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 1,205,519 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
751. Mrbeasley : Was a toddler when I was adopted, I believe an older sister was adopted to another family at the same time but I am not certain, I don’t remember. I do know that I was adopted thru the catholic charities in Iowa City, Iowa. I was born April 9, 1959 and was told my sister was a few years older than me. My adoptive parents are deceased. I read a correspondence when I was 11-12 from the catholic diocese that my sister wanted to see me and my adoptive father refused to let her contact me. I’m looking for that sister now.
752. CaSondraMB : Has twin sisters Alexis and Kendra. Was supposed to be adopted by grandparents but grandfather passed the day of the adoption and family was unable to adopt. Fathers last name is Bierman.
753. Vlove : Looking for a brother born 3/2/56 at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, IA. Birth mother’s name is Margaret Huey, aka Margaret Lee, aka Margaret Bartlett. Possibly adopted in May of 1958.
754. Gabelaustin : My biological brother was born from my mother. Born in Des Moines, IA. He is part hispanic/Latin American. Biological mother is named Danene Gabel, maiden name "Wumkes", she was Danene Wumkes at the time of birth. (my mother) Biological father is Robert [Miños] (unsure of precise spelling, this is how it was enunciated).
755. BMCordero : My sister was pregnant and sent to a home for unwed mothers located in Dubuque, Iowa. My sister delivered her baby girl on May 15, 1969 at the University of Iowa Hospitals located in Iowa City, Iowa. My sister was white and the baby’s father was Mexican. The baby girl was given up for adoption. My sister and baby’s father are now deceased, but there are family members that are trying to locate this girl. It is now October, 2018.
756. DeannaZobel : My father, William Zobel, had a child with another woman while married to my mother. The mother of the child who was given up for adoption is Shirley Weber, now Shirley Zobel.
757. Mjsmith1952 : Born in Fort Madison Iowa at Sacred Heart Hospital July 5,1952 Think B/M last name was Arnold Was adopted soon after birth. and lived in East Peoria il
758. Wilson121415 : Waterloo IA. Adoption at birth. Allen or covenant hotpital. Birth parents last name is Wilson
759. Calie : Caston William James Schminkey- born at st Luke’s Cedar Rapids Iowa, November 23rd 2008.
760. Jenniferkuhl : Her name was raven moon siegner. They changed her name to raven marie oxendale. We are from vail iowa.
761. Chasemartin : My mother was adopted from the Christ Child Home in Des Moines. Her birthday was 1 Jan 1933, although I have no way of knowing if this is accurate. She was adopted by Frank and Ann Goeser of Defiance, IA. I suspect from DNA evidence that her mother may have been Olive J. Clearwater of Kansas, who lived (with her sister Nellie) in the unmarried women’s residence in Des Moines operated by the same order of nuns that ran the Christ Child Home. My mother has passed, as well as both of her adoptive parents, and her adopted brother. She wanted to find her birth family in her last years. I am attempting to make that connection.
762. Grammashayli06 : my name is Anna Marie Jordan born June 13 1958 at St Peters Hosp in Thurston county Olympia Washington fathers name Richard Lee Jordan mothers name Rose Anne Gallo/Jordan I am looking for my half brother fathers name Richard Lee Jordan I belive his mothers name to be Helen he was born August 2 1959 I belive in Scotts County Davenport Iowa and he also was adopted
763. Shrada108 : In search of birth family.
764. Zabbiegirl78 : Looking for my half brother (related through my dad). My half brother was named Steven David (after our father) and his mother was Debbie or Deborah Mann. I was told that he was given up for adoption around the age of 2 years old‚ possibly to a distant family member. Deborah Mann has a sister named Deanna Mann. I was told that my half brother’s birth date would be around Sept 1976. I think my half brother was born in Utah but could be wrong. I have no other siblings and would love to find you!
765. Lindselove91004 : Clinton Iowa was where the hospital is, birth mothers first name is Jennifer
