Non-binary gender designation now available in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Massachusetts residents can now have a non-binary gender designation on state driver's licenses.

The state's Registry of Motor Vehicles says it now recognizes three gender designations: "male," "female," and "non-binary."

The change took effect Tuesday.

According to the state Department of Transportation, those designations are available for new credentials, renewals and amendments of licenses and IDs.

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Massachusetts joins several other states that have legalized gender-neutral license designations including California, Maine and Idaho.

Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, called the development "an important step towards letting people be who they are."

The addition of the non-binary designation was folded into the second phase of the state's registry system upgrade which took place last weekend.

Associated Press