(a) A petition for a court order to recognize a change in the petitioner’s gender as female, male, or nonbinary shall be accompanied by an affidavit from the petitioner and a certified copy of the court order changing the petitioner’s name, if applicable. The petitioner’s affidavit shall be accepted as conclusive proof of gender change if it contains substantially the following language: “I, (petitioner’s full name), hereby attest under penalty of perjury that the request for a change in gender to (female, male, or nonbinary) is to conform my legal gender to my gender identity and is not for any fraudulent purpose.”
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (e), unless a written objection is filed within 28 days of the filing of the petition and shows good cause for opposing a court order recognizing the change of gender, the court shall grant the petition without a hearing. If an objection is timely filed, the court may set a hearing, at a time designated by the court, only if the objection filed shows good cause for opposing the petition. Objections based solely on concerns over the petitioner’s actual gender identity shall not constitute good cause. At the hearing, the court may examine on oath the petitioner and any other person having knowledge of facts relevant to the petition. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court shall grant the petition if the court determines that the petition is not made for any fraudulent purpose.
(c) If the judgment includes an order for a new birth certificate and if the petitioner was born in this state, a certified copy of the decree of the court ordering the new birth certificate, shall, within 30 days from the date of the decree, be filed with the State Registrar. Upon receipt thereof together with the fee prescribed by Section 103725, the State Registrar shall establish a new birth certificate for the petitioner.
(d) The new birth certificate shall indicate the gender of the petitioner, as specified in the judgment of the court, and shall reflect any change of name specified in the court order, as prescribed by Section 103425. No reference shall be made in the new birth certificate, nor shall its form in any way indicate, that it is not the original birth certificate of the petitioner.
(e) (1) If a petitioner is under 18 years of age, the petition shall be signed by either at least one of the petitioner’s parents or any guardian of the petitioner, or if both parents are deceased and there is no guardian of the petitioner, by either a near relative or friend of the petitioner or as provided in Section 7638 of the Family Code.
(A) If a petition filed by a petitioner who is under 18 years of age does not include the signature of both living parents, the petitioner shall serve the living parent who did not sign the petition with notice and an order to show cause pursuant to Section 413.10, 414.10, 415.10, or 415.40 of the Code of Civil Procedure, not less than 30 days after the petition was filed. If service cannot reasonably be accomplished pursuant to Section 415.10 or 415.40 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the court may order that service be given in a manner that the court determines is reasonably calculated to give actual notice to the living parent who did not sign the petition.
(B) The order to show cause shall direct the living parent who did not sign the petition to appear before the court at a time and place specified, which shall be not less than 6 weeks nor more than 12 weeks from the time of making the order to show cause, unless the court orders a different time, to show cause why the petition for a court order to recognize a change in the petitioner’s gender as female, male, or nonbinary should not be granted. The order to show cause shall direct the living parent who did not sign the petition to make known any objection to the granting of the petition by filing a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection with the court at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and by appearing in court at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. The order to show cause shall state that if the living parent who did not sign the petition does not timely file a written objection and appear in the court hearing, the court shall grant the petition without a hearing.
(2) (A) The court shall grant a petition for a court order to recognize a change in the petitioner’s gender as female, male, or nonbinary filed by a petitioner who is under 18 years of age without a hearing, unless a living parent who was required to be served with notice and an order to show cause in compliance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) timely filed a written objection and appears in the court hearing.
(B) The court may deny a petition for a court order to recognize a change in the petitioner’s gender as female, male, or nonbinary filed by a petitioner who is under 18 years of age, if both parents, if living, did not sign the petition, the living parent who did not sign the petition timely filed a written objection and appeared in the court hearing, and the court, after holding a hearing on the matter, finds that the change of gender is not in the best interest of the petitioner.
(f) This section shall become operative on September 1, 2018.
(Repealed (in Sec. 12) and added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 853, Sec. 13. (SB 179) Effective January 1, 2018. Section operative September 1, 2018, by its own provisions.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018