Access to Adoption Records

Who May Access Information
Citation: Rev. Code §§ 3107.66; 3107.47; 3107.49

Nonidentifying information is available to:

• An adoptee who is age 18 or older
• An adoptive parent of a adoptee who is under age 18
• An adoptive family member of a deceased adoptee
• A birth parent of an adoptee who is age 18 or older
• A birth sibling who is age 18 or older
• A birth family member if the birth parent is deceased

Identifying information is accessible to:

• An adoptee who is age 21 or older
• An adoptive parent of an adoptee who is older than age 18 but younger than 21
• The birth parent or adult birth sibling

Access to Nonidentifying Information
Citation: Rev. Code §§ 3107.66; 3107.60

An adoptee, an adoptive parent, or an adoptive family member may submit a written request to the agency or attorney who arranged the adoption or the probate court that finalized the adoption, for information about the adoptee's birth parent or birth sibling contained in the agency's, attorney's, or court's adoption records that is nonidentifying information.

A birth parent, birth sibling, or birth family member may submit a written request for information about the adoptee or adoptive parent that is nonidentifying information.

The term 'nonidentifying information' means one of the following:

• In relation to a birth parent, any information that is not identifying information, including all of the following:
  • A birth parent's age at the time the child was adopted
  • The medical and genetic history of the birth parents
  • The age, sex, and medical and genetic history of an adoptee's birth siblings and extended family members
  • A person's heritage and ethnic background, educational level, general physical appearance, religion, occupation, and cause of death
  • Any information that may be included in a social and medical history as specified § 3107.09(B)-(C)
• In relation to an adoptive parent, any information that is not identifying information, including all of the following:
  • An adoptive parent's age at the time of adoption
  • An adoptive sibling's age at the time of adoption
  • The heritage, ethnic background, religion, educational level, and occupation of the adoptive parent
  • General information known about the well-being of the adoptee before and after the adoption

Mutual Access to Identifying Information
Citation: Rev. Code §§ 3107.47; 3107.49

The adult adoptee or adoptive parent may submit a request to the Department of Health for a copy of the adoptee's adoption file. If there is not an effective denial of release form for either birth parent on file, the department shall release a copy of the file. If there is an effective denial of release form for each birth parent on file, the request will be denied. If there is an effective denial of release form for only one of the birth parents on file, the department will release the file for that birth parent with all identifying information about the other birth parent deleted.

If an adoptee or adoptive parent is denied a copy of the contents of the adoptee's adoption file or receives a copy of the contents with identifying information about one of the birth parents deleted, the Department of Health shall inform the adoptee or adoptive parent that it will notify them if the department later receives an authorization of release form from one or both birth parents.

A birth parent or adult birth sibling may submit a request for assistance in finding an adoptee's name by adoption. The department may release the adoptee's name by adoption if:

• The adoptee's adoption file contains a request from the adoptee that permits release of the information.
• The birth parent's parental rights concerning the adoptee were not involuntarily terminated.
• The request is in writing, with a notarized signature, and includes identification of the birth parent or birth sibling.

Access to Original Birth Certificate
Citation: Rev. Code § 3705.12

The original birth record shall be placed in an adoption file and sealed. The contents of the file shall not be open to inspection, except as follows:

• The department shall make the file's contents available to an adoptee or adoptive parent in accordance with § 3107.47.
• The department shall inspect the file to assist a birth parent or birth sibling in finding the adoptee's name by adoption in accordance with § 3107.49.
• The court that decreed the adoption may order that the contents be made open for inspection or available for copying.

An adopted adult can receive birth certificate through the Ohio Department of Health, if the adoption was finalized before January 1, 1964.

Unless a copy of the *book document* is requested you will receive only a computer generated abstract of birth and death certificates as well as marriage and divorce documents. These computer generated documents will *not *include all the information that the book document does. The cost, reportedly is the same. Note that this procedure pertains to *all* documents requested for any reason.

Documents in the Adoption Envelope usually include a copy of the OBC and the adoption decree. Complete an Affidavit of Adoption and send in $20. The Affidavit should be sent to:

Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
35 East Chestnut Street
P. O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098
Attn: Special Registrations

Download the Affidavit here or obtain a copy from the Dept. of Health/Vital Statistics.

Credits: Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov)