OREGON

UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO OBC​ (Age 21 and older)

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Who May Access Information
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 109.455; 109.500
The voluntary adoption registry may be used to obtain identifying information by the following persons:
• A birth parent
• An adult adopted person
• An adult birth sibling
• The adoptive parent of a deceased adopted person
• The parents or adult siblings of a deceased birth parent
Non-identifying information may be released to:
• The adoptive parents of the child or the child’s guardian
• The birth parent of the adopted person
• An adult adopted person
• If the adopted person is deceased:
» The adopted person’s spouse if the spouse is the birth parent of the adopted person’s child or the guardian of any child of
the adopted person
» Any progeny of the adopted person who is age 18 or older

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Access to Original Birth Certificate

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 432.228

Upon receipt of a written application to the State Registrar, any adopted person age 21 and older born in the State of Oregon shall be issued a certified copy of his or her unaltered, original, and un-amended certificate of birth that is in the custody of the State Registrar, with procedures, filing fees, and waiting periods identical to those imposed upon non-adopted citizens.A birth parent may at any time request from the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics or from a voluntary adoption registry a contact preference form that shall accompany a birth certificate issued under the section above. The contact preference form shall provide the following information, to be completed at the option of the birth parent:

• I would like to be contacted.

• I would prefer to be contacted only through an intermediary.

• I prefer not to be contacted at this time. If I decide later that I would like to be contacted, I will register with the voluntary adoption registry.  I have completed an updated medical history and have filed it with the voluntary adoption registry.

The certificate from the voluntary adoption registry verifying receipt of an updated medical history shall be in a form prescribed by the Oregon Health Authority and shall be supplied upon request of the birth parent by the voluntary adoption registry.  When the State Registrar receives a completed contact preference form from a birth parent, the State Registrar shall match the contact preference form with the adopted person’s sealed file. The contact preference form shall be placed in the adopted person’s sealed file when a match is made.  A completed contact preference form shall be confidential.

 

Access to Non-identifying Information
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 109.500
A genetic, social, and health history that excludes information identifying any birth parent or putative father, member of a birth
parent’s or putative father’s family, the adopted person or the adoptive parents of the adopted person may be provided, if available,
from an agency upon request to the persons listed above.

 

Mutual Access to Identifying Information
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 109.455; 109.460
The persons listed above may use the voluntary adoption registry for obtaining identifying information about birth parents, the
putative father, the adult adopted person, and adult birth siblings. An adult adopted person who has a birth sibling in the adult
adopted person’s adoptive family who is under age 18 may not have access to the registry. A putative father may not have access to
the registry.
The persons listed above shall work through the agency involved in the adoption, or its successor agency, or the Department of
Human Services to receive information concerning the adoption.
The persons listed above and a putative father may register by submitting a signed affidavit to the registry. The affidavit shall contain
the information listed in § 109.465 and a statement of the registrant’s willingness to be identified to the other relevant persons who
register. The affidavit gives authority to the registry to release identifying information to the other relevant persons who register.
Each registration shall be accompanied by the registrant’s certified copy of the record of live birth.
An adopted person, or the parent or guardian of an adopted person under age 18, may register to have specific identifying
information disclosed to Indian Tribes or to governmental agencies in order to establish the adopted person’s eligibility for Tribal
membership or for benefits or to a person settling an estate.
If a birth parent or an adopted person fails to file an affidavit with the registry for any reason, including death or disability, identifying
information shall not be disclosed.

 

Where the Information Can Be Located
Oregon Department of Human Services, Adoption Search and Registry Program

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FIND YOUR BIRTH PARENTS