Mississippi

NOTE: This website provides information about acquiring medical or attorney referrals; it is not medical or legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee.

Mississippi State Laws & Guidelines

Know Your Rights

For information about LGBTQ rights and the policies that affect LGBTQ people in your state, please see these resources from national LGBTQ organizations:

Human Rights Campaign’s state law maps

Lambda Legal’s state law map‍

For more information about state-issued documents in Mississippi, see the National Center for Transgender Equality’s ID Documents Center.

Laws regarding adoption, nondiscrimination protections, hate crimes reporting and much more vary in each Southern state.

Protect Your Rights

Protect your rights with estate planning tools like health care power of attorney forms. Estate planning makes clear your wishes for treatment during emergencies, at the end of your life, and beyond.

For LGBT people and their families, estate planning is a tool that can be used to secure basic rights that many take for granted. If you haven’t completed these important documents, it’s important to do so as soon as possible, at any age, whether you are single or partnered.

These documents will help you protect your rights and wishes:

Health Care Power of Attorney
Durable Power of Attorney
Will
Hospitable Visitation Form

Learn more about these tools in Life Lines, a publication of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

How to Change Your Name and Gender Marker

Mississippi law about name changes: Mississippi Code Annotated § 93-17-1 and §93-17-31

What You Need:

Name Change Petition (obtain from your county clerk’s office)
Social Security Form

Total estimated costs: $113.00.

For more information about state-issued documents in Mississippi, see the National Center for Transgender Equality’s ID Documents Center.

Steps:

Fill out the name change petition and get it notarized.
File the petition at the county clerk’s office in the county where you live and pay the $93.00 fee.
The clerk will schedule your court date. Appear on that date and if your name change is granted, you will receive your court order for a name change.

*Additional documents may be required: Driver’s license or picture ID, birth certificate or current passport, copies of current bills showing current address.

Don’t Forget: Once your name change has been approved, you will need to update this with several government agencies. This includes changing your name with the Social Security Administration and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. You will need to change your name with Social Security Administration prior to changing it with the DPS. You will need to bring the copy of your name change order along with $20.00 for a corrected license.

Gender Marker change

Mississippi will issue an amended birth certificate upon receipt of “a certified court order, a medical statement that attests to the reassignment, and the required fee.” Miss. Code Ann. §41-57-1,

Vital records requires a court order for name change, a medical statement verifying to the reassignment (“irreversible changes to sex” is sufficient), and the required fee ($25.00). Please note that even if a court order is for both name and gender marker change, a physician’s letter must be included as well.

Mississippi Vital Records
PO Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)206-8200
Fax: (601)-576-7505

Judy Moulder
State Registrar and Director
Public Health Statistics
jmoulder@msdh.state.ms.us

This document is intended for informational use only, and is in no way intended to constitute legal advice or the opinions of the Campaign for Southern Equality. Because the law is constantly changing, the Campaign for Southern Equality cannot guarantee that this information is accurate and up-to-date. Procedures may vary by county. If you have any questions, please consult a licensed attorney.

More than 500,000 trans folks call the South home. Trans in the South contains lists of trans-friendly service providers – from doctors to attorneys to counselors – across the South. This resource guide helps people find the services they need to survive and thrive.

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