Adoptions
The adoption process in the State of Indiana is completed in a court of competent jurisdiction. The Division of Vital Records at the Indiana Department of Health is responsible for amending the birth certificate after an adoption has been finalized. When amending an original birth certificate, some information such as the exact location of birth may be removed, if stated in the court order. Vital Records may unseal an original birth certificate upon receipt of a court order that sets aside an adoption.
- Adoption Matching Registry
- Medical History Registry
- File a Foreign-Birth Adoption
- Register a Putative Father
Effective July 1, 2018, unless a form has been filed to prevent record availability, identifying adoption information is available to eligible individuals by registration with the Adoption Matching Registry.
Indiana initiated an Adoption History Program in 1988 (IC 31-19-18) to allow for the release of medical, non-identifying and identifying information.
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Send adoption registry questions to the VR Help Desk.
The Indiana Adoption Medical History Registry was established in 1986 and is the central repository for the storage and release of medical information. The information available through the Registry depends on the finalized date of the adoption.
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Adoptions Filed After January 1, 1986
All petitions filed after this date must include a Comprehensive Medical Report. This report reflects the health status and medical history of the adoptee and the adoptee’s birth parents but contains no identifying information.
The medical history is not the individual's original medical record information and only contains information that was provided on the medical history form. The Vital Records Division does not file or provide original medical records.
Adoptions Filed Before January 1, 1986
If the adoption occurred prior to this date, it is unlikely the Indiana Department of Health will be able to obtain a medical history.
Foreign-Birth Adoption, defined as an adoption of a child that was not born in the State of Indiana, includes both international and out-of-state births.
Upon receipt of a Record of Adoption from the court, a ninety (90) day hold is placed on the adoption record to allow time for Vital Records to notify the proper record-holding entities. If the child was born in another state, that state will be informed of the adoption; if the child was born internationally, the U.S. Immigration will be informed of the adoption.
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate, please contact the authority in the state or country of birth for a copy of the record. A list of state vital records offices is available on the Ordering Records from Other States page.
The State of Indiana will only issue Foreign-Born Certificates if the country or state of birth denies issuance. If this is the case, a Delayed Certificate of Birth for the adopted child may be purchased following the same process as all other birth certificates. For information about how to purchase a birth record, click here.
For more information about Foreign-Birth Adoption, please contact Customer Service at (317) 233-2700.
Indiana’s Putative Father Registry is a database that maintains information from males that believe they may have fathered a child, and that child may be placed up for adoption.
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| How to Request a Putative Father Search | Complete and submit the following form: |
| How to Register with the Putative Father Registry | Complete and submit the following form: |
Before an adoption can be processed, the adopting party is required by law (IC 31-19-2.5) to notify any man registered with the Putative Father Registry as a potential father of the child up for adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adoption Matching Registry
- What forms do I need to complete to get my original birth certificate and adoption records?
Both forms need to be completed.
- Is there a fee for the Adoption Matching Registry?
No.
- Is there an ID requirement?
Yes, a government-issued ID must accompany the forms. Examples include:
- Driver's license/State ID
- Passport
- Department of Corrections ID
- Is there an age requirement?
Yes, the registrant must be at least 18 years of age to register.
Adoptees must be 21 years of age and provide consent to release the records.
- Are Indiana adoption records public?
No, Indiana adoption records are sealed by the court.
- Can my records be restricted?
Birth parents may keep the records sealed by submitting State Form 56535: Birth Parent Contact Preference Form. Adoptees can refuse or consent to release identifying information to their birth parents when submitting the Adoption Matching Registry Form.
- Am I allowed to contact my birth parents if I received my original birth certificate?
If birth parents have not provided a contact preference form, they may be contacted. If birth parents did file a contact preference form, they may not be contacted unless they designated an expiration date on the form.