MAINE

UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO OBC​ (Age 18 and older)

 

Who May Access Information
Citation: Rev. Stat. Tit. 22, § 2706-A; Tit. 18-A, § 9-310
The following persons may participate in the adoption registry:
• An adoptive parent or legal guardian if the adopted person is under age 18, deceased, or incapacitated
• A birth parent
• A birth sibling or half-sibling who is age 18 or older
• The legal guardian or custodian of a person under age 18 who is the sibling or half-sibling of an adopted person
• If a birth parent is deceased, a birth mother, legal father, grandparent, sibling, half-sibling, aunt, uncle, or first cousin of the
deceased birth parent
Medical or genetic information shall be made available to:
• The adopted person upon reaching age 18
• The adopted person’s descendants
• The adoptive parents or the child’s legal guardian on petition of the court

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Access to Original Birth Certificate

Citation: Rev. Stat. Tit. 22, §§ 2765; 2768

Adult adoptees have an unrestricted access to their own original birth certificates upon request. Adoptees must be 18 years of age before requesting their OBCs.  Maine allows birth parents to file a contact preference form and medical history form, which is attached to the original birth certificate. The contact preference form does not affect the release of the OBC.

 

Access to Non-identifying Information
Citation: Rev. Stat. Tit. 18-A, § 9-310; Tit. 22, § 8205
The licensed child-placing agency shall obtain medical and genetic information on the birth parents and the child that shall include:
• A current medical, psychological, and developmental history of the child, including an account of the child’s prenatal care,
medical condition at birth, results of newborn screening, and any drug or medication taken by the child’s birth mother during
pregnancy
• Any subsequent medical, psychological, or psychiatric examination
• Any physical, sexual, or emotional abuse suffered by the child
• A record of any immunizations and health care received since birth
• Relevant information concerning the medical, psychological, and social history of the birth parents
Prior to the child being placed for adoption, the licensed child-placing agency shall provide the information described above to the
adoptive parents.
Any medical or genetic information in the court records relating to an adoption must be made available to the adopted child upon
reaching age 18 and to the adopted child’s descendants, adoptive parents, or legal guardian on petition of the court.

 

Mutual Access to Identifying Information
Citation: Rev. Stat. Tit. 22, § 2706-A; 2766
The State Registrar shall maintain a file of the names and addresses of adopted persons and their adoptive and birth parents who
have registered with the registry. At the time of registration, each registrant shall indicate the persons with whom contact is desired.
A registrant may withdraw from the adoption registry at any time by submitting a written request. The Registrar shall notify each
party of the name and address of the other party and of sources of counseling when a request for contact is made.
An adult adopted person may request the identity or his or her birth parents from the Registrar by submitting proof that the birth
parents are deceased, an affidavit from a blood relative who is not a sibling and who is at least 10 years older than the adopted
person verifying that the adopted person lived with the birth parents for 5 years, and a court order authorizing the Registrar to open
the original birth certificate to verify the identity of the birth parents. Upon verification of the information, the Registrar will prepare a
form identifying the birth parents. This form must be attached to the new birth certificate and provided to the adopted person.
The State Registrar shall provide upon request each birth parent a contact preference form and a medical history form. A birth
parent shall fill out a medical history form if he or she fills out a contact preference form.
A birth parent also may complete a contact preference form on which he or she may state a preference regarding contact by an
adopted person. The form must indicate whether the birth parent chooses contact, contact through an intermediary, or no contact.
Completed contact preference and medical history forms shall be attached to the original birth certificate of the adopted person. A
completed contact preference form and medical history form have the same level of confidentiality as the original birth certificate.

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Where the Information Can Be Located
Maine State Adoption Reunion Registry, Office of Vital Records

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FIND YOUR BIRTH PARENTS