Kansas anti-trans driver's license law takes effect, sparking panic among residents

Victoria Kelly moved from Missouri to Kansas about four years ago, seeking better physician-assistant job opportunities and life in a bigger city. Around that time, she also came out as trans. Because the ability to change the gender marker on a Kansas driver's license was tied up in court, her first Kansas license listed her legal female name with a male gender marker.

"Anytime I had to pull that out and use that, I had to answer a lot of questions and got a lot of strange looks," she said. The experience made her hesitant to travel by plane, knowing she would have to present the license at the airport. "It just caused a lot of unnecessary friction in my life," she added.

Once legally able, she quickly obtained a new license with the correct gender marker. It cost her $50, and she needed a letter from her physician vouching for her—a process she found strange. Still, it helped her become "one step closer to living life as my true self."

A Law With Retroactive Effect

"I thought I was in the clear," she said with a laugh. She was wrong.

In February, the Kansas legislature rushed through an emergency measure, Senate Bill 244, which:

• Blocked transgender people from changing their driver's licenses to reflect their gender
• Applied the restriction retroactively, invalidating any state driver's licenses and birth certificates with gender markers that differ from sex assigned at birth
• Mandated that people use bathrooms in government buildings that align with their sex assigned at birth
• Allowed people to sue if they believe someone in the bathroom with them is violating the law

Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the measure, but the legislature overrode her veto.

Governor's Warning Realized

Governor Kelly warned that the law would "cost Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars to comply with this very vague legislation." Her prediction has come to pass: Transgender Kansas residents have had to spend money on gas to drive to DMVs, take days off work to secure new licenses, and even consider the steep costs of moving out of a state where they no longer feel safe.

No Grace Period

After the law passed, Victoria Kelly assumed she would have until at least summer to prepare and change her license—new state laws typically take effect in early June. But on February 25, she returned home from work to find a letter from the state stating that her license would be revoked as of February 26 if she did not change the gender marker. The letter also warned that driving without a valid license could be punishable by jail time.

"I read it two or three times. I'm like, 'Am I missing something?'" she said. She wasn't: The law, passed February 18, offered no grace period, invalidating licenses as of February 26.

Immediate Consequences

She had to act immediately. She works at four different clinics around Kansas City, one of which is a 20-minute drive from her home. She needed a valid license to get to and from work. She also knew that the potential cost of being arrested and serving jail time would have far-reaching consequences—it would likely be reported to the state medical board, putting her professional license and career at risk.

"The panic started to set in," she said.

Her partner was able to drop her off and pick her up from work the next day. The following day, a Friday, she had off from work, but she needed to be able to drive the following week. Kansas DMVs do not accept walk-ins, and all appointments in her area were full that Friday. The closest available appointment was in Lawrence, an hour away. Her partner had to work, so her retired mother-in-law drove her there and back.

"It was definitely an extra cost to her," Kelly said. She also had to track down her birth certificate and name-change paperwork.

A Costly Resolution

In the end, she was able to get a new license the same day. It cost her about $20—less than the $50 she paid after changing her name. She also had to take a new photo.

"It felt more like a prison mug shot," she said. "I was basically being forced to do this against my will."