What are the laws regarding adoption records?

In Indiana, the laws regarding adoption records are designed to keep adoptions private and protect the privacy of involved parties. The law states that the adoptive parent or adult adoptee may request a copy of their adoption file from the adoption agency. A certified copy of the final decree is also available from the court for a fee. The law also stipulates that birth certificate records are sealed and not open to the general public, which includes anyone who was not directly involved in the adoption. The only ones with access to the sealed birth certificate are the adoptive parents, the adoptee, and the state. Sealed birth certificates also do not appear on public records searches. Adoptees may also request non-identifying information from their adoption agency, such as their birth family’s medical history, ethnicity, and other details. Adoptees over the age of 21 may request contact information for their birth family if the birth family has previously agreed to the contact. All of the above applies to private adoptions. For stepparent adoptions or adoptions initiated by the state, the rules may vary. However, the birth certificate records are typically still sealed.

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What are the laws regarding adoption records?

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