Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says transgender people cannot change the sex on their driver’s licenses and birth certificates, and that any court orders doing so are unlawful.
In an opinion issued Friday morning, Paxton said judges cannot tell state agencies to change the sex on state documents. Any such changes made in the past must now be reversed, he added.
“State agencies must immediately correct any unlawfully altered driver’s licenses or birth certificates that were changed pursuant to such orders,” Paxton wrote.
An attorney general’s opinion is not legally binding. But these can be used in a court of law to argue a case. According to the agency’s website, “the Office of the Attorney General has no authority to enforce its opinions.”
Paxton, a vocal opponent of LGBTQ rights, released his opinion several months after the state stopped letting people change the sex on their licenses and birth certificates unless it is to fix a clerical error. State agencies pointed to Paxton when making the policy change, saying he questioned its legality.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Copyright 2025 KUT 90.5