WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Surgery is no longer needed to change the gender on a U.S. passport when previously it required definitive proof.

Now, all that's required is a doctor's certification that the applicant has undergone treatment for gender transition.

The National Center for Transgender Equality says that could mean surgery for some and non-surgical care for others.

The State Department also says it's possible to obtain a temporary passport if a physician states an applicant is in the process of gender transition.