Missourians looking to change gender on driver's license have more hoops to jump through

Missourians looking to change gender markers on their driver's licenses will have a harder time doing so after a state agency quietly removed a key piece of paperwork.

In early August, the Missouri Department of Revenue did away with Form 5532, which allowed Missourians to request a change of the gender markers on their driver's license or non-driver's license. Now, state residents must submit medical documentation validating they underwent gender reassignment surgery or obtain a court order declaring their gender designation.

When asked about the reasoning behind the decision, the Missouri Department of Revenue provided the following statement to the News-Leader:

"Form 5532 is no longer needed. Customers are required to provide either medical documentation that they have undergone gender reassignment surgery, or a court order declaring gender designation to obtain a driver license or nondriver ID card denoting gender other than their biological gender assigned at birth."

The department did not indicate when the form was officially removed from its website and offices.

In response to the Department of Revenue's actions, PROMO, Missouri's largest LGBTQIA+ public policy and advocacy organization, launched its "The ID for Me" campaign on Monday.

For the campaign, PROMO established an online submission form Missourians can complete if they are having trouble changing their gender markers without Form 5532.

PROMO Executive Director Katy Erker-Lynch said the submission form was created to help the organization determine how many Missourians are being impacted by the removal of Form 5532. Additionally, the form allows PROMO staff to connect these individuals with resources in their communities. Over the past two weeks, PROMO staff have spoken with about 15-20 people, Erker-Lynch said.

For Erker-Lynch, the Missouri Department of Revenue's decision to remove Form 5532 showed a lack of connection with Missourians.

"The Department of Revenue clearly failed to speak with trans and gender expansive Missourians," Erker-Lynch said. "If they had spoken with community members, they would have learned that many trans people do not desire to have surgery. They would have learned that the process was already very cumbersome and expensive and they would have determined that a judge should not make these determinations."

In 2016, the Missouri Department of Revenue and PROMO worked together to update the state's process for changing gender markers. The result, according to a PROMO news release , was the creation of Form 5532, "a step in the right direction allowing a doctor, not a judge, to determine someone's self-identifying gender."

Since the removal of Form 5532, another way Missourians can change their gender markers — aside from submitting medical documentation or a court order — is by applying for a passport.

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"However, we know not everyone is able to get one either because of the cost or because of the wait time," Erker-Lynch said. For adults applying for a passport (for the first time or as a renewal), a passport card is $30 and a passport book is $130.

"The wait time is incredibly important because IDs are the keys to everyday life," Erker-Lynch said. "Think of how many times you use your ID every week. Having an ID that matches who you are is a basic necessity that allows everyone to live unencumbered lives."

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com .

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missourians looking to change gender on driver's license have more hoops to jump through