Arkansas Adoption Records
The world's largest adoption reunion registry for adoptees and families
Start Your Search TodayAccessing Arkansas Adoption Records
In 2018, Arkansas implemented a new law that allows adoptees to unseal their adoption records once they turn 21. While the law provides a way to access Arkansas adoption records, it also comes with red tape, including notary requirements and a fee.
If you want an easier way to reunite with your biological relatives, Adopted.com can help. We offer a voluntary adoption reunion registry where adoptees, birth parents, and others impacted by adoption can connect very quickly.
To join our registry, you don’t need to get a form notarized or pay a fee. All you need to do is answer ten simple questions that most people know about the adoption.
Our registry spans the state of Arkansas, from Fayetteville to Little Rock and everywhere in between. We offer a safe, secure way to reconnect with your birth family. Register for free today to join a community where reunions happen every day.
Register Now DirectoryAre Adoptions in Arkansas Open?
Yes, Arkansas allows families to arrange open adoptions. In an open adoption, the adoptive family knows the birth parents’ identities. One or both birth parents may even have ongoing communication with the adopted child, such as phone calls or face-to-face visits.
However, the official adoption files are sealed even in an open adoption. You cannot access the adoption records unless you’re an adoptee over 21 years old.
How Do I Get My Original Birth Certificate if I Was Adopted in Arkansas?
Your original birth certificate is part of your adoption file. You can get this document by submitting a written request to the Arkansas Department of Health if you’re over 21. When you receive your original birth certificate, it will be marked “not intended for official use.”
Arkansas allows birth parents to redact their names from an adoptee’s original birth certificate. If one or both of your birth parents have asked to keep their identities confidential, their names will be removed from the copy you receive.
How to Unseal Adoption Records in Arkansas
Adoptees in Arkansas can request their adoption files once they’re 21 years old. You must complete a form from the Arkansas Department of Health to unseal your adoption records. You’ll need to provide proof of your identity, such as a driver’s license. You’ll also need to have the form notarized.
If an adoptee has passed away, their surviving spouse, child, or child’s guardian can also request their adoption records. You’ll need to complete the same form and include proof of your identity. You’ll also need to submit your own birth certificate and notarized documentation of your relationship to the adoptee. A marriage or birth certificate can satisfy this requirement.
For all requests, there’s a $100 fee to access adoption files. You can submit a check or money order to the Arkansas Department of Health with your mailed application.
How Do You Access Arkansas Public Adoption Records?
Arkansas adoption records aren’t public, and you can only access them if you’re an adoptee or the spouse, child, or child’s guardian of an adoptee who has passed away. If you don’t fall into one of those categories, you’ll need a court order to unseal adoption records in Arkansas.
While the state limits who can access adoption records, you may be able to access some information through the Arkansas Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry (MCVAR). This voluntary registry can connect birth relatives if they both consent to having contact.
You can register to identify your birth relatives if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18
- A birth parent
- A birth grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or sibling
To register with the MCVAR, you must complete an affidavit form, attend a one-hour counseling session, and pay $20. Once you complete these steps, you will be notified if one of your biological relatives joins the registry.
Additionally, the MCVAR can provide non-identifying information about an adoption, including genetic, health, and social histories. This information doesn’t include the names of the adoptee, the adoptive parents, or the birth parents.
You can register to access this information if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18
- A birth parent
- A spouse, child, or child’s guardian of a deceased adoptee
- An adoptive parent or a legal guardian
- A child welfare agency with custody of an adoptee
To obtain this report, you must complete an affidavit form and pay $5.
Search in nearby states to Arkansas
Let Adopted.com help you find your lost family today!
Adopted.com is a powerful adoption reunion registry designed to help you reconnect with your birth parents. By registering, you gain access to a growing database of over 1,205,105 profiles, increasing your chances of finding your biological relatives. The platform respects your privacy and allows you to update your profile anytime.
Registration is free, and the unique search tool ensures measurable match results. When you find your birth parents, remember to approach the reunion with an open heart and understanding, as it can be an emotionally significant experience for everyone involved.
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A Few of Our Members Currently Searching Within Arkansas Who Chose To Be Featured
1276. Brittbus18 : I really want to figure out who my birth mother is. I hope this will help!
1277. JustinAshley : I was born in Benton‚ AR on December 6th‚ 1977. Looking for blood relatives. Possibly born in Saline Memorial Hospital
1278. JessicaShamblin : My twin girls‚were born on October 12‚2007 In Baxter County Arkansas at Baxter Regional Hospital. Dr. Harley J Barrow was the delivery Dr. Fulton County DHS in Salem Arkansas was the agency that found the adopted family. Melissa Fay Foster & Lauren Dawn Foster‚was their given birth names. They were a little over 3yrs of age when they was adopted. The adopted family I was told lived in Little Rock Arkansas and maybe in military. I miss my girls and think of them every single day I wake up.
1279. Austyn23 : My daughter Austyn Michelle Tate‚ son Myles James Tate‚ dhs in ft Smith arkansas
1280. HinesHeather : Bella Vista Arkansas‚ Bella Vista Boys and girls club‚ Hot Springs Hospital‚ Sebastian County DHS‚ Dakota Lester‚ Heather Lester
1281. Caroline728 : I’m looking for my birth parents‚ their names are Heather and Brad
1282. Mgodin78 : Searching for children of Larry Lewis Elliott (born Nisbeth‚ Jr)
1283. Blakebree : Wondering if still alive on both or not
1284. Heatherpayne : I am searching for my son Joshua. Not a day has gone by where I do not have him on my mind.
1285. Oksuzyq : Looking for my stepdaughter her father Billy Ewing mother was Melissa Anderson‚ they lived in fort Smith Arkansas‚ lived in Texas briefly with her father and his has a brother whose name was originally Thomas‚ Dale Anderson‚ step daughter’s name was originally birth name Laura Rose Anderson‚ Thomas was in foster care with lady named Wilma bird Laura at one time was in foster care with a lady in Waldron Arkansas
1286. Ashleystratton87 : Born at Springhill Baptist in NLR Arkansas august 17th 2016 Jeremiah Ryan Campea to mother Ashley Brooke Stratton and father Austin William Ryan Campea . DHS separated us but mommy always wanted you no doubt about that my first born son taken from me by the state the last name Morton is all I know any location of adoptive parents is Lonoke Arkansas where the DHS case originally was opened at .
1287. Mohlersweb : I know who my mother is‚ her husband adopted me soon after birth. My mother refused to tell me who my father was‚ and all relatives that may have known have died.
1288. Sarah_Dill_22 : I’m searching for my birth parents and any family I might have
1289. MarisaCarol : I was adopted the day I was born on November 19‚ 1976 in North Little Rock‚ Arkansas.
1290. Mikagrieser : My children are Shelby Jean Cheney‚ Jacob Larson Cheney and Delaney Kay Cheney. My name is Mika Grieser and their father is Jason Matthew Cheney. I live in Hot Springs AR