Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Blocks Transgender Individuals from Changing Gender Markers on IDs Without Birth Certificate Update
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has implemented a new policy that prevents transgender individuals from changing the gender marker on their driver’s licenses or state identification cards at their request. Under this new rule, transgender people must first update the gender marker on their birth certificate to align with their gender identity before they can request a change on their state ID. This change was mandated by language included in the state budget signed by Republican Governor Mike DeWine in June. Previously, Ohioans could change their gender marker on IDs by simply submitting a form to the BMV, a process that has now been immediately discontinued. The new law defines 'sex' based on biological indicators present at birth, explicitly disconnecting it from an individual's internal sense of self or gender identity. 
