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 1,205,524 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
1171. Jhick : Trying to find adopted sibling
1172. Kimpossible66 : Name on Birth certificate. Boy Walker Mother’s name. Cynde R Strandholm Listed father’s name, Rex Walker. Polk co. Des Moines, Iowa
1173. Strrtn : I’m looking for my 2 Brothers that were adopted around 1962 or 63 there names is David Stephenson and Brain Stephenson My name is Larry Stephenson, 2013 E 42nd St. Des Moines, Iowa 50317
1174. Kshacke1959 : I found out after my mom passed away that she had given a child up for adoption 9/10 years before I was born. All information was lost with her as she had never told anyone. Her name at the time was Janet Marion Wheeler Crawford. We are unaware at this time who the father to this child would have been. My brother sister and I just want to find the missing link to our family.
1175. DJThompson : looking for birth parents of a baby girl born at university hospital iowa city iowa in September 8th 1965 around 8-9am. mother was 16 & father was over 20 & married. mother is blonde & fair completed maybe with freckles. father has diabetes on his side of the family maybe himself.
1176. Teacup143 : Looking for my birth parents. I was born in valparaiso in.
1177. Leslee09 : My biological first name was Leslie and my middle name was Lashar. I was born in Florida but brought to Iowa and adopted in 1993
1178. Tmvenn20 : My mother was put up for adoption in Sioux City‚ IA. She was born on March 25‚ 1953. Searching for any paternal living relatives as we have found her maternal family! Potential last name of birth father is Brazda and birth mother’s last name is Welchert. All birth records were destroyed in a flood.
1179. RobbiePayne : Yout adoption was not my choice. I’ve been looking for you for years. I need you in my life. I hope you were treated well and I need to make things up to you.
1180. Jkhonea73 : I am searching for my birth parents. I was born on June 29 1973 at Cherokee county hospital Cherokee Iowa
1181. Kellipetersen123 : My son was born December 19th 2003 in Ames Iowa..my name is Kelli (sodders) Petersen I am the birth mother of kaydin Michael Anderson he was adopted out by DHS TO A COUPLE WHO LIVED IN PANORA IOWA AT THE TIME...They no longer live there that I can tell...kaydin was adopted with his baby sister who is just one year younger her birthday is December 14th 2004
1182. Bockenstedt6 : I was born in Des Moines, Iowa and raised by my biological mom.
1183. KittyKat66 : My search is to find health information for my biological parents. I was born on October 18‚ 1966 at St. Josephs Hospital on Court Street in Sioux City‚ Iowa. My adoption was through Florence Crittenton Home in Sioux City. Reach out if you think you know anything. I need to know about any hereditary issues. Thank you.
1184. Pls2001 : All I know is I was adopted from Sioux City Iowa in 2001, in a closed adoption.
1185. Nanachic57 : Born at SUI General Hospital in Johnson County, Iowa City, Iowa on March 10, 1957 at 11:48 am to Betty Jane Cobb. Drs. name was Sachis J. Tahate. Lived in Sioux City, Iowa Woodbury County with mother. Betty married Bobby Joe Jensen on February 22, 1958 then I believe I was adopted by Bobby Jensen.
