Cómo acceder a los registros de adopción en Texas

When a court seals a record, that record can't be inspected by anyone unless there is a court order "unsealing" it. Although court records are usually public, adoption records are sealed to protect the parties involved.

Depending on the identifying information you have, you may access confidential adoption records in the following ways:

• Child-placing agency or Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Puede obtener una copia anonimizada de los registros de adopción (esto significa que los registros no nombrarán a los padres biológicos u otra persona cuya identidad sea confidencial) a través de la agencia de custodia temporal de niños o el Departamento de Servicios para la Familia y de Protección que puso al niño en adopción.
• Court of adoption. Ask the court that granted the adoption to unseal the adoption records by filing (turning in) a Petition to Unseal Records and showing “good cause” (a legally sufficient reason) to unseal the records.

• Vital Statistics Unit. Puede obtener una copia en papel de su certificado de nacimiento original del Registro Civil si usted es una persona adoptada adulta y puede identificar los nombres de los padres que figuran en su certificado de nacimiento original.

  If you cannot identify the names of the parents on your original birth certificate, get a copy of your original birth certificate from the Vital Statistics Unit with a court order unsealing adoption records.

  TexasLawHelp does not offer court forms for unsealing adoption records. Get a lawyer’s help. To find a lawyer, use the Legal Help Directory.

  Puede obtener una copia anonimizada de los registros de adopción (como registros médicos y sociales) de adopciones privadas, no emparentadas y agencias de adopción cerradas a través del Registro Civil con previa solicitud.

• Central Adoption Registry. Register with the Central Adoption Registry to be connected with birth parents or siblings who also register with the Central Adoption Registry.

Before a child can be placed for adoption, a report must be put together about the child's health, family background, education, and genetic history (unless the child is being adopted by their grandparent, aunt, uncle, or stepparent). This report can be prepared by the child's parent or guardian, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, or a licensed adoption agency. Código de Familia de Texas 162.05(b).

The following people may access a de-identified copy of social, health, education, and genetic history report:

1. Un padre adoptivo del menor adoptado
2. El curador, tutor de la persona o custodio legal del menor adoptado
3. El hijo adoptado, una vez que alcance la mayoría de edad
4. El cónyuge superviviente del hijo adoptivo fallecido (la persona adoptada) si el cónyuge superviviente es el progenitor o tutor del hijo de la persona adoptada
5. La progenie (descendientes) del hijo adoptivo (la persona adoptada) si la persona adoptada ha fallecido y el descendiente es mayor de edad

Artículo 162.006 del Código de Familia de Texas.

Además, las siguientes personas pueden acceder a una copia anonimizada de los registros y otra información sobre el historial del menor adoptado:

1. los padres adoptivos y
2. el hijo adoptado (la persona adoptada) cuando la persona adoptada sea mayor de edad.

Read the law here: Texas Family Code 162.0062.

If the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) was involved in your adoption, the agency might be able to give you a copy of your records. However, the Department cannot give you a copy of your records unless it was involved in the adoption.

Para saber si el DFPS participó en su adopción, llame al DFPS al 512-929-6764 o 877-764-7230. See How Can I Get My Records? You can also fill out a Request for Case Records (form 4885) to ask for your adoption records if you were personally involved.

Si sabe qué organismo participó en su adopción, póngase en contacto directamente con ese organismo de adopción para solicitar sus registros. To learn which agency placed you for adoption, call the Central Adoption Registry division of the Texas Department of State Health Services at 512-458-7388.

Note: You must be at least 18 years old to request the records. The records will be de-identified and will not name the birth parents or other parties whose identity is confidential.

Read the law here: Texas Family Code 162.006 to 162.0062.

Ask the Vital Statistics Unit if it has a copy of the adoption records from the defunct agency. The Central Adoption Registry maintains many adoption records from closed adoption agencies.

Get more information at the Vital Statistics Unit page listing for Closed Child Placing Agencies With Records.

If the Vital Statistics Unit does have the records from the closed agency, fill out a VS210 Request for Open Records Application form to get a copy of the de-identified adoption records.

Ask Vital Statistics to identify the court of adoption by filling out and turning in a VS143 Request for Identity of Court of Adoption form.

For a noncertified copy of your original birth certificate, fill out a VS 145–Adult Adoptee Application for Non-Certified Copy of Original Birth Certificate form. Turn it in to get a copy of your original birth certificate.

You must be at least 18 years old, and able to name the parents listed on your original birth certificate.

Mail the form, together with a copy of your government-issued ID, $10 fee, and postage, to:

For a de-identified copy of adoption records: the Vital Statistics Unit Central Adoption Registry keeps adoption records from private, non-related adoptions and many closed adoption agencies. For these adoption records, fill out a VS–210 Request for Open Records Application form to get a copy of the de-identified records.

In a voluntary adoption registry, the biological parent(s) and the child can sign up if they someday want to be able to contact one another. There are state-run and private voluntary adoption registries.

The Central Adoption Registry (CAR) is a part of the Texas Department of State Health Services that maintains many adoption records. El CAR tiene un sistema de registro voluntario donde los adultos adoptados, padres biológicos y hermanos pueden inscribirse voluntariamente para ser conectados con los miembros de su familia biológica que también se inscriban en el registro. Para inscribirse en el CAR es necesario:

• tener 18 años de edad o más,

• acreditar su edad e identidad,

• pagar honorarios de $30, y

• Fill out and turn in the VS 2271 – Central Adoption Registry Application.