California is now allowing a third gender option on state identification cards and driver’s licenses, a major win for non-binary people that could pave the way for reforms across the country.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) began issuing IDs to non-binary residents, who aren’t male or female, giving them an “X” marker instead of the traditional “M” or “F”. The new law is part of a recent wave of changes in states throughout the US that have made it easier for transgender, gender-nonconforming and intersex people to have accurate documents that recognize their identities.

“I’m glad that finally non-binary people are recognized, that we exist,” said Alon Altman, who is genderqueer and was one of the first people in line on Wednesday morning to get their new ID. Altman, who uses gender-neutral “they/them” pronouns, said the document provided a formal rebuttal to bigoted people who continue to assert that “there are only two genders”: “Now, I have an official paper that says no.”

Redacted copy of the new temporary license Alon Altman was issued from the California DMV. Photograph: The Guardian

Oregon became the first state to adopt the “X” marker for state IDs in 2017, and a number of states and cities have since followed suit and also adopted new rules to allow non-binary people to have gender-neutral markers on their birth certificates. At the same time, there have been legal battles and legislative efforts across the globe aimed at allowing non-binary passports. Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada and other countries have implemented changes, but the US government has not.

Having the correct gender on a state ID can help non-binary and trans people in their daily interactions and transactions where they may be misgendered or denied basic recognition, whether at work, a bar, a doctor’s office, a bank, a police station or any other place where people have to show ID.

“It’s the very beginning of a way larger fight,” said Nazanin Szanto, a 25-year-old genderqueer Oakland resident. “Non-binary people have been here forever … Now, we’re getting recognition. We’re getting a chance to live slightly more authentically.”

California estimates that about 54,600 people will take advantage of the reforms and seek an ID gender change in the first year of the new law, said Artemio Armenta, a DMV spokesperson. The new law allows people to “self certify”, which means they don’t need medical records. This change will also make it easier for trans people to change their IDs to male or female since they previously required doctor’s notes. The state estimates roughly 20,000 people will seek gender changes each subsequent year, Armenta said.

California often leads the way in progressive policies and could set the stage for the rapid adoption of reforms across the nation, said Toby Adams, the executive director of the Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project, noting that many in California have long advocated for this change and are heading to the DMV this week.

“Having an ‘M’ or ‘F’ marker on that piece of identification that is used so frequently is really like being forced to carry around a lie about who you are,” she said.

Xin Farrish and Char Crawford, who are San Francisco spouses and are non-binary, said they anticipated the “X” marker on their IDs would lead to frequent questions and opportunities to educate others about non-binary people.

“It’s the right thing to do,” said Char Crawford, left, shown with spouse Xin Farrish, about the new designation on California IDs. Photograph: Char Crawford and Xin Farrish/The Guardian

“I’m very eager and curious to see what will happen,” said Crawford, 34. “It’s the right thing to do … I do hope the rest of the country follows the lead of California and Oregon.”

Farrish, 36, said people often make incorrect assumptions about their gender when they see their ID and hope the change to “X” can make a difference: “This feels like it is exactly right.”

Some have recognized that there are risks to getting the “X” marker, including the potential for increased harassment or interrogation from federal agencies that don’t recognize the third gender option.

“There are a lot of folks who can’t be out, and it’s safer for them to have ‘M’ or ‘F’ on their license,” said Szanto, who plans to get the “X” marker. “It’s not something that I’m doing for myself. It has a lot more to do with visibility and advocacy for folks who can’t be visible.”

Altman, who works at Google and went to the Santa Clara DMV, live-tweeted their experience and said in an interview after getting their ID that the process was fairly smooth.

At airports and other places, people often scrutinize their ID out of “curiosity”, they said. “They see me and say, ‘Wait is that a man or a woman?’ They think the IDs will tell the ‘truth’ … I don’t want to have to deal with people second-guessing, what is their real gender?”