Adoptee Rights Law Center

Legal representation and advocacy for adult adopted people

Gregory D. Luce

And Then There Were Four

First published on • Last updated on

With legislative sessions winding down, four states are still active with OBC access bills. Three bills are clean. One, in North Carolina, is simply bizarre.

What’s the Adoption Institute Up To?

First published on • Last updated on

With its newly announced OBC2020 “organized advocacy campaign,” why won’t the Donaldson Adoption Institute commit to unrestricted OBC access for all adult adoptees, unequivocally and without compromise?

The Nutso World of New York Adoptee Rights

First published on • Last updated on

Not only does New York purport to seal adoption records and OBCs forever, but it also relies upon an archaic, punitive, and expensive court process to access anything remotely identifying.

OBC Access Bills: Update

First published on • Last updated on

A list of OBC access bills that are still alive in the 2017 session, plus bills that may have come and gone and are now either dead or barely hanging on.

The Long and Costly Tail of Compromise

First published on • Last updated on

Forty years ago, Minnesota enacted the nation’s first compromised system of access to original birth certificates. The damage continues today.

The High Price of Nope

First published on • Last updated on

The security and legal structures surrounding access to original birth certificates are immense, complex, confusing, and humiliating, specifically for adult adoptees who are forced to maneuver through such systems.

The OBC Tracker Project

First published on • Last updated on

I’m initiating a project today to collect stories and facts about the adoptee experience in getting what’s rightfully theirs. Including stories of people who don’t want to request anything.

I am NOT an Adoption Attorney

First published on • Last updated on

An adoptee-rights lawyer works for one thing: securing civil and legal rights for adult adoptees.

Interactive Map of OBC Access

First published on • Last updated on

As part of a 50-state review, I created a map to illustrate where access to an original birth certificate is unrestricted, conditionally restricted, or completely restricted.

When an Adoption Agency Goes Belly Up

First published on • Last updated on

Independent Adoption Center, which operated in at least eight states, recently went bankrupt. What happens to its adoption records? We sent letters to find out.

What’s an Original Birth Certificate?

Most adopted persons know what an original birth certificate (OBC) is. Many non-adopted people do not. An original birth certificate is the initial birth certificate created shortly after a person's birth. For most people, it is their only birth certificate.

For persons born and adopted in the United States, a new or "amended" birth certificate replaces the OBC once the adoption is final. In addition to replacing the original, the names of the birth parents are also replaced with the names of the adoptive parents. Some states may also alter or omit additional information on a new certificate, including the adoptee's specific place of birth.

Depending on state law, an original birth certificate is sealed and remains unavailable to the adopted person, even when they become an adult. If you are not adopted, your original birth certificate is your only birth certificate---and it is always available to you upon request.