Washington

Summary

Washington adult adopted people do not have an unrestricted right to request and obtain their own original birth certificates. An OBC is available through the Department of Health but release is subject to birth parent disclosure vetoes as well as to corrupt contact preference forms that allow a birth parent to deny release of the OBC. Disclosure vetoes and contact preference forms expire on the death of the birth parent.

All other identifying information in adoption records are sealed and only available through a confidential intermediary or by court order upon good cause shown.

Relevant Washington Law: Original Birth Certificates

RCW 70.58.210. Birth certificate upon adoption. (Effective until January 1, 2021.)
(1) Whenever a decree of adoption has been entered declaring a child, born in the state of Washington, adopted in any court of competent jurisdiction in the state of Washington or any other state or any territory of the United States, a certified copy of the decree of adoption shall be recorded with the proper department of registration of births in the state of Washington and a certificate of birth shall issue upon request, bearing the new name of the child as shown in the decree of adoption, the names of the adoptive parents of the child and the age, sex, and date of birth of the child, but no reference in any birth certificate shall have reference to the adoption of the child. However, original registration of births shall remain a part of the record of the board of health.

(2) Whenever a decree of adoption has been entered declaring a child, born outside of the United States and its territories, adopted in any court of competent jurisdiction in the state of Washington, a certified copy of the decree of adoption together with evidence as to the child’s birthdate and birthplace provided by the original birth certificate, or by a certified copy, extract, or translation thereof or by a certified copy of some other document essentially equivalent thereto, shall be recorded with the proper department of registration of births in the state of Washington. The records of the United States immigration and naturalization service or of the United States department of state are essentially equivalent to the birth certificate.

A certificate of birth shall issue upon request, bearing the new name of the child as shown in the decree of adoption, the names of the adoptive parents of the child and the age, sex, and date of birth of the child, but no reference in any birth certificate shall have reference to the adoption of the child. Unless the court orders otherwise, the certificate of birth shall have the same overall appearance as the certificate which would have been issued if the adopted child had been born in the state of Washington.

A person born outside of the United States and its territories for whom a decree of adoption has been entered in a court of this state before September 1, 1979, may apply for a certificate of birth under this subsection by furnishing the proper department of registration of births with a certified copy of the decree of adoption together with the other evidence required by this subsection as to the date and place of birth. Upon receipt of the decree and evidence, a certificate of birth shall be issued in accordance with this subsection.

RCW 70.58A.400 Adoption—Amendment of birth record or registration of birth—Sealing of original birth record. (Effective January 1, 2021.)
(1) The state registrar shall amend the birth record of a child born in state to reflect an adoption decree received from a Washington state court of competent jurisdiction upon receipt of:

(a) An application to register an adoption;
(b) A certified copy of the adoption decree entered pursuant to chapter 26.33 RCW; and
(c) Applicable fees established under this chapter and by rule.

(2) The state registrar shall amend the live birth record of a child born in state to reflect an adoption report from any other state or territory of the United States, and the District of Columbia, upon receipt of:

(a) A certified copy of an adoption report, or an application to register an adoption and a certified copy of the adoption decree; and
(b) Applicable fees established under this chapter and by rule.

(3) The state registrar shall register the birth of a child born outside the United States and its territories and adopted after January 1, 1985, in a Washington state court of competent jurisdiction upon receipt of:

(a) An application to register an adoption;
(b) A certified copy of a decree of adoption entered pursuant to chapter 26.33 RCW; and
(c) Applicable fees established under this chapter and by rule.

(4) The state registrar shall register the birth of a child born outside the United States and its territories and adopted before January 1, 1985, in a Washington state court of competent jurisdiction upon receipt of:

(a) An application to register an adoption;
(b) A certified copy of a decree of adoption entered pursuant to chapter 26.33 RCW;
(c) Documentary evidence as to the child’s birthdate and birthplace provided by:

(i) The original birth certification;
(ii) A certified copy, extract, or translation of the original birth certification; or
(iii) A certified copy of another document essentially equivalent to the original birth certification including, but not limited to, the records of the United States citizenship and immigration services or the United States department of state; and

(d) Applicable fees established under this chapter and by rule.

(5) The state registrar shall retain and seal the original birth record including the adoption report, certified copy of the adoption decree, and other documentary evidence filed pursuant to chapter 26.33 RCW. The sealed record is not subject to public inspection or copying pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW and may be released only as allowed by RCW 26.33.345.

RCW 26.33.345. Search for birth parent or adopted child—Limited release of information—Noncertified copies of original birth certificate—Contact preference form
(1) The department of social and health services, adoption agencies, and independent adoption facilitators shall release the name and location of the court where a relinquishment of parental rights or finalization of an adoption took place to an adult adoptee, a birth parent of an adult adoptee, an adoptive parent, a birth or adoptive grandparent of an adult adoptee, or an adult sibling of an adult adoptee, or the legal guardian of any of these.

(2) The department of health shall make available a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate of a child to the child’s birth parents upon request.

(3)(a) For adoptions finalized after October 1, 1993, the department of health shall provide a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate to an adoptee eighteen years of age or older upon request, unless the birth parent has filed an affidavit of nondisclosure before July 28, 2013, or a contact preference form that indicates he or she does not want the original birth certificate released: PROVIDED, That the affidavit of nondisclosure, the contact preference form, or both have not expired.

(b) For adoptions finalized on or before October 1, 1993, the department of health may not provide a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate to the adoptee until after June 30, 2014. After June 30, 2014, the department of health shall provide a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate to an adoptee eighteen years of age or older upon request, unless the birth parent has filed a contact preference form that indicates he or she does not want the original birth certificate released: PROVIDED, That the contact preference form has not expired.

(c) An affidavit of nondisclosure expires upon the death of the birth parent.

(4)(a) Regardless of whether a birth parent has filed an affidavit of nondisclosure or when the adoption was finalized, a birth parent may at any time complete a contact preference form stating his or her preference about personal contact with the adoptee, which, if available, must accompany an original birth certificate provided to an adoptee under subsection (3) of this section.

(b) The contact preference form must include the following options:

(i) I would like to be contacted. I give the department of health consent to provide the adoptee with a noncertified copy of his or her original birth certificate;
(ii) I would like to be contacted only through a confidential intermediary as described in RCW 26.33.343. I give the department of health consent to provide the adoptee with a noncertified copy of his or her original birth certificate;
(iii) I prefer not to be contacted and have completed the birth parent updated medical history form. I give the department of health consent to provide the adoptee with a noncertified copy of his or her original birth certificate; and
(iv) I prefer not to be contacted and have completed the birth parent updated medical history form. I do not want a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate released to the adoptee.

(c) If the birth parent indicates he or she prefers not to be contacted, personally identifying information on the contact preference form must be kept confidential and may not be released.

(d) Nothing in this section precludes a birth parent from subsequently filing another contact preference form to rescind the previous contact preference form and state a different preference.

(e) A contact preference form expires upon the death of the birth parent.

(5) If a birth parent files a contact preference form, the birth parent must also file an updated medical history form with the department of health. Upon request of the adoptee, the department of health must provide the adoptee with the updated medical history form filed by the adoptee’s birth parent.

(6) Both a completed contact preference form and birth parent updated medical history form are confidential and must be placed in the adoptee’s sealed file.

(7) If a birth parent files a contact preference form within six months after the first time an adoptee requests a copy of his or her original birth certificate as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the department of health must forward the contact preference form and the birth parent updated medical history form to the address of the adoptee.

(8) The department of health may charge a fee not to exceed twenty dollars for providing a noncertified copy of a birth certificate to an adoptee.

(9) The department of health must create the contact preference form and an updated medical history form. The contact preference form must provide a method to ensure personally identifying information can be kept confidential. The updated medical history form may not require the birth parent to disclose any identifying information about the birth parent.

(10) If the department of health does not provide an adoptee with a noncertified copy of the original birth certificate because a valid affidavit of nondisclosure or contact preference form has been filed, the adoptee may request, no more than once per year, that the department of health attempt to determine if the birth parent is deceased. Upon request of the adoptee, the department of health must make a reasonable effort to search public records that are accessible and already available to the department of health to determine if the birth parent is deceased. The department of health may charge the adoptee a reasonable fee to cover the cost of conducting a search.

RCW 26.33.347. Consent or refusal to release adoptee’s identifying information—Desire to be contacted—Certified statement.
(1) An adopted person over the age of eighteen may file with the department of health a certified statement declaring any one or more of the following:

(a) The adoptee refuses to consent to the release of any identifying information to a biological parent, biological sibling, or other biological relative and does not wish to be contacted by a confidential intermediary except in the case of a medical emergency as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction;
(b) The adoptee consents to the release of any identifying information to a confidential intermediary appointed under RCW 26.33.343, a biological parent, biological sibling, or other biological relative;
(c) The adoptee desires to be contacted by his or her biological parents, biological siblings, other biological relatives, or a confidential intermediary appointed under RCW 26.33.343;
(d) The current name, address, and telephone number of the adoptee who desires to be contacted.

(2) The certified statement shall be filed with the department of health and placed with the adoptee’s original birth certificate if the adoptee was born in this state, or in a separate registry file for reference purposes if the adoptee was born in another state or outside of the United States. When the statement includes a request for confidentiality or a refusal to consent to the disclosure of identifying information, a prominent notice stating substantially the following shall also be placed at the front of the file: “AT THE REQUEST OF THE ADOPTEE, ALL RECORDS AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION RELATING TO THIS ADOPTION SHALL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND SHALL NOT BE DISCLOSED OR RELEASED WITHOUT A COURT ORDER SO DIRECTING.”

(3) An adopted person who files a certified statement under subsection (1) of this section may subsequently file another certified statement requesting to rescind or amend the prior certified statement.

Relevant Washington Law: Adoption and Agency Records

RCW 26.33.330. Records sealed—Inspection—Fee
(1) All records of any proceeding under this chapter shall be sealed and shall not be thereafter open to inspection by any person except upon order of the court for good cause shown, or except by using the procedure described in RCW 26.33.343. In determining whether good cause exists, the court shall consider any certified statement on file with the department of health as provided in RCW 26.33.347.

(2) The state registrar of vital statistics may charge a reasonable fee for the review of any of its sealed records.

RCW 26.33.340. Department, agency, and court files confidential—Limited disclosure of information
Department, agency, and court files regarding an adoption shall be confidential except that reasonably available nonidentifying information may be disclosed upon the written request for the information from the adoptive parent, the adoptee, or the birth parent. If the adoption facilitator refuses to disclose nonidentifying information, the individual may petition the superior court. Identifying information may also be disclosed through the procedure described in RCW 26.33.343.

RCW 26.33.343. Search for birth parent or adopted child–Confidential intermediary
(1) An adopted person over the age of twenty-one years, or under twenty-one with the permission of the adoptive parent, or a birth parent or member of the birth parent’s family after the adoptee has reached the age of twenty-one may petition the court to appoint a confidential intermediary. A petition under this section shall state whether a certified statement is on file with the department of health as provided for in RCW 26.33.347 and shall also state the intent of the adoptee as set forth in any such statement. The intermediary shall search for and discreetly contact the birth parent or adopted person, or if they are not alive or cannot be located within one year, the intermediary may attempt to locate members of the birth parent or adopted person’s family. These family members shall be limited to the natural grandparents of the adult adoptee, a brother or sister of a natural parent, or the child of a natural parent. The court, for good cause shown, may allow a relative more distant in degree to petition for disclosure.

(2)(a) Confidential intermediaries appointed under this section shall complete training provided by a licensed adoption service or another court-approved entity and file an oath of confidentiality and a certificate of completion of training with the superior court of every county in which they serve as intermediaries. The court may dismiss an intermediary if the intermediary engages in conduct which violates professional or ethical standards.

(b) The confidential intermediary shall sign a statement of confidentiality substantially as follows:

I, . . . . . ., signing under penalty of contempt of court, state: “As a condition of appointment as a confidential intermediary, I affirm that, when adoption records are opened to me:

I will not disclose to the petitioner, directly or indirectly, any identifying information in the records without further order from the court.

I will conduct a diligent search for the person being sought and make a discreet and confidential inquiry as to whether that person will consent to being put in contact with the petitioner, and I will report back to the court the results of my search and inquiry.

If the person sought consents to be put in contact with the petitioner, I will attempt to obtain a dated, written consent from the person, and attach the original of the consent to my report to the court. If the person sought does not consent to the disclosure of his or her identity, I shall report the refusal of consent to the court.

I will not make any charge or accept any compensation for my services except as approved by the court, or as reimbursement from the petitioner for actual expenses incurred in conducting the search. These expenses will be listed in my report to the court.

I recognize that unauthorized release of confidential information may subject me to civil liability under state law, and subjects me to being found in contempt of court.”

/s/ date

(c) The confidential intermediary shall be entitled to reimbursement from the petitioner for actual expenses in conducting the search. The court may authorize a reasonable fee in addition to these expenses.

(3) If the confidential intermediary is unable to locate the person being sought within one year, the confidential intermediary shall make a recommendation to the court as to whether or not a further search is warranted, and the reasons for this recommendation.

(4) In the case of a petition filed on behalf of a natural parent or other blood relative of the adoptee, written consent of any living adoptive parent shall be obtained prior to contact with the adoptee if the adoptee:

(a) Is less than twenty-five years of age and is residing with the adoptive parent; or
(b) Is less than twenty-five years of age and is a dependent of the adoptive parent.

(5) If the confidential intermediary locates the person being sought, a discreet and confidential inquiry shall be made as to whether or not that person will consent to having his or her present identity disclosed to the petitioner. The identity of the petitioner shall not be disclosed to the party being sought. If the party being sought consents to the disclosure of his or her identity, the confidential intermediary shall obtain the consent in writing and shall include the original of the consent in the report filed with the court. If the party being sought refuses disclosure of his or her identity, the confidential intermediary shall report the refusal to the court and shall refrain from further and subsequent inquiry without judicial approval.

(6)(a) If the confidential intermediary obtains from the person being sought written consent for disclosure of his or her identity to the petitioner, the court may then order that the name and other identifying information of that person be released to the petitioner.

(b) If the person being sought is deceased, the court may order disclosure of the identity of the deceased to the petitioner.
(c) If the confidential intermediary is unable to contact the person being sought within one year, the court may order that the search be continued for a specified time or be terminated.

Relevant Washington Law: Birth Siblings

RCW 26.33.420. Postadoption contact between siblings—Intent—Findings.
The legislature finds that the importance of children’s relationships with their siblings is well recognized in law and science. The bonds between siblings are often irreplaceable, leading some experts to believe that sibling relationships can be longer lasting and more influential than any other over a person’s lifetime. For children who have been removed from home due to abuse or neglect, these bonds are often much stronger because siblings have learned early the importance of depending on one another and cooperating in order to cope with their common problems. The legislature further finds that when children are in the foster care system they typically have some degree of contact or visitation with their siblings even when they are not living together. The legislature finds, however, that when one or more of the siblings is adopted from foster care, these relationships may be severed completely if an open adoption agreement fails to attend to the needs of the siblings for continuing postadoption contact. The legislature intends to promote a greater focus, in permanency planning and adoption proceedings, on the interests of siblings separated by adoptive placements and to encourage the inclusion in adoption agreements of provisions to support ongoing postadoption contact between siblings.

RCW 26.33.430. Postadoption contact between siblings—Duty of court.
The court, in reviewing and approving an agreement under RCW 26.33.295 for the adoption of a child from foster care, shall encourage the adoptive parents, birth parents, foster parents, kinship caregivers, and the department or other supervising agency to seriously consider the long-term benefits to the child adoptee and siblings of the child adoptee of providing for and facilitating continuing postadoption contact between siblings. To the extent feasible, and when in the best interests of the child adoptee and siblings of the child adoptee, contact between the siblings should be frequent and of a similar nature as that which existed prior to the adoption. If the child adoptee or known siblings of the child adoptee are represented by an attorney or guardian ad litem in a proceeding under this chapter or in any other child custody proceeding, the court shall inquire of each attorney and guardian ad litem regarding the potential benefits of continuing contact between the siblings and the potential detriments of severing contact.