State of Kansas sends letters to transgender people demanding they surrender their driver's licenses

Transgender residents across Kansas are being notified just before a new state law takes effect that their driver’s licenses will no longer be valid starting Thursday, February 26.

Letters sent by the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles warn recipients: “Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials. That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.”

Some transgender locals told The Kansas City Star they had received the notice, while others who previously updated the gender markers on their licenses, state IDs, or birth certificates said they had not yet been contacted as of Wednesday evening.

The Kansas trans community responds

Iridescent Riffel, a transgender woman living in Grandview who commutes to work in Lawrence in northeast Kansas, said she has not yet received a letter. “I don’t want to get a misdemeanor just trying to go to work,” said Riffel, who updated the gender marker on her license from “M” to “F” in 2023, before Attorney General Kris Kobach intervened and halted such changes for more than two years.

“I’m salaried. I’m not working hourly, and not everyone has that same privilege as me,” she added, noting that her employer has allowed her to work remotely while she determines how to comply with the new law.

Per The Star, the notice further states: “Pursuant to the new law, if the gender/sex indication on the face of your current credential does not match your sex assigned at birth, you are directed to surrender your current credential to the Kansas Division of Vehicles.”

It continues: “Upon surrendering the credential, you will be issued a new credential reflecting the gender identification consistent with statutory requirements. If you have any questions regarding procedures for obtaining a legally compliant credential, please contact (KDOV) or visit your local driver licensing office.”

What else does the new legislation entail?

The legislation, SB 244, was passed by Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature over a veto by Gov. Laura Kelly and will take effect upon publication in the Kansas Register. The law provides no funding assistance for those required to replace their licenses, which typically cost about $30.

In addition to voiding certain state identification documents, the measure requires individuals in government-owned buildings to use restrooms and other multi-occupancy private spaces based on their sex assigned at birth.

“The persecution is the point,” said Rep. Abi Boatman, a Wichita Democrat and the only transgender member of the Legislature, who confirmed she received a KDOR notice Wednesday.

“It’s all happening very quickly, and my heart is broken for anyone who this is directly impacting,” said Jae Moyer, an LGBTQ+ advocate and member of the Johnson County Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coalition. “This bill that the Republicans forced through the Legislature so quickly is doing nothing but causing a problem that doesn’t exist . . . It’s clearly something they’ve wanted to do for a long time, and it’s at the expense of members of marginalized communities,” Moyer said.

Last month, a Kansas Department of Revenue spokesperson told The Star that 159 gender-marker changes had been processed since a district court injunction was lifted in October. Officials estimate that around 1,800 individuals could have their identity documents revoked under the new law.

Jessie Lawson, a transgender woman in Wichita who received notice Wednesday that her license would be invalidated, said she is especially concerned about the restroom enforcement provisions, which did not receive a public hearing. Under the law, a first violation would bring a written warning.

A second would result in a $1,000 fine, and subsequent violations would be misdemeanors punishable by another fine and up to six months in jail. Additionally, anyone who believes someone used the “wrong” restroom in their presence may file a complaint seeking $1,000.

“This whole deputization thing — it turns Kansas residents into Dog the Bounty Hunter,” Lawson said. “So now I have to worry about people watching me walk into the ladies’ room, and then oh, they’re going to call in a $1,000 bounty on me. That is just so, so wrong on so many levels.”

Republican lawmakers have described the bathroom and driver’s license provisions as clarifying a separate 2023 measure barring transgender women from female-only spaces. Lawson said those who advanced the legislation without public discussion should face the consequences of its real-world impact.

“I would love to sit down with Kobach and say, ‘This is the person you’re damaging,’” Lawson said. “I just want to be peaceful. I want to be happy. I want to pursue life without having to look over my f— shoulder.”

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