IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

N.J. to become fourth state with gender-neutral birth certificate option

On Feb. 1, the Garden State will join California, Oregon, Washington and NYC in embracing nonbinary identification.

New Jersey residents and those born in the Garden State will soon have the choice of selecting a gender-neutral option on their birth certificates.

The new law goes into effect Friday, and will include three birth certificate gender options: "female, male, or undesignated/nonbinary," according to the law's text.

The Babs Siperstein Law, as the legislation is called, is named after the lifelong N.J. resident and first transgender person to become a member of the Democratic National Committee, where she served until 2017.

“Having a gender-neutral option will now give thousands of people in the state of New Jersey the power to self-identify,” said Amanda Babine, director of policy and programs at the New York Transgender Advocacy Group. “We find this choice to determine their own identity leads to an increase in well-being for the individual and a push towards creating more inclusive communities.”

New Jersey will become the fourth state to add the gender-neutral option on birth certificates behind Oregon, California and Washington. Earlier this month, New York City enacted such a law. At least three states and Washington, D.C., allow gender-neutral driver's licenses.

FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM