Kansas orders transgender residents to surrender driver’s licenses under new law

Transgender residents in Kansas are reporting that they have received formal notices from the Kansas Division of Vehicles directing them to surrender their current driver’s licenses and state identification cards. The letters state that, upon publication of a new law in the Kansas Register on Thursday, licenses that do not list a person’s “sex at birth” will be deemed invalid.

Under House Substitute for Senate Bill 244, all Kansas-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards must now reflect sex assigned at birth, Independent reports. The Division’s letter, shared with the outlet Erin In The Morning by a Kansas-based activist, informs affected residents that their current credentials “will no longer be valid” once the law is published. The notice further emphasizes that the Legislature “did not include a grace period for updating credentials,” and warns that anyone driving without a valid license “may be subject to additional penalties.” Transgender residents whose documents currently reflect their gender identity are instructed to surrender their licenses for reissuance.

The law’s immediate impact is severe. In Kansas, operating a vehicle without a valid license is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. A conviction also carries an automatic 90‑day license suspension. Driving during that suspension can lead to a separate charge of driving on a suspended license, which includes a mandatory minimum jail term of five days. Kansas already requires county jails to house people according to sex assigned at birth, raising serious concerns for the safety and dignity of transgender detainees.

The full letter can be read below:

SB 244, widely referred to by advocates as a “bathroom bounty” bill, goes far beyond identification requirements. Rushed through the Legislature in January using a “gut and go” procedure that sharply limited public input, the bill was vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly on February 13, who criticized it as “poorly drafted.” Lawmakers quickly overrode the veto days later.

In addition to revoking transgender Kansans’ ability to hold accurate ID, the law prohibits transgender people from using bathrooms in public buildings that align with their gender identity. It also creates a private enforcement scheme allowing individuals to sue transgender people they encounter in restrooms for at least $1,000 in damages, potentially extending even to some private restrooms. Unlike most Kansas laws, which typically take effect on July 1, SB 244 becomes effective immediately upon publication, giving transgender residents only days between the veto override and the invalidation of their documents.

The Kansas action is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader, escalating attack on transgender people’s ability to secure accurate identification across the United States. Recent federal policies have blocked many transgender Americans from obtaining passports reflecting their gender identity, and the Social Security Administration has halted gender marker updates. Several states, including Florida, Texas, and Indiana, have moved to restrict changes to gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

Kansas, however, is taking an especially extreme step by not merely halting future changes, but actively nullifying previously issued, correct documents and ordering their surrender. Civil rights advocates and LGBTQ+ organizations have condemned the move as a profound rollback of basic rights and an attempt to erase transgender people from public life and everyday civic participation.

In response, the EITM Trans Risk Map has downgraded Kansas to a “Do Not Travel” status. The designation urges transgender people to exercise extreme caution when traveling through the state and advises those already living there to seek legal guidance and protective measures as quickly as possible. Advocates warn that the new policy exposes transgender Kansans to loss of driving privileges, criminal charges, and the threat of bounty-style lawsuits for the simple act of using a restroom consistent with their gender identity—conditions many consider too dangerous to risk for travel or relocation.