Birth Records After an Adoption
For specific information, click on one of the following topics:
Replacing the original birth record after an adoption for a child born in Minnesota
Creating a birth record for a child born in a foreign country
How adoptive parents request a birth certificate
Access to the original birth record after an adoption of a child born in Minnesota
Searches for Information about Siblings or Parents who were Adopted
Replacing the original birth record after an adoption for a child born in Minnesota
After the adoption is finalized in the county where the adoptive parents live, the district court completes a Certificate of Adoption form and mails the form to the Office of the State Registrar at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
MDH uses the information provided on the Certificate of Adoption form to create a new birth record showing the new adopted birth information. The original birth record is replaced and it, along with all correspondence pertaining to the original birth record, is considered confidential and released only under very limited circumstances.
Court Clerks: How to request a replacement birth record after an adoption
Creating a birth record for a child born in a foreign country
When an adoption occurs in a foreign country, the adoptive parents file their
adoption papers from the country of birth with the district court in the county
where the adoptive parents live. The district court completes a Certificate of
Adoption form and mails the form to the Office of the State Registrar at MDH.
MDH uses the information provided on the Certificate of Adoption form to create a birth record showing the adopted birth information.
Court Clerks: How to request a replacement birth record after an adoption
How adoptive parents request a birth certificate
An application for a birth certificate is available from the district court
in the county where the adoption took place and is usually completed and mailed
to MDH at the same time as the Certificate of Adoption. The application must
be signed by one of the adoptive parents and notarized.
If an application for a birth record was not completed at the same time as the Certificate of Adoption, you may request a certificate at any time. Please note that for a child who was born in a foreign country and adopted before 2001, certificates are available only through MDH by mail or fax.
How to obtain a birth certificate
Access to the original birth record after an adoption of a child born in Minnesota
Please note that changes made to the birth record after 2000 may not be reflected on the non-certified copy if the birth took place before 2001.
Adoptee - Access to Original Birth Record
A child, age 19 or older who was adopted, may request a non-certified copy
of the original birth record. To request a non-certified copy, complete the
Adoptee's Request for Original Birth Record Information
and Search for Affidavit of Disclosure or Non-Disclosure(Interactive PDF: 60KB/1 page). Mail the completed form with a fee of $13 to the Minnesota
Department of Health, Central Cashiering - Vital Records, P.O. Box 64499, St. Paul,
Minnesota 55164-0499.
If a birth parent has given permission to release the original birth information to the child, MDH will send the child a non-certified copy of the original birth record. If no Affidavit of Disclosure or Non-Disclosure has been filed, MDH will notify the child that a non-certified copy of the original birth record cannot be released at this time. MDH will also notify the Department of Human Services for the purpose of conducting a search for the birth parent(s) according to Minnesota Statutes, section 259.89. The search may take up to six months. MDH will contact the child when the search is complete.
Birth Parent - Access to Original Birth Record
According to Minnesota
Statutes, section 144.218, the original birth record is confidential and
released only to a parent who is named on the original birth record. Copies
of original birth records are available only through MDH. Please note that the
copy of the original birth record you will receive is for information only and
may not be used for any legal purpose. To request a copy of the original birth
record, complete the Application for a Non-certified
Copy of an Original Birth Record (Interactive PDF: 135KB/1 page).
Birth Parent - Permission to Release Original Birth Record to Child
A birth parent may give or deny permission to release the original birth information
to the child when the child has reached age 19 by completing and submitting
to MDH an Affidavit of disclosure or non-disclosure
regarding an original birth certificate of an adopted child (Interactive PDF:
66KB/1 page). Permission may be given or denied at any time. The form is available from any
adoption agency in Minnesota, the Department of Human Services or MDH.
Searches for Information about Siblings or Parents who were Adopted
The Minnesota Department of Health does not retain adoption information. The Office of the State Registrar retains:
1) current birth records that include the post adoption names of adopted persons and their adopted parents; and
2) the original birth record that includes original birth information.
The original birth record may be released only:
1) by court order
2) to the adopted person if the parent(s) named on the original birth record have been given permission; or
3) to a parent named on the original birth record.
Other than releasing the original birth record as described above, the Office of the State Registrar does not provide post adoption services and cannot help with searches for information about siblings or parents.
You can visit the Minnesota Department of Human Services website or call 651-431-4682 for information about a sibling or a parent who was adopted, or write to: Minnesota Department of Human Services, Child Safety and Permanency Division, Adoption Assistance Program, P.O. Box 64944, St. Paul, MN 55164-0944.
