One year after it came into force, the Federal Government's Queer Commissioner, Sophie Koch, sees the Self-Determination Act as a great success. She has "felt immense relief in many conversations" with trans, intersex and non-binary people. "This shows me very clearly that the law is a major and important step forward," said the SPD politician when asked by the German Press Agency.
"Without correct identification documents, participation in society is severely restricted," said Koch. It is therefore good and right to make the procedure for correcting first names and gender entries low-threshold.
Since November 1, 2024, people have been able to have their first name and gender entry changed by declaration at the registry office. Since then, according to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 22,000 people in Germany have had their gender entry in the birth register changed. This was partly based on provisional data from November 2024 to July 2025. Previously, a change was possible, but more complicated.
