Passport regs have changed

From U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual – Volume 7 Consular Affairs

7 FAM 1300 Appendix M Gender Change

1310 Summary
d. Sexual reassignment surgery is not a prerequisite for passport issuance and such documentation must not be requested.

1320 Documents to be submitted with passport application
b. Medical Certification.
(1) A full validity U.S. passport will be issued reflecting a new gender upon presentation of the following: A signed original statement, on office letterhead, from the attending medical physician (internist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, urologist or psychiatrist). The statement must include the following information (See 7 FAM 1320 Appendix M Exhibit B):
(a) Physician’s full name;
(b) Medical license or certificate number;
(c) Issuing state or other jurisdiction of medical license/certificate;
(d) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number assigned to the physician;

NOTE: If the attending physician does not have or provide a DEA number, the passport application is to be suspended for further clarification or verification of the physician’s bona fides. Physicians in foreign countries, for example, would not have a DEA number.

(e) Address and telephone number of the physician;
(f) Language stating that he/she is the attending physician for the applicant and that he/she has a doctor/patient relationship with the applicant;
(g) Language stating the applicant has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (male or female);
(h) Language stating “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct”: and
(i) Annotate the application “gender transition” to record the reason for issuing the full validity passport in the new gender.

NOTE: Passport adjudicators and consular officers must not ask for additional medical information from the applicant.

Exhibit B Model letter for attending physician certifying to the applicant's gender change

I, (physician’s full name), (physician’s medical license or certificate number), (issuing State of medical license/certificate), (DEA Registration number), am the attending physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship. (The letter must indicate that the physician is either an internist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, urologist or psychiatrist.) (Name of patient) has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (specify new gender male or female).

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct.