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Alaska never sealed original birth certificates from adult adoptees. Here is how the direct-request process works and what stays sealed in court.
Arizona adult adoptees can request their original birth certificate directly since December 2021. Here is the process, the sealed file, and the CI program.
Arkansas adult adoptees (21+) can request their adoption file through the Health Department without a court order, for a $100 fee. Here is how it works.
California adult adoptees need a court order for their original birth certificate. Here is the petition process, the sealed file, and the consent registry.
Colorado routes adoption-records access through the court that handled the adoption, not a health department. Here is how JDF 532 works and who qualifies.
Connecticut adult adoptees request their original birth certificate from the town of birth, not the state, for $65. Here is how the 2021 reform works.
Delaware is not an open-access state. A renewable birth-parent veto under 13 Del. C. § 923 can block release of an adult adoptee's original birth certificate.
In DC, an original birth certificate stays sealed unless a court orders it released. Here is the petition process and which court has jurisdiction.
Florida seals an adult adoptee's original birth certificate under Fla. Stat. 63.162. Learn the court petition route, the DH429 mix up, and the reunion registry.
Georgia adult adoptees can request their original birth certificate directly since Andee's Law took effect July 1, 2025. The adoption court file stays sealed.
Hawaii adult adoptees request adoption records directly from family court under HRS 578-15, using Form 1F-P-767, without showing good cause.
How to search for a birth parent: non-identifying information, state registries, confidential intermediaries, DNA testing, and honest search etiquette.