| Key: AD=Adoptee; AP=Adoptive Parent; BP= Birth Parent |
| State |
Statutory Citation |
Other Information |
| Alabama |
Ala. Code § 26-10A-31. |
AD
All records are sealed and
subject to inspection only upon
good cause shown or as
provided by law. Identifying
information may be released
upon mutual consent; active
search and consent procedure
through court-appointed
intermediary is established to
facilitate adult adoptees' request
for identities of parents.
|
| Arizona |
Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 8-134. |
A procedure is available for the
consensual disclosure of
identifying information. There is
a "confidential intermediary
service" to assist adoptees over
the age of 21 and biological
relatives in locating each other
and ascertaining whether they
are willing to consent to the
release of their names or to
have personal contact with each
other. |
| Colorado |
Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 19-5-106, -
207, -304; 25-2-113.5. |
A mutual consent registry is
available to permit adult
adoptees and biological parents
to disclose identifying
information. A "confidential
intermediary service" is
available to assist adoptees
over the age of 21 and biological
relatives in locating each other
and ascertaining whether they
are willing to consent to the
release of their names or to
have personal contact with each
other. |
| Connecticut |
Conn. Gen. Rev. State. Ann. §§
45a-744 to 45a-754. |
A mutual consent registry is
available along with a "search
and consent" procedure to
facilitate the disclosure of
identities to consenting adult
adoptees and biological parents |
| Georgia |
Ga. Dom. Rel. Code § 19-8-23. |
AD
Records pertaining to an
adoption shall be sealed and
may not be disclosed except on
court order. Identities of
biological parents may be
disclosed to adoptee 21 years or
older upon mutual consent or if
"diligent efforts" by state or
private agency through a search
and consent procedure to
contact biological parents
results in agreement to disclose
identity. |
| Idaho |
Idaho Code § 39-259A; § 16-
511. |
All records are confidential
except when a qualified adult
adoptee has presented a
consent regarding the release of
identifying information. Birth
parents may also consent to the
release of such information
about themselves. There is a
search and consent procedure. |
| Illinois |
Ill. Ann. Stat. Ch. 40 §§ 1522,
1522.1, 1522.3a. |
A mutual consent registry is
available to facilitate disclosure
of identities to consenting adult
parties. There is a "confidential
intermediary service" to assist
adoptees over the age of 18 in
obtaining medical information. |
| Indiana |
Ind. Code Ann. § 31-3-1-5; §§
31-3-4-26 and -27 |
Pre 12/31/93: A search and
consent procedure is available
for consensual release of
identifying information to adult
adoptees and biological parents. |
| Kansas |
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 59-2122. |
Identifying information may be
disclosed upon mutual consent,
and state agency may contact
biological parent at request of
adult adoptee for any reason.
Adult adoptee may request copy
of original birth certificate. |
| Kentucky |
Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 199.570,
199.57. |
All records pertaining to an
adoption shall be sealed and
may not be disclosed except
upon court order. Biological
parents may consent at the time
of an adoption and any time
thereafter to release of their
identities to the adoptee or to
personal contact with the
adoptee. Upon request of an
adult adoptee, the state shall
attempt, through a search and
consent procedure, to contact
biological parents who have not
previously filed a consent to ask
if they are willing to disclose
their identities or meet with the
adoptee. |
| Michigan |
Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. §§
710.68, 710.27. |
AD: 1945-1980
All Parties: Post 1980
Upon their mutual consent, adult
adoptees, biological parents and
adult siblings may learn each
other's identities through a
mutual consent registryprocedure. There is a
"confidential intermediary" procedure for facilitating the
consensual access to identifying
information by members of birth
and adoptive families. |
| Minnesota |
Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 259.27,
259.49. |
AD
A mutual consent registry and a
"search and consent" procedure
are available that permit adult
adoptees over 21 to obtain their
original birth certificates if the
biological parents consent. |
| Mississippi |
Miss. Stat. Ann. § 453.121. |
A search and consent system is
available to facilitate the
consensual disclosure of
identifying information |
| Missouri |
Mo. Stat. Ann. §§ 453.120,
453.121. |
AD
Upon their mutual consent, adult
adoptees age 21 or older,
biological parents, biological
siblings age 18 or over may
learn each other's identities and
may arrange to meet each other
through a mutual consent
registry procedure or through
agency-assisted search and
consent procedure. |
| Montana |
Senate Bill 150. |
A search and consent procedure
is available for individuals
adopted between 1967 and
1997. There is access to birth
certificates for those adopted
pre-1967 and post 1997. |
| Nebraska |
Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 43-107, -113,
43-124 through -146-16. |
Pre-1988.
Upon their mutual consent, adult
adoptees over 25 and biological
parents may learn each other's
identities through a mutual
consent registry procedure.
Birth parents may file a "non-
consent" form when they
relinquish their child indicating
that they do not want their
identities disclosed, but this form
may be revoked in writing at
anytime after the adoption is
final. If an adoptee over age 25
request identifying information
about the biological family and
no consent or non-consent
forms are on file, the state or
private agency may make
discreet contact, through a
search and consent process,
with biological relatives to
determine if they are willing to
disclose their identities. |
| New Hampshire |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 170.-
B:19. |
Upon their mutual consent, adult
adoptees over 21 and biological
parents may learn each other's
identity trough a search and
consent procedure. |
| New Jersey |
N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 9:3-51, 9:3-
52. |
All records pertaining to
adoption shall be sealed and
may not be disclosed except
upon court order for good
cause. There is a search and
consent procedure for New
Jersey state agency only. |
| New Mexico |
N.M. Stat. Ann. § 32-5-40. |
Discretionary
Records are to be withheld from
public inspection and are only
open to inspection by the former
parent [if the adoptee is 18 or
older], by the adoptee if he/she
is 18 or older, by the adoptive
parent if the adoptee is under
18, by the attorney of any party,
and by the agency that
exercised guardianship over the
adoptee. Unless the former
parents and the adoptee have
consented, only nonidentifying
information may be released,
unless the court orders the
release of identifying information
for good cause shown. |
| North Dakota |
N.D. Cent. Code § 14-15-16. |
A search and consent procedureis available to facilitate the
disclosure of identities to
consenting adult adoptees over
18 and biological parents. |
| Oregon |
Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 109.425 to
109.500. |
A search and consent procedureto facilitate disclosure of
identities to consenting adult
adoptees over 21, biological
parents, and siblings. |
| Pennsylvania |
23 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 2905 |
AD
A mutual consent registry exists
along with "search and consent"procedures and court review of
affidavits of consent to facilitate
disclosure of identities to
consenting adult parties. |
| Vermont |
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 15 §§ 452, 462. |
Post 1986
Identifying information contained
in a sealed adoption record may
be released if the relevant
individuals mutually consent to
the release of their identities
through a search and consentprocedure. |
| Wisconsin |
Wis. Stat. Ann. § 48.93. |
AD
A mutual consent registry exists,
along with "search and consent"procedures to facilitate
disclosure of identity to
consenting adult parties. |
| Wyoming |
Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-101 through
116. |
There are "confidential
intermediary services" to
ascertain whether adoptees
over the age of 21 and biological
relatives are willing to consent to
the release of their names and
to have personal contact with
each other. Intermediaries may
also facilitate consensual
reunions. |
