New Jersey Now Offers 'X' Gender Option On Driver's Licenses And IDs

New Jersey has added an "X" gender option on its driver's licenses and non-driver identification cards, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) announced Monday.

The new "X" gender option will indicate a gender is unspecified, a press statement released by the MVC explained. It will be offered alongside the existing "M" (Male) and "F" (Female) gender options on licenses and IDs.

"This is offered not only to New Jersey residents who identify as non-binary, but for anyone who prefers that their gender not be specified on their license or ID," the commission stated.

"Diversity and inclusion are core values for New Jersey, and for all of us at the MVC," MVC chief administrator Sue Fulton said in a statement. "We know this new option will be deeply impactful for many residents, as access to resources and the ability to live and work freely so often hinges on having documentation that correctly reflects your identity."

Christian Fuscarino, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Garden State Equality, was quoted in the MVC release as saying, "We're thrilled that New Jersey has joined 19 other states and Washington, DC in offering X gender markers on driver's licenses and state IDs."

"This option will allow New Jerseyans, particularly nonbinary and intersex people, to enjoy a right many of us take for granted – having ID that accurately reflects who we are. We applaud the MVC for taking another step to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ New Jerseyans," Fuscarino continued.

People who wish to change the gender marker on their existing driver's license or IDs need only to fill out a form available on the MVC website and visit an MVC licensing center as a walk-in customer, the commission said. There, they will be asked to surrender their current license or ID and pay a standard fee of $11 to receive a duplicate card.

The addition of the "X" gender option was originally scheduled for late 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission said. MVC also said that required modifications to the commission's computer system contributed to the delay.

The option to change the gender designation on licenses and IDs was announced by the MVC in February 2020 following the passage of the "Babs Siperstein Law" in 2018, which removed the requirement for a person to submit gender reassignment surgery documentation in order to change their sex designation on state records.