Victoria Becomes First State To Offer Free Birth Certificate Updates For Trans People

Victoria will become the first state in Australia to make it completely free for trans and gender diverse people to update the gender marker on their birth certificate.

The Allan Labor Government has updated the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (Fees) Regulations 2019, eliminating all fees associated with changing the record of sex on a Victorian birth certificate.

Announcing the changes today, Minister for Government Services Natalie Hutchins said: “We’re making sure money isn’t an obstacle for trans and gender diverse people to have documents that reflect who they really are.”

Previously, trans Victorians faced a $140.40 fee for the updated certificate, while people born outside the state paid $122 for a recognised details certificate. All of these charges have now been scrapped. In addition, if someone wishes to change their name at the same time as updating their recorded sex, the application fee will also be waived — as will postage within Australia.

The Government says the reform is designed to remove financial barriers that have long prevented trans and gender diverse people from accessing accurate identity documents. Birth certificates remain essential for everything from tertiary enrolments to opening bank accounts, applying for a driver licence, and accessing vital government services. According to the state, only one third of trans and gender diverse Victorians currently have ID that aligns with their lived identity.

“This is an important step forward for our trans and gender diverse communities – an empowering measure that provides fair and proper legal recognition of their lived identity,” said Minister for Equality Vicki Ward.

Victorians have not been required to undergo surgery before updating the sex marker on their birth certificate since legal reforms came into effect in 2020 — a significant shift that better reflected the needs, diversity, and lived realities of trans people across the state.

Today’s announcement comes just after Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance — moments that acknowledge the resilience of trans and gender diverse communities, honour lives lost to violence, and highlight the ongoing barriers they face nationwide.

A positive step amid escalating hostility for trans people

Victoria’s decision arrives during a period of intensifying anti-trans rhetoric and policymaking across the globe.

In the United States, since Donald Trump has entered the White House again after running an extreme anti-trans agenda during his campaign, numerous states have pushed laws banning gender-affirming healthcare for minors, restricting school inclusion, and targeting trans adults through ID laws and healthcare access barriers — the FBI have even been reported as trying to label the entire community as ‘extremists’. The United Kingdom has also seen a sustained rise in misinformation, moral panic, and policy tightening, with trans healthcare under review and political leaders increasingly using anti-trans talking points.

Here in Australia, worrying developments have emerged. Queensland recently introduced a ban preventing new young patients from accessing gender-affirming care. When it was overturned by the Supreme Court, the government swiftly reinstated it on the same day. Other parts of the country have seen rising pressure from conservative lobby groups seeking to unwind inclusive school guidelines or restrict access to gender-affirming support services.

Across the Tasman just this week, New Zealand has brought in a ban on gender-affirming care for young people — a decision criticised by medical bodies, LGBTQIA+ organisations, and human rights advocates.

Making affirming identity documents accessible and free of unnecessary financial barriers signals Victoria’s clear commitment to respecting the dignity and lived reality of trans people during an increasingly challenging time.