Name and Gender Change Notification and Request for Confidentiality (SB 372, 2023)

Effective January 1, 2024, under Business and Professions Code section 27.5, licensees may notify the licensing board or bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) of a name and/or gender change and request confidentiality of the previous name or gender information, when meeting certain specified requirements.

The DCA will recognize a licensee’s name or gender change and update the individual’s license and the online publicly viewable licensing information by replacing references to the former name or gender with references to the current name or gender, when the licensee submits the documentation identified below demonstrating that their name or gender changed.

Licensees eligible for a name change and request for confidentiality include:

• Individuals participating in the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home program who confidentially change their name in a court proceeding based on concerns related to domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or human trafficking, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(b).
• Individuals who change their name in a court proceeding to conform to their gender identity, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1277.5.
• Individuals who obtain a court order to change their name in connection with a court proceeding to change their gender or sex identifier, pursuant to article 7 of chapter 11 of part 1 of division 102 of the Health and Safety Code.  Such court orders are typically issued in connection with a change to a birth certificate or marriage license and certificate.

Once the licensee’s name or gender is updated, the former name or gender will not be published online, except that if a public search of the online license verification system is performed using the licensee’s former name, a statement will appear in connection with the search directing the public to contact the applicable licensing board or bureau for more information about the licensee.

Enforcement records that reference the licensee’s former name or gender will not be posted online.  Instead, a statement will appear noting that the licensee was previously subject to enforcement action and directing the public to contact the applicable licensing board or bureau for more information about the enforcement action.  Enforcement records that are not posted online may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

The licensing board or bureau may require a fee to reissue a license or other licensing record using the updated name or gender, but it may not charge a higher fee for reissuing a document than the fee it regularly charges for reissuing documents with updated information.

Notification of Name Change

To request a name change, you must submit copies of all documents listed in one of the following paragraphs to demonstrate that your legal name was changed:

• A certified court order issued pursuant to a court proceeding authorized by Code of Civil Procedure section 1277(b) and the certificate issued under the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home program reflecting your updated name; or
• A certified court order reflecting your updated name issued pursuant to a court proceeding authorized by Code of Civil Procedure section 1277.5 or Article 7 of Chapter 11 of Part 1 of Division 102 of the Health and Safety Code.

Notification of Gender Change

To request a gender change, you must submit a copy of any of the documents listed below to demonstrate that your gender identification changed:

• Driver’s license or identification card
• Birth Certificate
• Passport
• Social Security Card
• Court Order indicating a gender change

Licensees notifying the DCA of a name or gender change pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 27.5 and requesting confidentiality of the previous information can do so by completing the form below and sending the completed form and required documentation to the board's mailing address listed below (ATTN: Name and Gender Change Notification and Request for Confidentiality).  Records related to the name or gender change notification are confidential and will not be disclosed to the public.

Name and Gender Change Notification and Request for Confidentiality

A notification of name change for purposes other than those identified above can be requested through the board’s or bureau’s standard name change process. Please refer to the specific board or bureau website listed below for information.