Victoria has become the first state in Australia to make it free for trans and gender diverse people to update the gender marker on their birth certificate, after the government introduced new regulations removing all associated costs.
Minister for Government Services Natalie Hutchins confirmed on Monday that updates to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (Fees) Regulations 2019 now allow Victorians to change the record of sex on their birth certificate at no charge.
Until now, trans Victorians were required to pay $140.40 for a new birth certificate, while people born outside the state needed to pay $122 for a recognised details certificate. Both fees have now been abolished.
Under the changes, applications to change a name at the same time will also be free, and certificate postage within Australia will be waived.
The government says birth certificates are essential documents for study enrolment, banking, driver’s licences, passports, employment and access to government services — yet only one-third of trans and gender diverse Victorians currently hold identity documents that match their lived identity.
Ms Hutchins said,
“Money shouldn’t be an obstacle for trans and gender diverse people to have documents that reflect who they really are.”
The move follows changes made in 2020 that removed the requirement for gender-affirming surgery before updating a birth certificate in Victoria.
Minister for Equality Vicki Ward said the fee removal is a significant step forward.
“This is an important step for our trans and gender diverse communities — an empowering measure that provides fair and proper legal recognition of their lived identity.”
The announcement comes just days after Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance, marking a broader push for inclusion and visibility amid ongoing challenges faced by trans Australians.
More information on updating a record of sex is available at bdm.vic.gov.au/change-record-sex.
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