ABOVE: Virginia Capitol. (Photo by Michael Key of the Washington Blade)
The Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 25 passed a bill that requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to offer “nonbinary” as a sex option on driver’s license applications.
Senate Bill 246, introduced by state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County), previously passed the Virginia Senate in a 21-18 vote on Feb. 5. The House approved the bill 57-43.
The measure requires the DMV to offer “the option to mark ‘male,’ ‘female’ or ‘nonbinary’ when designating the applicant’s sex” on applications for driver’s licenses or state identification cards.
If the bill becomes law, Virginia will join a growing number of jurisdictions, including D.C. and Maryland, which offer a third-sex option on government-issued ID cards.
Though Fortune magazine in 2019 reported the “huge expense” state DMVs incur by implementing a nonbinary option, the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget 2020 Fiscal Impact Statement for SB 246 states, “This legislation will not result in a significant expenditure increase for the agency.”
The bill now heads to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk for signature.
