Paperwork at the Department of Motor Vehicles just got a little easier for non-binary New Yorkers this week.
Anyone who does not identify as male or female can update their gender to “X” on their ID card, and vehicle title and registration, said County Clerk Jamie Romeo.
It’s the most recent development since the state’s Gender Recognition Act was signed into law last year.
“We've been really pushing the DMV to make a lot more changes. And we're very happy to see Governor Hochul and the state DMV to move in this direction,” Romeo said. “We'll be here to help individuals walk through this process and hopefully, it will be a very less invasive and burdensome process than it's been in the past.”
State Assemblymember Harry Bronson, who had advocated for state-government recognition of non-binary residents for years, said this is about respect.
“If we're going to recognize the dignity of everyone, then we need to realize that there are individuals who neither identify as a male or as a female and that includes many of our young people,” Bronson said.
Earlier this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York state would begin offering the non-binary gender signifier for state-issued IDs.
Starting this month, people can update their gender designation on their state-issued ID through an online transaction on the DMV website.
