A new law in the state of Kansas (USA) forces transgender people to return their license if the documents do not reflect the gender assigned at birth.
Over 1,000 transgender drivers in Kansas will be affected by the new rule. In order to continue driving, they will have to pay to get new licenses that reflect their gender assigned at birth, according to the news agency Reuters.
Drivers were informed by letter that the new law would come into force on February 26. According to the letter, there is no grace period to update documents, meaning that anyone driving a vehicle with a license indicating a different gender than the one assigned at birth could be penalized.
In Kansas, driving without a valid license is a class B misdemeanor, which can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in prison, according to Unilad.
This new legislation conflicts with a Kansas law passed in 2023 that states transgender people can only use bathrooms corresponding to their gender assigned at birth inside state prisons.
Under the same law, transgender people must also use bathrooms and changing rooms corresponding to their gender assigned at birth in government buildings. Rule violations can be reported.
Violators will receive a warning for a first offense, but if they repeat, they can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to six months in prison.
Photo: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and has been reviewed by the editorial team.
