This story has been updated with new information.
Starting Feb. 12, Hoosiers will no longer be able to change the gender marker on their driver’s licenses, officially closing the door for transgender residents who have been allowed to change their licenses for more than a decade.
The proposal, initiated by an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun to stop “modern gender ideology,” met with overwhelming opposition during two public hearings held by the Indiana Department of Motor Vehicles. The effort comes amid a flurry of legislation affecting transgender people in Indiana, from a ban on gender-affirming care to recently proposed restroom restrictions.
“While we are committed to ensuring that all voices and perspectives are heard and considered, we also have a responsibility to meet our responsibilities under the law,” BMV Executive Director of Communications Gregory Dunn said in a statement about last year’s rule change process.
LGBTQ+ advocacy group IYG said in a press release that notice of the implementation of the rule change was given quietly, calling the change “discriminatory” and “dangerous.”
The notice was issued on Feb. 3, less than a month after the rule was approved and a notice was prepared for issuance on Jan. 13, the BMV said. After the notice is issued, the BMV has only 30 days to implement the rule.
“The BMV considered all public comments submitted on this matter and made the most appropriate decision to properly implement Governor Braun’s Executive Order 25-36,” said BMV spokesman Greg Dunn.
The new rules also ban people from using an “X” in place of a gender marker, which has been used by some Native Americans who don’t identify as male or female. But those testifying against the proposed rule in 2025 argue that if transgender Hoosiers’ gender markers don’t match their appearance, they could be put into uncomfortable or even dangerous situations during interactions that require identification, from bars to traffic stops.
“The people of Indiana have spoken out repeatedly against this policy, but the BMV has chosen to ignore them,” IYG CEO Chris Paulsen said in a release. “Quietly enforcing a rule that puts transgender Hoosiers at risk while providing no transparency or meaningful notice is not governance. It is cruel. Our young people deserve a state that protects their safety and dignity, not a state that intentionally puts them in harm’s way.”
The IYG said in a news release that gender marker changes must be filed with the Social Security Administration at least one full day before filing with the BMV, giving transgender Hoosiers a small period of time to make last-minute adjustments before the rules take effect.
Transgender Hoosiers could face another change if Senate Bill 182 moves forward, banning transgender people from using restrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identity at public schools or colleges. The bill passed the Senate on January 27 and requires only House approval and the governor’s signature to become law.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on the X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared in The Indianapolis Star: Hoosiers will no longer be able to update gender on their IDs
