Frequently Asked Questions

The original birth certificate is sealed at the time of an adoption. Releasing the original former certificate requires a court order from the court that holds the record of adoption.

There are several types of adoptions. Some are private adoptions handled by an attorney or a private agency and others involve a state agency such as the Department of Human Services. The most frequent adoptions are: 

• Private agency ward adoptions
• Direct placements
• State and court ward adoptions
• Relative adoptions
• Stepparent adoptions
• Inter-country/interstate adoptions

For more information on stepparent or relative adoptions, please contact your local Circuit Court, Family Division. For other adoptions, you may contact a licensed child-placing agency.

Families and individuals interested in adoption must be approved through a family assessment (also known as the adoption home study) before a child can be placed in their home. The family assessment must be completed by a licensed child-placing agency. (Licensed child-placing agency is a private adoption agency or a local Department of Human Services).

Agencies are most interested in a person(s) parenting ability and commitment to adoption. A person must be at least 18 years old to adopt and if legally married, both partners must be parties to adoption. Contact a licensed child-placing agency that does adoptions for more information.

The cost of adoption varies greatly and depends on the type of adoption. The costs typically associated with adopting a child who is a permanent state or court ward are far less than a direct placement or private agency ward adoption. These costs include court filing fees and medical and legal documentation necessary to complete the adoption. Many of these costs can be reimbursed through the state’s non-recurring expenses (NRE) program.  Costs associated with direct placement adoptions can include birth parent expenses and agency fees. Michigan has the Adoption Facilitator Clearinghouse, which maintains information about adoption agencies serving a particular county or counties. The Adoption Facilitator Clearinghouse can provide information about the actual costs adoptive parents incurred when adopting a direct placement child through a private adoption agency. To request this information (please note there may be a fee associated with this service) call 517-335-6075 or submit a written request to:

In Michigan, the adoptive parent of a MINOR may receive non-identifying information upon request for this information of the court or agency that handled the adoption.

You could check with the court and agency that handled your child's adoption to learn if there is any more current information available in their respective files. Sometimes, birth family members may ask the court or agency to place additional information in the adoption file. You may also wish to discuss with the court whether the confidential intermediary program would be available to you as an avenue to gain additional information.

The confidential intermediary program may be available to the adoptive parents of a minor child. A petition would need to be filed with the court that finalized the adoption. For more information concerning this program and to learn if you are eligible to petition, you should contact the court where the adoption was finalized.

Information from an adoption record can be obtained from the court that finalized the adoption or the agency that handled the adoption.

As an adoptive parent of a minor child, you would be entitled to receive non-identifying information from the adoption record. Non-identifying information is defined as: Date, time and place of birth of the adopted person including the hospital, city, county and state An account of the health, psychological and genetic history of the child, including an account of the child's prenatal care; mental condition at birth; any drug or medication taken by the child's mother during pregnancy; and subsequent medical, psychological, psychiatric, or dental examination and diagnosis; any psychological evaluation done when the child was under the jurisdiction of the court; any neglect or physical, sexual or emotional abuse suffered by the child; and a record of any immunizations and health care the child received while in foster care. An account of the health, psychological, and genetic history of the biological parents and other members of the child's family including any known hereditary condition or disease; the health of each parent at the child's birth, a summary of the findings of any medical, psychological, or psychiatric evaluation of each parent at the time of placement; and, if a parent is deceased, the cause of and the age at death. Description of the adoptee and the adoptee's birth family including:

• given first name of the adoptee at birth
• age and sex of siblings of adoptee
• adoptee's enrollment and performance in school, educational testing results and special education needs
• adoptee's racial, ethnic and religious background and a general description of birth parents including age
• account of adoptee's past and existing relationship with any relative, foster parent or other individual or facility with whom the adoptee had lived or visited on a regular basis. The account shall not include names and address of individuals.
• educational, occupational, professional, athletic or artistic achievement of the birth family
• circumstances of any court order terminating parental rights of birth parents
• length of time between termination of parental rights and child's placement
• status of termination, voluntary, or court ordered
• any information necessary to determine the child's eligibility for state or federal benefits including financial, medical or other assistance.

Any agency or court may supplement this information with appropriate additional non-identifying information.

Available non-identifying information that includes medical information regarding the child and the child’s former family is made available to the prospective adoptive parent(s). Non-identifying information requirements are outlined in the adoption statute, MCL 710.27.

At the time the adoption was finalized, the original birth certificate (the certificate issued in the birth name of the child), is sealed and an amended birth certificate is issued in the adoptive name. Generally, the court or agency provides you with a copy of the amended birth certificate. If this did not occur, you may wish to contact the court or agency that handled the adoption to request information as to how you may now receive an amended birth certificate.

When a child is placed in an adoptive home there is usually a supervisory period before you go to court to finalize the adoption. You will have regular visits with your worker and he/she will be available to help with any problems that arise. It is in the best interest of you and the child that you contact your worker right away rather than wait until a problem escalates.

International adoption is a complicated endeavor involving the laws of the adoptee’s country, as well as federal and state laws in this country. In Michigan, licensed private child-placing agencies handle international adoptions. There are a few licensed adoption agencies in Michigan that only complete the family assessment (home study) and provide supervision on behalf of out-of-state organizations, which handle the actual adoptive placement. Because requirements for adoptive families vary considerably, depending on the nation involved, a family needs to consult with an experienced adoption agency that specializes in international adoptions. A list of agencies is online at www.michfed.org. The adoptive placement of a child from a foreign country is also subject to the approval of Michigan’s Interstate Compact Administrator located within the Department of Human Services. The provisions of the compact ensure that all applicable laws and policies are followed for an international adoption.

A family wishing to adopt a child from another state must have an approved family assessment (home study) before they can be considered for the adoptive placement of a specific child. Because of differing adoption laws among states, families should consult with a licensed child-placing agency or an attorney for information on Michigan’s requirements and out-of-state procedures before committing to adopt an out-of-state child. Interstate adoptive placements are subject to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (MCLA 3.7111). The Compact procedures ensure that all applicable state laws and policies are followed when an interstate placement is made. The Department of Human Services administers the Interstate Compact provisions.

For a child to be eligible for adoption, his/her biological parent(s) rights must be terminated. The process of terminating both parents’ legal rights is very thorough and can be complicated and lengthy at times. Often there is a shortage of families who consider adopting a child with a history of being abused or neglected or with a physical, emotional, or medical condition.

Yes. There are many brothers and sisters waiting to be adopted and we encourage families to adopt siblings to maintain family bonds. Families sometimes adopt one child and decide later they would like to adopt more children.

No. A rented house or apartment is fine as long as there is adequate bedroom space per child, a safe play area and no health and/or fire hazards. Again, all other criteria must be met as well.

No. A single parent is perfectly acceptable if all other criteria are met and the parent is assessed as capable of meeting the needs of the child.

Every legal safeguard is taken to protect you and your adopted child. Prior to 1995, Michigan was one of a very few states that required a court termination of the birth parent’s rights before the child could be placed in a home for adoption. In 1995, changes in Michigan’s adoption law allowed for a temporary placement of a child with a prospective adoptive family immediately following birth, while legal proceedings were completed. The birth parent(s) can also make a direct placement of their child (i.e., the birth parent(s) personally select(s) the adopting parent(s) and consent(s) to adoption of their child by an unrelated individual or couple).

The Family Division of the Circuit Court handles stepparent adoptions. The ex-spouse or putative father, or father who has acknowledged paternity can either consent to the adoption or if consent is not given, his/her parental rights may be terminated by the court if conditions, as outlined in the Adoption Code, are proven by clear and convincing evidence. Contact your local Family Court for specific requirements, procedures and forms.

There are a number of Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) local offices and private child-placing agencies around the state that can work for or with you. If you are a foster parent, the agency you are currently working with may be able to conduct the family assessment. The following sites may be of help to you when looking for an agency:

• Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE)
• Michigan Federation of Private Child and Family Agencies
• Office of Child and Adult Licensing (this DHS Office provides a listing of licensed adoption agencies)

If you are interested in adopting a child who is a permanent state or court ward, there is no fee for a family assessment conducted by DHS. A private child-placing agency will charge a fee for a family assessment in most cases. Since fees can vary greatly for direct placement and other private adoptions, it is important that you discuss fees with your adoption agency.

The family assessment may take from three to six months. The length of time may vary further depending on the availability of the parities involved and/or the essential documents needed.

The family assessment or “home study” generally includes a personal and social history of your current family life and past experiences, health and financial information, support systems, record clearances, references from three unrelated persons and other significant factors.

The confidential intermediary program was designed to assist in search and contact if your parental rights were terminated after May 28, 1945 but before September 12, 1980. If your parental rights were terminated before May 28, 1945 or after September 12, 1980, you may wish to talk to the court that finalized the child's adoption or the agency that handled the adoption to learn if they offer any service that may assist you.

No. The Central Adoption Registry is a file of former parent and adult former sibling statements of consent or denial. The adopted person may wish to put something in their adoption record that indicates their intentions. Again, the adoption record would be maintained by the court that finalized the adoption and the agency that handled the adoption.

For those adoptions where the parental rights were terminated prior to May 28, 1945 or after September 12, 1980 a copy of the original certificate of birth may be made available to the adopted person providing there is no denial statement on file with the Central Adoption Registry. To obtain a copy of the live certificate of birth, the court or agency that provided the identifying information would release the proper paperwork to the adopted person who can then present the document to: 

For more information about the Department of Community Health, including fees or ordering information, visit their website: www.michigan.gov/vitalrecords.For those adoptions that occurred between May 28, 1945 and September 12, 1980, the release of the original birth certificate is contingent upon a court order.

The adoption law created the confidential intermediary program as a means for search. It is important for individuals who are interested in pursuing this program to contact the court directly to learn more about how their program works. The court would be the court holding the record of adoption.

The confidential intermediary program was designed to assist in search and contact for most adoptions. You may want to contact the court that finalized your adoption or even the agency that handled the adoptive placement to gain more specific information about this matter.

For the adult adoptee, information that can be released from an adoption record depends upon when parental rights were terminated: 

• If parental rights were terminated prior to May 28, 1945 but after September 12, 1980 and there is no parental statement of denial found in the Central Adoption Registry, the adopted person would be entitled to receive identifying information.
• If parental rights were terminated after May 28, 1945 but before September 12, 1980, the identifying information can only be released about the birth parent who has filed a statement of consent or of the adult birth sibling who filed a statement of consent. If the birth parent is deceased, information about that birth parent can be released. If there is no statement found, the release of information is considered the same as if the parent had filed a statement of denial. The birth parents, adult birth sibling, and the adoptive parents of a minor child would be able to receive non-identifying information.

Most courts and agencies ask that all requests for information from an adoption record be placed in writing. The agency or court may require a fee for disclosing information from an adoption record. The adoption law indicates that this fee can be no more than $60.00. A request for information should include as much information as possible. The child's complete name (this can be the birth name and/or the adoptive name), the child's date of birth, the name of the parents (the birth parents and/or the adoptive parents), and, if known, the court and/or agency that handled the adoption. The form DHS-1925, "Request by Adult Adoptee for Identifying Information" is available FOR THE ADOPTEE to use.

All adoption records have a court record of the adoption and there also may be an agency record. There is no one central location of adoption records. The court record of adoption is usually located in the Family Division of Circuit Court (formerly the probate court) in the county where the adoptive parents lived at the time of the adoption. Once the court is found, the court would be able to provide you with the name of the agency if an agency were involved. The adopted person may also contact the Department of Community Health to request the name of the court that finalized the adoption. Requests can be sent by mail to:

In that request, the adopted person must submit a completed and signed birth application and include their birth name if they know it, complete adoptive name, their date of birth, and their adoptive parents' names, along with a check or money order made payable to the State of Michigan for $34.00 and a copy of their current government issued photo ID. The fee is associated with the release of the amended birth certificate (the one issued in the adoptive name) along with the court information. The applicant must specifically request “COURT INFO.”
For more information about Department of Community Health, including fees or ordering information and the link to download the birth application, check out their website: www.michigan.gov/vitalrecords.

In Michigan, the legal age is 18 years old.

The Central Adoption Registry allows one to change their statement at any time simply by completing a new form and sending it to the Central Adoption Registry.

The Central Adoption Registry allows the birth parent, a former parent, adult birth sibling and an adult former sibling to register a statement. Only these family members can register with the Central Adoption Registry.

It is important to remember that only the former parent and adult former sibling can register with the Central Adoption Registry. Former parents may complete a Parent's Consent or Denial to Release Information to Adult Adoptee - DHS-1919 form. An adult sibling may file either the Adult Former Sibling Statement to Release Information to Adult Adoptee - DHS-1917 form or the Release of Information to Adult Adoptee by Brother/Sister as Proxy for Deceased Parent - DHS-1918 form. These forms are available by contacting the family division of circuit court, a child placing agency, local Department of Human Services, the Central Adoption Registry, or by downloading the form from your computer. The forms must be completed with as much of the child's information as possible and mailed to the Central Adoption Registry. (Note: the form found on this system cannot automatically be transferred.)

The Central Adoption Registry is a file of former parents and adult former sibling statements giving consent and denial to have information released about themselves should the adopted person be actively seeking this information from the court or agency that handled their adoption. The Registry is maintained by the Department of Human Services, Adoption Services Division, PO Box 30037, Lansing, MI 48909

The former parent and adult former sibling can obtain non-identifying information from an adoption record. This information would be available from the court that finalized the adoption and the agency that handled the adoption, if an agency was involved.

The adoption law requires the child placing agency or court, upon receiving a written request for information from its records, to respond within 63 days after receiving a request for non-identifying information and 28 days after the court or agency receives the clearance request form back from the Central Adoption Registry which was forwarded as a result of the court or agency receiving the written request from the adopted person. The adult adopted person would be entitled to receive non-identifying information and possibly identifying information if certain factors are met. In general, the adoption record would be pulled and if the request is from the adoptee for identifying information, the court or agency would contact the Central Adoption Registry to see if a former parent or an adult former sibling filed a statement giving consent or denial to have their information released. The Registry does not require a fee of the agencies or courts for this check. Once the agency or court receives a response back from the Central Adoption Registry, they can release appropriate information from an adoption record.Requests from the former parents, adult former siblings, and the adoptive parents of a minor do not require the check with the Central Adoption Registry. In these cases, the adoption file would be pulled and, at a minimum, non-identifying information would be shared.

Former family members may wish to contact the court where the former mother's parental rights were terminated to ask if their records hold any information that might identify the court or agency where the child was placed. With that information then, the former family could make a request of the court or agency. It is not uncommon for former family members to contact a number of courts within a given area in the state to request if they hold the adoption record. Generally, the court that would hold the record of adoption is the Family Division of Circuit Court (formerly the probate court). If you believe the adoption occurred in another state, you may wish to contact that state. Some individuals will also register on the International Soundex Reunion Registry.

Identifying information is defined as:

• Name of each biological parent at the time of termination of parental rights
• Most recent name and address of each biological parent
• Names of biological siblings at the time of termination.

Non-identifying information is defined as:

• Date, time and place of birth of the adopted person including the hospital, city, county and state.
• An account of the health, psychological and genetic history of the child, including an account of the child's prenatal care; mental condition at birth; any drug or medication taken by the child's mother during pregnancy; and subsequent medical, psychological, psychiatric, or dental examination and diagnosis; any psychological evaluation done when the child was under the jurisdiction of the court; any neglect or physical, sexual or emotional abuse suffered by the child; and a record of any immunizations and health care the child received while in foster care.
• An account of the health, psychological, and genetic history of the biological parents and other members of the child's family including any known hereditary condition or disease; the health of each parent at the child's birth, a summary of the findings of any medical, psychological, or psychiatric evaluation of each parent at the time of placement; and, if a parent is deceased, the cause of and the age at death.
• Description of the adoptee and the adoptee's birth family including:
  • given first name of the adoptee at birth
  • age and sex of siblings of adoptee
  • adoptee's enrollment and performance in school, educational testing results and special education needs
  • adoptee's racial, ethnic and religious background and a general description of birth parents including age
  • account of adoptee's past and existing relationship with any relative, foster parent or other individual or facility with whom the adoptee had lived or visited on a regular basis. The account shall not include names and address of individuals
  • educational, occupational, professional, athletic or artistic achievement of the birth family
  • circumstances of any court order terminating parental rights of birth parents
  • length of time between termination of parental rights and child's placement
  • status of termination, voluntary, or court ordered
  • any information necessary to determine the child's eligibility for state or federal benefits including financial, medical or other assistance.

Once the child reaches 18 years of age, s/he can contact the court that finalized the adoption or the agency that handled the adoptive placement to request information about his/her birth family. For further information on this topic, you may wish to visit the Department of Human Services site, Adoption Record Information.

You can review Michigan’s adoption law, Chapter 710 of the MCL Probate Code of 1939 (Act 288) at the Michigan Legislature web site: www.michiganlegislature.org"

Yes, as of January 1, 1995. Parental consent adoption is when birth parents directly consent, in a court of law, to the adoption of their child by the prospective adoptive parent(s). These adoptions are referred to in the law as “direct placement” adoptions. They are facilitated by licensed private adoption agencies or by adoption attorneys. However, even when an adoption attorney is used to facilitate the adoption process, an approved adoptive family assessment (or “home study”) must be completed by a child-placing agency.

No. Michigan statute prohibits surrogate relationships.

Yes, but the family assessment must be completed by a licensed child-placing agency prior to a child being placed in an adoptive home.