Pritzker Signs Bill Letting Illinois Residents Choose Their Gender on State IDs Without Medical Proof

By Illinois Review

Illinois has taken another step down the progressive path.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed House Bill 5095 into law, permanently allowing Illinois residents to identify themselves as “male,” “female,” or “X” on state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards based solely on self-attestation – without requiring medical documentation, a court order, or evidence of gender transition.

The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), was signed on June 28 and takes effect January 1, 2027.

While the Secretary of State’s office has permitted self-selected gender markers through administrative policy for several years, HB 5095 writes the practice into state law, making it far more difficult for a future administration to reverse.

Under the new law, applicants seeking a driver’s license, instruction permit, or state identification card need only submit a Gender Designation Form to the Secretary of State’s office to select or change their gender marker.

No physician’s certification, psychological evaluation, court order, or surgical documentation is required.

The legislation also shields the Gender Designation Form from public disclosure by classifying it as confidential, allowing its release only under limited legal circumstances, including a court order.

Supporters – including Equality Illinois, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and the Legal Council for Health Justice – say the measure protects the privacy, dignity, and safety of transgender and nonbinary individuals while ensuring their government-issued identification reflects their gender identity.

Critics argue the law abandons biological reality in favor of self-identification and further politicizes official government records. They contend Illinois is replacing objective standards with subjective declarations while lawmakers continue to ignore issues that affect virtually every family in the state, including crushing property taxes, soaring public debt, population loss, violent crime, and one of the nation’s least competitive business climates.

The legislation also raises broader questions about where self-declared gender identity will intersect with other areas of public policy, including athletics, correctional facilities, public accommodations, and government data collection – debates that continue to play out across the country.

HB 5095 is one of more than 60 bills signed by Governor Pritzker during his latest round of end-of-session legislative approvals. The package includes additional measures expanding gender-related policies, increasing housing regulations, strengthening environmental mandates, and broadening government oversight in several sectors.

For supporters, the bill represents another victory for inclusion and individual identity.

For many Illinois conservatives, it is another reminder that Springfield’s priorities remain focused on advancing an increasingly progressive social agenda while the state’s long-standing fiscal and economic problems remain unresolved.