Texas State Regulations - Access to Adoption Records
Adoptive parents, legal guardians of adopted adult, and adopted adults may obtain non-identifying information.
Obtaining Identifying Information:
Identifying information is provided through a registry.
Using the Adoption Registry:
The following persons may use the registry: adopted adults age 18 or older, birth parents, and birth siblings age 21 or older. The registry is provided through either the agency or the Texas Department of Health-Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Contact:
Central Adoption Registry
Bureau of Vital Statistics
TX Department of Health
PO Box 140123
Austin, TX 78714-0123
(512) 458-7388
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/bvs/car/car.htm
Obtaining an Original Birth Certificate:
An adoptee must petition the court in which the adoption was finalized.
Note: Bexar County Adoptions
Bexar County will only consider unsealing adoption records for adult adoptees or the adult siblings or adult children of adult adoptees
where the adult adoptee is deceased; not for birth parents. The Court may require counseling and/or an intermediary before releasing the information. If either or both of these are required, the Applicant must bear the burden of the cost. The wait period for processing and receiving records, if the request is granted, is one to two months from the date the
request is received.
The fee for unsealing adoption records is now $50.00 to unseal, $5.00 to research the cause number, and the about $10.00 worth of copies are generally required. Therefore, the estimated the cost is $65.00 per Applicant.
Adapted from materials prepared by the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse.
