’s permission.23Oregon Department of Justice. Gender Affirming Care Resources Younger minors need a parent or legal guardian’s consent for most medical decisions, gender-affirming care included.
Rights in Public Schools
Oregon public school students are protected from discrimination based on gender identity, which includes the right to use restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. The Oregon Department of Education provides guidance to districts on supporting gender-expansive students, including using students’ affirmed names and pronouns in school information systems and on assessment score reports.24Oregon Department of Education. Supporting Gender Expansive Students: Guidance for Schools
Under FERPA, a student 18 or older, or the parent of a younger student, can request that the school amend educational records that are inaccurate or misleading. Transgender students can use that process to update the name and gender marker in their school records.