On Wednesday, July 10, 2019, New Hampshire enacted a bipartisan bill that will provide an “X” gender marker on state driver's licenses for people who identify as non-binary, rather than only an “M” or an “F”.
The bill takes effect January 1, 2020, meaning that starting January 2, Granite Staters can go to the DMV and get a license that reflects who they really are. Everyone deserves legal identification that is affirming and accurate.
“This victory is life changing for the many Granite Staters who identify as non-binary, and is another step toward decreasing stigmatization, promoting equality, and ensuring that state identification documents are accurate and affirming,” said Devon Chaffee, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire.
After passing through the state House and Senate on voice votes earlier this year, Governor Chris Sununu allowed House Bill 669 to become law without his signature. New Hampshire joins 12 other states and Washington D.C. in providing for the third designation, which allows non-binary people who do not identify as male or female to have accurate and affirming identification.
Alex McEntee, a non-binary Granite Stater who plans to amend their state I.D., said, “When this law officially takes effect in January, I plan to be among the first to change my license to accurately reflect my identity. I have long thought the “F” that is currently on my license stands for “fraudulent,” because it is simply not correct."
There is also a bill, HB 446, that is expected to head to the Governor’s Office in the coming months that would also allow for this designation on birth records.
