Nevada is now allowing people to list “X” as the gender on their driver’s license instead of male or female.
DMV spokeswoman Alex Walden says at least one person had successfully made the change at the Las Vegas DMV on Monday morning, the first day the non-binary gender option has been allowed. The shift, which has been several years in the making, comes on the heels of a 2016 move that allowed people to change their gender on their Nevada birth certificate.
“We want to make sure we’re inclusive and we offer everything equally,” Walden said. “We’re just falling in line with the idea that there shouldn’t be any kind of additional hoops for someone to jump through.”
Walden says those wishing to make the change should go in person to the DMV (an appointment is recommended) and write in gender “X” on forms. She said forms with a specific box designated gender “X” have been designed, but won’t be distributed to DMV offices until the existing supply of forms is exhausted.
Brooke Maylath, president of the Transgender Allies network, says Nevada officials didn’t want to be the first to implement the change but have taken it on as a handful of other states, including California, started allowing non-binary licenses.
Nevada is the tenth U.S. jurisdiction to allow non-binary designations on a driver’s license, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. Under Nevada’s new rule, approved through DMV regulations, there’s no medical documentation required to claim gender “X.”
“We now have one of the most progressive methodologies in the country that reduces systemic barriers and allows people to live an authentic life,” Maylath said.
Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak tweetedabout the news on Monday. “Proud that the Silver State is taking this step towards greater equality for #trans & #nonbinary Nevadans,” he wrote. “We must never stop working to empower all people to live authentically.”
To read the full story, go to the Nevada Independent.
