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 1,205,527 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
646. Dancinmom42 : Marcia was adopted by Walter and Mildred Andersen of Creighton Nebraska
647. Alma430 : My name is Alma Williams CPS took my 3 kids in Iowa 2009 Cody Lamar born 6/18/2000 Last name on Birth Certificate when born Scott Quinton MCCoy born 10-08-2003 Last name on birth certificate when born Harmsen Victoria Rozella born 02/05/2005 Last name on Birth Certificate when born Harmsen the last 2 children are siblings and biracial I am black father was white
648. Sarita_Margurita03 : Hello, I haven’t seen my kid’s in a few year’s and I would like the help I can get to be able to at least know a little something about them. I miss them soo badly.
649. Danielledalton1983 : Nevada Iowa Devon Dalton
650. Fhuskers : Looking for my 1/2 sister my mom put up for adoption in 1958. Could be in Iowa, Missouri
651. Denniswendt928 : Adopted parents were dale and Anna Mae Wendt the adoption was in Des Moines Iowa I have a son with a rare birth condition and wanted to know if this was something inherited
652. Dustinlostrander : Looking for my mother’s real parents. She was born June 13‚ 1966 in Iowa. I think Des Moines. Ive heard her birth mother named her Michelle‚ but that was changed to Jean as soon as she was adopted. We all have kids of our own now and would really like to know more about my mothers family history.
653. MaceyMello : The baby’s mother (also my mother) was Helen Louise Paul from Marshalltown Iowa
654. Ebartleman : She was born Misty Lynn Bosch in Woodbury, IA We share the same mother Carol Bosch
655. Aultman99 : I was born/ adopted in Fort Madison Iowa at the community hospital.
656. Aultman1914 : I was born/ adopted in Fort Madison Iowa at the community hospital. The lady who put me up for adoption said that she wanted me to have a better life. She did not want to meet the people who were adopting me she wanted it to be a closed adoption.
657. Kdawson3386 : Waterloo, IA (Black Hawk County) Birthmother’s name from Adoption paperwork - Mary Kay Steffen- Husband- Roy A. Steffen Parents who adopted me. Avis Hope Dawson, Virgil D. Dawson (Cy)
658. Daryl72466 : Birth city ,Fort Dodge ia. Adoption agency, Lutheran Family Services Birth mother first name, Linda. Born 1946.
659. KAL74 : Birth hospital: Unity Point-Allen Hospital Birth year: 1994 Daughter’s birth name: First: Alexis/Lexi Middle Initial: R. Last: Litzenberger I do not have adoption agency information (trying to locate this)..
660. LABindert : Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa St. Lukes Hospital Private adoption
