Holly Macdonald

Hi, I’m trans and was born in Nova Scotia, but now live in SF. When I updated my birth certificate so the name and gender would match my other documents, I found the whole process way more confusing than I expected. Here’s some notes about how the process worked for me just in case it can save someone else some time and misery:

1. Request the application form
   • The forms for other document updates are available for download on Nova Scotia Vital Statistics’ site, but you need to contact them to request the form for changing your name. There’s a special form to use if you’re updating your name and gender at the same time. Email Nova Scotia Vital Statistics and ask for a copy of the Change of Name and Change of Sex Indicator Application – 16 Years of Age or Older Form
2. Fill out the Change of Name and Change of Sex Indicator Application – 16 Years of Age or Older Form
   • Pages 6-8 cover fingerprinting, you can skip these for now.
   • On Page 19 you’ll need to make a statutory declaration in the presence of a person authorized to take sworn statements, like a notary. You’ll also need to notarize documents as part of fingerprinting, so hold off on that for now to save a trip.
     • You might also need a statutory declaration from a spouse (if you’re married) or parent (if you’re under 16) to complete Pages 15/18. Wouldn’t it be wild if people were allowed to have autonomy over their own identities????
3. Get fingerprinted
   • Nova Scotia says to get fingerprinted at “RCMP, Commissionaires Nova Scotia or municipal police department (or other police department providing policing services in the province)”. If you can’t easily go back to Nova Scotia to make use of one of these, you’ll need to be fingerprinted at a local authorized agency, then hire a Canadian company to submit the fingerprints to the RCMP on your behalf.
     • Reach out to a company from the RCMP’s database and ask if they can submit fingerprints to the CCRTIS on your behalf.
       • I used CSI Screening, entirely because they were the only company that replied to my initial batch of requests. I assume this process is a little different with other companies.
     • Get 2 sets of Ink and Roll fingerprints from a local authorized agency.
       • The SF State Police Department offers fingerprinting by appointment.
         • When the paperwork for this step asked for my name, it wasn’t always clear if I should use my deadname or current name. I gave my new and improved name unless it explicitly asked for my old name, and didn’t have any issues.
       • Most other police departments in SF, other businesses offering LiveScan fingerprinting, and the Canadian embassy will not provide this service.
     • Notarize your documents
       • CSI requires you submit 2 notarized photocopies of ID documents as part of your fingerprinting submission. Do these at the same time as the statutory declaration(s) for your Change of Name and Change of Sex Indicator Application – 16 Years of Age or Older Form. I got this done at a UPS Store without an appointment.
     • Get a “passport style” photo
       • CSI asks for a “passport style” photo as part of the application. They’re not clear about what this means so I just used a standard American passport photo from a Walgreens photo department.
     • Mail your fingerprinting package to the company processing it (e.g. CSI Screening)
     • If you’ve done everything right, you’ll receive a letter from the RCMP notifying you that they received your fingerprints. You must forward this letter to Nova Scotia Vital Statistics! If don’t, they won’t know that you’ve been fingerprinted and will not process your application.
4. Mail your completed Change of Name and Change of Sex Indicator Application – 16 Years of Age or Older Form, including any notarized statutory declarations, along with the letter from the RCMP verifying the receipt of your fingerprints, to Nova Scotia Vital Statistics
   • Vital Statistics mailing address: PO Box 157, Halifax NS B3J 2M9
5. If you’ve done everything correctly, in a few months, you should receive a new birth certificate. Congratulations! If you haven’t done everything correctly, nobody will tell you anything until you reach out to check on the status of your application.

If you’re asking yourself “would it be cheaper and easier to just fly back to Canada for a day?”, great question! 🙃 Here’s a breakdown of what it ended up costing me, in USD

Amount	Payee	Reason
$147.41	CSI, Inc	Digitizing fingerprints for submission to CCRTIS
$60	SFPD @ SF State	2 sets ink and roll fingerprints
$45	UPS Store	Notarized copies of ID (x2) and Change of Name and Sex Indicator form
$17	Walgreens	“passport style” photo for CSI for fingerprint processing
$174.29	Nova Scotia Vital Statistics	Application fee for Change of Name and Change of Sex Indicator form. I chose to pay a little extra for a duplicate birth certificate, change of name certificate, and certificate of change [of gender].
$443.70		Total (excluding postage)

• Nova Scotia Vital Statistics: Change your name or the name of your spouse or child
• Nova Scotia Vital Statistics: Contact Info
• RCMP: How do I get a criminal record check?