Arkansas DFA hears from public on proposed driver’s license gender rule

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/KARK) – On Friday, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration heard public concern concerning a rule on the way gender is shown on drivers’ licenses in the state.

In March 2024, the DFA announced a policy that driver’s licenses list gender as male or female, noting that the gender must be what is listed on the license holder’s original or amended birth certificate.

For the last 14 years, Arkansans could change the gender on their licenses or IDs or put an ‘X’ with no questions asked.

According to content partner KARK, close to a dozen people who spoke at the public comment hearing were against the proposed rule change, with some like Pria Williams believing the rule would do more harm than good.

“All Arkansans need to be treated equally and this would not be doing that,” Williams said.

Brawlyn Smith, who also spoke at the hearing, said this rule would have a direct impact.

“I have an ‘X’ on my driver’s license,” Smith said. “There are intersex people, there are people who don’t neatly fall into male or female. If we were looking for law enforcement officers to have accurate information the best way to do that is to include the “X” in some capacity. This policy harms me. “

The DFA said there are more than two million active licenses and IDs in Arkansas and from that total, 342 licenses were issued with ‘X’ along with 174 state IDs.

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