LGBTQ+ Advocates Applaud Governor JB Pritzker’s Approval of Name Change Modernization Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 8, 2025

LGBTQ+ Advocates Applaud Governor JB Pritzker’s Approval of Name Change Modernization Bill

CHICAGO - LGBTQ+ advocates applaud Governor JB Pritzker’s approval Friday of legislation that modernizes the state’s name change process to ensure privacy and safety for vulnerable communities. With this new law, residents of Illinois can live their lives and not be subjected to hate, violence, and invasions of their privacy.

Sponsored by State Rep. Kevin Olickal and State Sen. Ram Villivalam, HB 5164 (now Public Act 103-1063) modernizes the state’s name change statute in three particular ways:

Repeals the archaic and harmful requirement that an individual must publicize their name change in a newspaper;
Protects an individual by allowing them to request that their name change records be kept private (also known as impoundment) if public disclosure would negatively impact their health or safety. A circuit judge would have final determination over this request; and
Sets a 3-month Illinois residency requirement.

By modernizing the name change law, the law advances safety and support for many communities, including transgender people, survivors of domestic violence, survivors of sexual assault, survivors of human trafficking, individuals granted asylum, and refugees. The law takes effect March 1, 2025.

“At Equality Illinois, we regularly hear narrowing stories from Trans and gender-expansive folks about their fears, lack of privacy, and attacks - all for wanting to just live their lives. In fact, having to publish your name change in a newspaper creates a public list of Trans people that puts them at real risk for harassment and harm,” said Michael Ziri, Director of Public Policy at Equality Illinois. “We know this law will help people - especially in this current national moment - and is consistent with our state’s values of equality and the freedom to live our lives without harassment or harm. We thank Governor Pritzker, Representative Olickal, Senator Villialam, Speaker Welch, and President Harmon for their leadership on this law and applaud our partners at the Transformative Justice Law Project for their advocacy and front-line work to support Trans and gender-expansive folks.”

Avi Rudnick, Director of Legal Services at the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP), said, “Since 2011, TJLP has assisted over 4,000 Illinois residents with gender affirming name changes and gender marker changes, including over 900 in 2024 alone. We have witnessed the fear of our clients, many who are survivors of violence, as this new administration advances an anti-transgender and anti-immigrant platform. The increased privacy provided by this bill with the removal of the publication requirement will have a significant impact on the safety of transgender people as we seek self-determination through the legal name change process. Additionally, the long overdue removal of publication ends an expensive, unnecessary, and archaic practice for all Illinois residents who seek legal name changes. The new statute will also continue the important practice of allowing those with health and safety concerns to request that the Court impound their name change so that it is not part of the public record. The significant decrease in the residency timeline for accessing a court ordered name change, will allow those moving to Illinois, often from states that have hostile, dangerous, and discriminatory laws, a chance to access self-determination and increased safety more swiftly. We are excited about these changes, and we know that this will have a positive impact on our communities as we move into these unprecedented times. TJLP thanks everyone involved in moving this bill through the legislature, including Governor JB Pritzker, Representative Kevin Olickal, Senator Ram Villivalam, and Equality Illinois.”

Public Act 103-1063 is supported by the ACLU of Illinois, AIDS Foundation Chicago, Brave Space Alliance, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Community Behavioral Health Association, Crisis Center for South Suburbia, Equality Illinois, Howard Brown Health, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Legal Council for Health Justice, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, National Association of Social Workers – Illinois Chapter, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, and Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, among other organizations.

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