In the United States, adoption records refer to the official documents from the adoption process. These records contain information on legal parentage, identity changes, and other case details.
What Are Adoption Records?
Adoption records are the legal and medical files relating to a person’s adoption. These documents include the original birth certificate , amended birth certificate (issued after adoption), final adoption decree, and court-sealed case files.
While an amended birth certificate is easily accessible to the adoptee, the original birth certificate, which identifies the birth parents, has historically been sealed by state courts to protect anonymity.
However, as of late 2025, 16 US states now allow adult adoptees unrestricted access to their original records.
Types of Information in Adoption Records
When requesting records, it’s important to know that there are two classifications of legal data, as access rules are different.
1. Non-identifying information
This data describes the birth family without revealing specific identities. It’s generally available to adult adoptees in almost all states on request. It typically includes:
- Birth parents' ages, race, religion, and medical history at the time of birth
- The reason for placement
- The age and sex of siblings (if applicable)
2. Identifying information
This includes the names and addresses of birth parents and the original birth certificate. Access to this identifying data is heavily regulated and depends on the state laws where the adoption was finalized.
State Classifications of Adoption Records
The state where an adoption was registered determines accessibility rules. The most common types of state rulings are explained below.
Tier 1: Unrestricted access
In some states, adult adoptees have the unrestricted right to obtain their own original birth certificate on reaching adulthood (usually 18 or 21). These are generally known as ‘open states’ in terms of adoption rulings.
Open states include Colorado, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Some states have modified preexisting laws to grant adoptees access to original documents in adulthood, such as Minnesota.
Tier 2: Restricted by date
Certain states have restrictions, also known as Sandwich Laws, which allow access only if you were born before or after specific dates. If you were born in the years between, your records remain sealed.
For example, Arizona has open adoption records for people born before June 20, 1968, or after Sept 30, 2021. Births between these dates are sealed. Similar restrictions apply in Arkansas, Illinois, and Nebraska.
Tier 3: Access for non-vetoed records
Some states allow access to original adoption records, unless specific restrictions have been put in place. If a birth parent has filed a veto or redaction request that legally blocks the release of their name.
Examples of states with this type of ruling include Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington.
Tier 4: Sealed states
In these jurisdictions, original adoption records are sealed by court order. They can usually only be unsealed by a judge for good cause. An example of this could be a life-threatening medical emergency, where biological parent information is needed.
Examples of sealed states include California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia.
How to Request Access to Adoption Records
In states with open adoption records, eligible adoptees can request their original birth certificate directly from the state’s vital records office without court approval.
If your records are subject to restricted or sealed state rulings, you have three primary avenues to access more information:
- Mutual consent registries: A state-run database where both the adoptee and birth parent must register. If there is a match, identifying information is released.
- Confidential Intermediary (CI) Program: You pay a court-appointed official to search for the birth family. The CI locates the biological parent and asks for their consent to release information.
- DNA testing: While not a legal document, consumer DNA testing has effectively bypassed sealed record laws for many. This allows adoptees to map biological relationships without court intervention.
