This morning, the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR), which oversees the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), announced that effective November 30, 2018, gender non-binary Coloradans will be able to choose ‘X’ as a gender designation on their driver’s licenses. Applicants who want to have an ‘X’ gender designation on their driver’s licenses simply need to show a form that is filled out by a licensed medical or behavioral healthcare provider when they go to get their license at the DMV anywhere in the state.In an interview to the Denver Post, DOR Executive Director Michael Hartman said,

“This is an important step for the state of Colorado that the state documents reflect our values. People are people no matter their sex identification.”One Colorado, the state’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families, released the following statement from Executive Director Daniel Ramos:“Over the past decade, Colorado has been a leader in advancing LGBTQ equality, and today is no exception. Having a vital document like a driver’s license that correctly reflects your gender is such a basic, yet crucial component to living your everyday life. Yet, non-binary Coloradans would have to choose between a ‘M’ or ‘F’ designation that may not match their gender identity. This has opened up non-binary individuals to being forced to explain their gender identity when it’s nobody’s business but their own. The ‘X’ designation is an important step in the right direction,”

said Ramos.

“I applaud Executive Director Hartman and his team for making this decision. Having a driver’s license that accurately reflects who you are is something many of us take for granted. Now with this change in policy, non-binary Coloradans will have the same freedom and opportunity to have this vital identification that truly reflects who they are,”

Ramos concluded.

‍An FAQ to the Department’s emergency rule can be found by clicking here.