New York is experiencing significant delays in processing orders for Pre-Adoption Birth Certificates. At the direction of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Executive Order 202, pertaining to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, offices are currently operating with reduced staff and resources. Please continue to be patient.; your OBC will arrive.
All New York persons born outside of the city and adopted new York State can now receive a copy of their pre-adoption, original birth certificate when they turn 18 years old. The application process begins on January 15, 2020. Find out how to apply for your original birth certificate now.
New York Adoptees born in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island can now receive a copy of their pre-adoption, original birth certificate when they turn 18 years old. The application process begins on January 15, 2020. Find out how to apply for your NYC OBC now.
On November 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S3419/A5494) which allows adoptees to receive a copy of their pre-adoption, original birth certificate when they turn 18 years old. The application process begins on January 15, 2020. Find out how to apply for your OBC now.
On June 20th 2019, the New York State Assembly overwhelmingly approved the bill that ends 83 years of secrecy over the original birth certificates (OBC) of adult adopted persons. Coalition staff was on hand in Albany to see it through.
The New York State Health Department maintains a Free Adoption Registry that can help an adoption search and even facilitate a reunion. It is a mutual consent registry which means that both parties searching must be signed up for a match to be made.
There are usually multiple records that pertain to any one adoption and multiple parties that both own and have access to those records. Unfortunately, the adopted person does not have an definitive legal right to access all the files about them.
Conducting an adoption search in New York? Make sure to check the national adoption registries when searching for a birth mother or biological father. There are many adoption related search registries available.
Having an understanding circle of people who have also experienced similar feelings is often vital to support emotional health. When experiencing all these new feelings, knowing that others have walked the same path before and felt similar ways is both normalizing and validating.
Adoption search angels are people who volunteer to help others with adoption searches for free. If you have a name, a search angle can help you connect often in a matter of days.
