Change of name and gender and sex identifier.

Assembly Member Zbur's vital records legislation streamlines California's process for updating names and gender markers on state-issued documents, establishing new timelines and removing procedural barriers for transgender and nonbinary individuals seeking accurate identification.

The bill requires courts to grant name change petitions within two weeks without hearings, eliminating the current six-week objection period for adult petitioners. For minors, if all living parents sign the petition, courts must approve the change within two weeks. When a parent's signature is missing, the petition must be served to non-signing parents, who then have six weeks to file objections showing good cause.

State and local agencies face new mandates for processing document updates. The State Registrar and county clerks must issue new birth certificates, marriage licenses, and marriage certificates within two weeks of receiving completed applications. The legislation removes the requirement to file court judgments within 30 days and exempts gender identity-related name changes from publication requirements. For marriage documents, the bill maintains existing provisions requiring notarized consent from spouses for updates to shared certificates.

The measure includes fiscal provisions requiring state reimbursement to local agencies for implementing these changes. As an urgency statute, the bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, reflecting authors' stated concerns about protecting transgender and nonbinary individuals from discrimination and harassment through prompt access to accurate identification documents.