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 1,205,525 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
1471. Nicosfamily : Mixed Race Caucasian - Hispanic Birth mother - Casey Martinez-Hernandez Taken by DHS in Slidell, LA around March 2006. Adopted between November 2006 and 2008.
1472. ShelleBrooks : Kimberly you were born in Fort Dodge, Iowa to our mom who was not old enough to keep you according to the Florence Crittendon Home for unwed mothers she had been placed in. You have always been important to us and we would love a chance to connect with you. It is my belief that your adoptive parents were farmers in central Iowa and they had 2 boys older than you.
1473. Lasthope61 : I had a son born in Oklahoma and adopted by a couple who were farmers in SE Iowa. The attorney worked in Sioux Falls, SD represented me and the family adopting my son. She said it was an open adoption but after handing over my son she wouldn’t accept my phone calls and never gave me contact info on the family so I’m not sure if anything she said was true.
1474. AlexandraNiebur : I miss her. I love her. I have a proper man and two boys now. If she wants to know me/us, we are open.
1475. Annehull915 : My daughter is turning 18 this month and I was hoping to help her find her birth parents.
1476. Armygirl1976 : Here given name at birth was Cheyenne Marie Cera Goddard. She was born in Clinton Iowa at Mercy Hospital at 7:57 pm. I am not sure that she was adopted in Iowa. She could have been adopted in a state nearby.
1477. Milenko2u : My grandmother was sent to Des Moines to give birth when she was about 16 years old - somewhere between 1937 - 1939. We believe she had a boy.
1478. Deannamae02 : I’m unsure on whether pr not her name was changed after adoption but when born her name was Kaylee. Her mother was Jamie Young, who lives in cedar rapids iowa.
1479. Emilyaalissah : I know my birth mothers name is Courtney Williams I was born in sterling Illinois I believe we lived at a ywca
1480. Mclallen : i named you Regina Marie Wilder, 6 lb 312 oz, beautiful. the court and my parents ordered you to be adopted and i was sent to juvenile home, and a reform school, i was 15, i have looked for you since the day they took you away, hope i get to see you again before my time here is done. always loved your birth mom mary
1481. Mtetz42 : I am searching for my 2 older brothers. I have almost 0 information on them. They are approximately 3 and 4 yrs older then I am. I was born on March 24,1969 at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Doctor that deliverd me. Her name was Dr Aileen Mathiasion. My birth name was Baby girl Steinberg, Steinbergs. Maybe even Stienberg or Stienbergs. I am not sure of the spelling. My Hospital bills were paid by a young man with the last name of Sullivan. Possibly my father?
1482. Tracibrandt : Birth mother’s name is Debby Clarke Baby girl born 12/27/1963 in Waterloo, Iowa
1483. KaileyMiller : Gordan Wagner and Donna Anderson were the adoption parents.
1484. Magasa63 : Just learned that my father, John Marvin Saltzman, was adopted by George E and Lida/Lydia Saltzman. They resided in Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa. George and Lydia were married 17 Oct 1921 in Elk Point, Union, South Dakota. They divorced about 27 May 1927 in Sioux City, Iowa. John Marvin Saltzman lived with his mom Lydia and step father, William Gruchow in Sioux City, Iowa. Lydia died 4 June 1931 having committed suicide. George Saltzman and William Gruchow went to court for custody of John M Saltzman in which George Saltzman won. The case was final about July 1931 and took place in Sioux City, Iowa. John Marvin Saltzman grew up as an only child. George and John Saltzman moved to northern Minnesota between 1935-1940.
1485. MaryBrancheau : I am searching for my nephew that was given up for adoption against his mother’s wishes. Yes, she signed the papers, but she tried to rescind the decision and has searched tirelessly ever since. She has never stopped looking for him and will never stop loving him. I am sorry for my part in this adoption and want to express my regrets personally and hopefully reunite my nephew with my sister. Maybe he can mend her broken heart.
