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 1,205,528 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
706. Ljamie04 : I have lost contact with my son’s adoptive parents and am wanting to reconnect with them.
707. DWicker1 : Adopted parents Richard Charles Jr & Patsy Lee VanOrdstrand
708. Jkstewart68 : I was born at Broadlawns hospital in Des Moines, IA. I was adopted at 10 days old and taken to Sioux City, Iowa.
709. Mason52577 : This is for my Mother, Julie Ann Hicklin
710. Smjosephrn : Adoptee’s mother was Maria and the babies name given to him was Michael. Fathers name was Stuart but it is doubtful if that info was given to the agency. Maria was from the Chicago area. I know that Michael was born about 1958 from the letters she sent my dad.
711. Goodfriday : Born 4/3/53 at 7:53pm and 8:01pm ( I’m a twin) Mercy Hospital DesMoines Iowa Dr Matthew Lawler delivery Physican. Catholic Charitiy is the adoption agency Mother’s. Last name Kelly.
712. Hjog1981 : Searching for brother. He was born October 6 1972. In Broadlawn Hospital in Des Moines Iowa. Adoption took place November/December if 1972. He was born with the name Michael Thomas Evans. Adoption went through Lutheran Family Services and Doris Braswell was the counselor.
713. Helpingafriend85 : Born at Methodist hospital in Des Moines Iowa. Mother did not know she was pregnant until she delivered. Red hair runs in the family and parents are from southern Iowa
714. Gailjelks : Her name is Dianne Stecker her adopted parents names are Bruno Stecker and Annie Stecker! My mother was born in Iowa city I do have paperwork on that but has my grandparents name on it as parents. My mother has passed now 4 years ago today at the age of 60 and this was something she had tried to do before and was unsuccessful with her efforts and it is so important to me to find out where we come from for personal reasons of course but most important for medical reasons my mother was only 60 years of age and not to know why is hard to write poems so knowing where we come from and any medical issues that run in the family would be great to know!! Thank you for your time...
715. JosephJabaay : I was born Saturday April 7 1979, in Council Bluffs Iowa. I have a brother named James Joseph Wolfe. My birth name was Joseph James Wolfe. I was adopted at age 3. Before that I was in foster care. I’m trying to find my birth parents.
716. Lorio24 : I am looking for my brother that was adopted sometime before Feb of 1966. Our mother’s name is Michele Jo Sweeney. She was from Britt, Iowa but I was told she had the baby in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I have also been told that the adoption took place at Catholic Charities in Dubuque, Iowa.
717. Park12 : Mercy hospital Tammy Renee Parker Timothy Parker Barbara Parker Des Moines iowa
718. KatieParra1986 : I am looking for my birth sister baby girl peal born in geneseo, IL. She is my full blooded sister.
719. Lesliekim17 : Born in West Des Moines, ( Des Moines), Iowa. Mercy Hospital. A Lawyer took care of it all. This is all I know
720. MEckart : My mother Patricia Stout was born in 1949. She gave birth in the 1960’s to a child, which is my half sibling. She passed away in 1982 when I was 10, and I have no way of getting any more info than I already have. She was sent away to give birth at a catholic school/home for troubled kids I think, and it was kept a secret. St Mary’s or Maryville Catholic, in Illinois, was the name of the orphanage.
