The law took effect on July 1 and allows adult adoptees to apply through the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records. The change removes the need for court approval, making the process shorter for people seeking their original records.
The original birth certificate differs from the document issued after an adoption because it includes details that are not normally listed on the updated record. The reform was introduced after feedback from adoptees and other stakeholders about the importance of having access to personal and family history information.
A Direct Request Replaces the Previous Court Procedure
Before the law changed, adult adoptees in Virginia had to go through the court system to obtain their original birth certificates. The new process allows them to request the document directly from the state.
Applicants must provide identification, complete an application, and pay a $15 fee. According to WRIC, Virginia State Registrar Seth Austin said the change transformed the process from “a long, cumbersome process to a simple process.”
Requests can be submitted through the Office of Vital Records in person, online, or by mail.
Original certificates provide birth and family information
The original birth certificate contains the adoptee’s name at birth as well as the names of their birth parents. Those details are not included on the birth certificate created after an adoption. The state said access to these records can help some adoptees better understand their background.
“What we heard from stakeholders about why it was important to get access to the original birth certificate was some of them felt like it was important for them to know their lineage, and it helped them understand more about their own health,” Seth Austin told WRIC.
The new system gives adult adoptees a way to obtain information connected to their origins without requesting permission through the courts.
Birth Parents Can Define Their Contact Preferences
The new law also allows birth parents to submit a form explaining whether they want to be contacted. That information is provided alongside the original birth certificate when requested by an adoptee.
According to The Sun, birth parents have three options: they can agree to be contacted and provide details on how to reach them, request contact through an intermediary, or indicate that they do not want to be contacted.
The updated process applies to adult adoptees seeking their original birth certificates through Virginia’s Department of Health Office of Vital Records, creating a new state-managed route for accessing adoption records.
