Iowa Adoption Records
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Accessing Iowa Adoption Records
Iowa adoption records are sealed, and you can only access them with a court petition. However, Iowa recently began allowing adoptees to obtain copies of their original birth certificates. This document usually lists the birth parents’ names, unless they’ve requested to remain anonymous.
Like in many other states, accessing adoption records in Iowa can be a long and overwhelming process. At Adopted.com, we created a better way to quickly connect family members through mutual consent.
When you join Adopted.com, you can search for biological relatives in Iowa and across the country. You don’t need to fill out a complicated form or plead your case to a court. You just need to answer ten easy questions about the adoption, which most people already know.
We have the largest voluntary adoption reunion registry in the United States. Whether you’re in Dubuque, Sioux City, or anywhere in between, you have the opportunity to reunite with your birth family on Adopted.com.
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4,422 Are Iowa Adoption Records Public?
No. Iowa seals all records once an adoption is finalized. These records aren’t accessible without a court order showing good cause to open them.
While Iowa adoption records are sealed, adult adoptees can request some information from their files, including medical histories. This information won’t include the birth parents’ names.
How to Find Adoption Records in Iowa
In 2022, a new state law went into effect that allows an adult adoptee born in Iowa to get a non-certified copy of their original birth certificate. This document will have the names of the adoptee’s biological parents. However, birth parents can request to redact their names if they don’t want them released.
If you want to obtain your original birth certificate, complete an application with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). Your application must be notarized. Submit the notarized application, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, and a fee to IDPH Bureau of Health Statistics in Des Moines. You can mail the form or submit it to the bureau in person.
Only adoptees over the age of 18 can request original birth certificates in Iowa. However, other relatives can get these records if an adoptee has died. These include an adoptee’s spouse, children, grandchildren, and their adoptive parents, siblings, and grandparents.
After making your request, the state estimates it will take six to eight weeks to get an original birth certificate.
How to Unseal Adoption Records in Iowa
For adoption records besides the original birth certificate, you need to petition the court for access. Complete an adoption affidavit form, which requires you to provide a reason for the request. Have the form notarized and file it with the court that handled the adoption.
If you’re trying to locate a birth relative, you have one other option through the state. Iowa has a Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry for adoptees, birth parents, and biological siblings. If you and one of your family members both join the registry, the state will notify you of the match. There’s no guarantee there will be a match, and the state will not conduct a search for your birth relatives.
You can register with the country registrar’s office where you live. Country registrars usually work in county courthouses or county administration offices. You must pay a fee and provide a copy of your birth certificate to join the registry.
Are Adoptions Closed in Iowa?
In Iowa, adoptions can be open or closed. An open adoption means the adoptive family knows the birth parents’ identities. The birth mother or both birth parents may have ongoing contact with the child through phone calls, social media, or in-person visits. In a closed adoption, the birth parents’ identities remain confidential, and they have no contact with the child after the adoption.
Whether an adoption is open or closed, Iowa seals all adoption records. You can only access them by petitioning the court.
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 1,205,518 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 Iowa Who Chose To Be Featured
1741. Pooie22 : Not needing to meet up with any family members. Just curious as to they are. I was born April 26th in Ottumwa‚ Iowa
1742. Chad1974 : I was adopted in Missouri Valley. Family was from Logan Iowa.
1743. Colbysimpson : The first name of my birth mother is Amanda & she was living in Texas when I was adopted. I was adopted by Bradley & Rhonda Simpson. I was born in Sioux City‚ Iowa.
1744. JacobLeeAdams : I am the birth parent looking for my son who was adopted after my rights were terminated by the court system. Jacob Adams -born 12/30/2003 in Clarinda Iowa at Clarinda Regional hospital to Jessica Adams and Eric Adams. Dr. Richardson delivered him natural birth at 2:12 p. m. His was pulled from my home on March 15‚2008 by Clarinda Iowa Department of human services and local law enforcement officers Jake Daly‚ Adam Huesman‚ And Jesse Hitt.
1745. JustussTruth : Her birth name is Justuss Maleka Truth Williams she was born in Cedar Rapids Iowa
1746. Jeanruth1931 : Jean ruth Moeller was born on Sept 23‚ 1931. She was born at university hospital in Iowa City to a 21 yr old single mother who was the oldest child.
1747. SM1820 : Town: Des Moines‚ Iowa County: Polk Birth Mother: Nettie Elizabeth Hammond Doctor: Stephen A Leslie
1748. BabyBoyWickham : I was born in Iowa City Iowa I was born baby boy Wickham on 01/19/1972 I was adopted through Hillcrest family services.
1749. Josiah93762 : Adopted at birth from Iowa to Alaska.
1750. Walnut86 : We suspect that a male baby was adopted from a family‚ as the parents had a stillborn born 2 months before this baby was supposedly born. Would have been adopted to a family in SW MN‚ Maybe in Westbrook‚ Tracy‚ Walnut Grove area.
1751. SandraDempsey : Searching for my Father In Law’s mother adoption records. Her name is Hortense Frances Hill‚ Rumour is she is the child of Eva Francis Hill and Arthur Middleton. She was adopted by Eva’s brother Frank Hill and her adopted mother is Carrie Hill. Looking for proof of Hortense’s birth parents.
1752. Gmcmains : I am looking for the baby Mary Hadvizjak gave up for adoption in the mid-1920s to the early 1930s in Mahaska County‚ Iowa. No clue of who the father might be‚ and not sure of the baby’s gender. Everyone who knew anything in now gone‚ but there were rumors through the years that the adoptive family was named Allender. The baby would be very aged now if still alive‚ but he or she may have children and grandchildren that might be interested in knowing about Mary and her family. Mary was my grandmother’s first cousin and best friend. Mary’s family was from Slovakia.
1753. RoxannaWalker : Looking for my grandson‚ and granddaughter. They were adopted out 17-18 years ago. The state of Iowa does not have grandparent rights. Sioux City‚ Iowa‚ grandsons name was Breckin Lane‚ granddaughters name was Frankie Bree and she has down syndrome.
1754. Saraemery : Born as Shawn ugene emery in marshalltown iowa at marshalltown hospital.bethany Christian adoption services helped with the adoption he was adopted at birth
1755. Cellio97 : I’ve been looking for 7 years
