TRENTON — Transgender birth certificates will be available in New Jersey starting in February.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed the law last July that would allow individuals to change the gender stated on their birth certificates and to have their gender identity reflected on their death certificates — even without a sex reassignment procedure. The bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and the state Senate by a 30-7 vote with 3 members not voting.

The law is known as the "Babs Siperstein Law," after the Jersey City native who was the first openly transgender member of the Democratic National Committee. Siperstein is currently part of the leadership of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and topped NJ Insider 'NJ's 2018 LGBT Powerlist'.

 

Those who change their gender to male, female or "undesignated/non-binary" will have to pay $6 for a new certificate to replace their original one. The original certificate will be sealed.

Current residents born in another state will be able to make the change as well, with state courts ready to issue an order if necessary.

When he signed the bill, Murphy said allowing vital records to match gender identity "is an important step forward that will allow transgender individuals to control the disclosure of their transgender status."

"I am immensely proud of Gov. Murphy for not only standing with our community, but also seeing that equality reaches everyone in New Jersey. Transgender people have long stood in solidarity with LGB people and here at Garden State Equality we make sure nobody is left behind,” Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality, said in a press release provided by Murphy's office at the time.

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