New Hampshire
New Hampshire Adoption Records: Original Birth Certificates and Court Files
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 11, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 11, 2026. · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
New Hampshire is one of the more open states in this series. An adult adoptee born in New Hampshire can request an uncertified copy of their original birth certificate directly, with no court order required, under RSA 5-C:9.
A separate statute governs New Hampshire's adoption court file, which stays sealed even though the birth certificate itself does not.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
This page is part of RecordingLaw's guide to adoption records by state. For the general rules other states use, see how to get your original birth certificate, and for the difference between a standard birth certificate and an adoption record, see are birth certificates public records.
New Hampshire Is an Unrestricted-Access State for Adoption Records
Under RSA 5-C:9, "upon written application by an adult adoptee, who was born in this state and who has had an original birth certificate removed from vital statistics records due to an adoption, the registrar shall issue... a non-certified copy of the unaltered, original certificate of birth." The application follows the same fees and procedures New Hampshire uses for any other birth-certificate request.
New Hampshire also offers a contact preference form, but it works differently than in compromise states like Missouri. The form is informational only: a birth parent can use it to state a preference about contact, but filing it does not block or redact release of the certificate to the adoptee.
Court Adoption File Sealing: RSA 170-B:23
Separately from the birth certificate, New Hampshire's adoption court file is sealed under RSA 170-B:23. The statute states: "All papers and records, including birth certificates, pertaining to the adoption... are subject to inspection only upon written order of the court for good cause shown, except as otherwise provided in RSA 170-B:24." The penalty for breaking that confidentiality is not in RSA 170-B:23 itself. It sits in RSA 170-B:24, IV, which provides that "any person violating this section or RSA 170-B:23 shall, if a natural person, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and any other person shall be guilty of a felony." In other words, an individual who violates the sealing rule commits a misdemeanor, while a violator that is not a natural person, such as an agency, a corporation, or another entity, commits a felony.
Identifying and Non-Identifying Information: RSA 170-B:24
RSA 170-B:24 covers requests for both identifying and non-identifying information about birth relatives, beyond what the certificate itself shows. If both sides agree to release identifying information, it is released. If the parties do not agree, or one side cannot be located, a court's approval is required before identifying information can be released. Because an adult adoptee can already get their own birth certificate directly under RSA 5-C:9, this process mostly matters for information about birth relatives beyond the certificate itself, such as siblings or extended family. New Hampshire does not use a separate title for non-identifying information; the same statute covers both kinds of requests.
How to Request Your New Hampshire Original Birth Certificate
Requests go to the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration, part of the Department of State. This page could not independently confirm the fee or eligibility figures below with the Division directly, since the Division's own online pages describing pre-adoption birth records did not load during this research. WebSearch-corroborated guidance points to a fee of $25 and eligibility that includes the adoptee, 18 or older, the adoptee's legal representative, or the adoptee's immediate legal family, but confirm the current fee, eligible requesters, and form with the Division of Vital Records Administration before applying.
Related New Hampshire Records
See also New Hampshire court records, New Hampshire death records, and New Hampshire marriage and divorce records.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about New Hampshire's adoption records law. It is not legal advice. Confirm current forms, fees, and procedures with the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration or a licensed New Hampshire attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a court order to get my original birth certificate in New Hampshire?
No. RSA 5-C:9 lets an adult adoptee born in New Hampshire request an uncertified copy of the original birth certificate directly from the registrar, without a court order.
Can a birth parent block release of a New Hampshire adoptee's original birth certificate?
No. New Hampshire's contact preference form only records a birth parent's preference about contact. It does not block or redact release of the certificate.
What is New Hampshire's contact preference form for?
It lets a birth parent state whether they would like to be contacted, but filing it has no effect on whether the adoptee receives the original birth certificate.
Does New Hampshire have an adoption reunion registry?
New Hampshire handles identifying and non-identifying information requests about birth relatives under RSA 170-B:24, through mutual consent with a court-approval fallback, rather than through a separate registry program.
Where do I send a New Hampshire adoption records request?
Requests for the original birth certificate go to the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration. Confirm the current fee and form directly with the Division.
Updates
Corrected the adoption-file confidentiality penalty: it is set by RSA 170-B:24, IV rather than RSA 170-B:23, and it distinguishes natural persons (misdemeanor) from other persons such as agencies or corporations (felony).
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, TITLE I THE STATE AND ITS GOVERNMENT, CHAPTER 5-C VITAL RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
§ 5-C:9Disclosure of Information From Vital Records.In forcecited in 4 of our articles
In order to protect the integrity of vital records, to ensure their proper use, and to ensure the efficient and proper administration of the system of vital statistics, the registrar or the custodian of permanent local records shall not permit inspection of, or disclose information contained in vital statistics records, or copy or issue a copy of all or part of any such record unless he or she is satisfied that the applicant has a direct and tangible interest in such record. I. Upon written application by an adult adoptee, who was born in this state and who has had an original birth certificate removed from vital statistics records due to an adoption, the registrar shall issue to such applicant a non-certified copy of the unaltered, original certificate of birth of the adoptee, with procedures, filing fees and waiting periods identical to those imposed upon non-adopted citizens of the state. I-a. The registrar shall prescribe and, upon request, shall make available to each birth parent named on the original birth certificate, a contact preference form on which the birth parent may state a preference regarding contact by an adoptee who is the birth child of the birth parent.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-04 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at gc.nh.gov
Also relied on in: New Hampshire Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get Them, How to Find a Cause of Death in New Hampshire (2026), New Hampshire Marriage and Divorce Records: Access and Fees (2026)
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, TITLE XII PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELFARE, CHAPTER 170-B ADOPTION
§ 170-B:23Confidentiality of Records.In force
Notwithstanding any other law concerning public hearings and records: I. All hearings held in adoptive proceedings shall be in closed court without admittance of any person other than essential officers of the court, the parties, their witnesses, counsel, and representatives of the agencies present to perform their official duties. II. All papers and records, including birth certificates, pertaining to the adoption, whether part of the permanent record of the court or of a file in the division, in an agency or office of the town clerk or the bureau of vital records and health statistics are subject to inspection only upon written order of the court for good cause shown, except as otherwise provided in RSA 170-B:24. III. Nothing contained in this section or RSA 170-B:24 shall prevent the department or the licensed child-placing agency from sharing with the adoptive parents all information it has available about the minor child being placed for adoption. The department or the licensed child-placing agency shall delete any information which would tend to identify a birth parent.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at gc.nh.gov
§ 170-B:24Requests for Identifying and Non-Identifying Information.In force
I. Requests for non-identifying social or medical information shall be handled in the following manner: (a) Requests for non-identifying social or medical information may be made by an adoptee over the age of 18; a parent of an adoptee under the age of 18; or a birth parent of an adoptee. (b) When any of the above listed people submits a request for non-identifying social or medical information, the department or agency shall disclose such information relating to the adoptee, the birth parents, or the blood relatives. The department or the agency shall delete any information from the health history or background which would tend to be identifying. Court approval is not required for information disclosed under this paragraph. II. If the parties mutually agree to the release of identifying information, it shall be released as provided in this paragraph.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at gc.nh.gov
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Sources and References
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 5-C:9, Disclosure of Information From Vital Records(gc.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 170-B:23, Confidentiality of Records(gc.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 170-B:24, Requests for Identifying and Non-Identifying Information(gc.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration, Pre-Adoption Birth Records(sos.nh.gov).gov