OHIO Law/ReformAnyone who was adopted before 1964 has the right to see their original birth certificates. If sometime after 1964 a request was made for the re-issuance of a birth certificate in an adopted name, the original birth certificate was sealed. For all adoptions occurring after 1964, the access to the original birth certificate is available by court order only. Birth parents and biological siblings can file a waiver authorizing the release of identifying information with the Department of Health. If an authorization has been filed, an adult adoptee (age 21) who petitions the probate court will receive the information. If no releases are on file, the adoptee's request is marked as pending and will be kept on file until releases are received, or the biological parent's are deceased, 30 days after that the petition for information should be granted.
Ohio recently enacted a revised adoption statute creating a complicated system
that works differently for pre-1964, 1964-1996, and post-June 1996 adoptions.
As of June, 1996, the right to non-identifying information is clear. For
adoptions that took place before June, 1996, the availability of information
varies from county to county and agency to agency. Ohio Links
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