A new Kansas law that took effect Thursday requires state-issued driver’s licenses and birth certificates to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth, affecting more than 1,000 residents, according to reporting by The Kansas City Star.

The legislation, Senate Bill 244, was enacted after the Republican-controlled Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto on Feb. 18, 2026. The law directs state agencies to issue identification documents consistent with biological sex and prohibits future changes to gender markers on those records.

In letters dated Monday and reviewed by The Star, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles notified affected individuals that there is no grace period for compliance. The notice states that credentials not matching a person’s sex at birth become invalid immediately upon the law’s enactment and warns that operating a vehicle without a valid license could result in penalties.

The letters instruct recipients to surrender their current identification and obtain new documents reflecting the statutory requirements.

In addition to identification changes, the law requires individuals in government buildings, including public schools and universities, to use restrooms and other multi-occupancy facilities corresponding to their sex assigned at birth.

Supporters have described the measure as a privacy and safety protection. Opponents, including civil liberties groups and transgender advocates, have criticized the policy and signaled potential legal challenges.

The law became official after the secretary of state filed the necessary paperwork, putting the new requirements into immediate effect statewide.