Maryland Adoption Records
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Accessing Maryland Adoption Records
For decades, Maryland has had sealed adoption records, making them inaccessible without a court order. Some adoptees can access their original birth certificates, but not everyone has this option.
While Maryland prohibits access to adoption records, the state offers two alternative pathways for people looking for their biological relatives. However, both programs have their limitations. If you’re searching for Maryland adoption records, Adopted.com offers an easier solution.
We provide a voluntary adoption reunion registry where anyone impacted by an adoption can search for information. It doesn’t matter when the adoption occurred, and there’s no need to file a court petition. You just need to answer ten simple questions about the adoption that most people know – even without access to state records.
The Adopted.com registry spans the state of Maryland, from Hagerstown to Baltimore and everywhere in between. If you’ve hit a roadblock looking for adoption records in Maryland, register with Adopted.com. Join a community where reunions happen every day.
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4,333 Are Maryland Adoption Records Public?
No. Maryland adoption records have been sealed since July 1, 1947. You cannot access adoption records in Maryland without a court order.
If you were adopted in Maryland in 2000 or later, you can obtain your original birth certificate once you turn 21. However, if the adoption occurred between 1947 and 2000, you cannot get this document without petitioning the court.
How to Access Adoption Records in Maryland?
While accessing adoption records in Maryland is difficult, the state offers a confidential intermediary program for post-adoption reunion services. Confidential intermediaries can access sealed adoption records to search for adoptees or their biological relatives.
You can request a search through Maryland’s confidential intermediary program if you’re:
- An adult adoptee (21 or older)
- A birth parent who voluntarily terminated your parental rights
- A birth sibling or half-sibling (21 or older) if you were also adopted
To request a search, you need to complete several forms from the Maryland Department of Human Services. Complete Application Form 2062 with as much information as you can provide, though you can leave questions blank if you don’t know the answers. You also need to complete a notarized consent form and a statistical survey. Return the forms to the department with a copy of your driver’s license or other photo ID.
Once you request a search, you’ll be assigned an intermediary and sign a service agreement. While the intermediary cannot give you copies of your adoption records, they’ll attempt to locate your relatives. If successful, the intermediary will ask if they want to have contact with you. If they do, the intermediary will arrange a reunion.
In addition to the confidential intermediary program, Maryland also has a Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry. You can join this registry if you’re an adult adoptee, a birth parent, or a biological sibling. If one of your family members also registers, the state will alert you to the match so you can connect. However, the registry has not resulted in many matches, according to the state.
How Do I Get My Adoption Records Unsealed in Maryland?
You’ll need to petition the court to get adoption records unsealed. If you were adopted between 1947 and 1999, you can file a request for your original birth certificate. Petition the court to authorize the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to release the record to you.
You can get a copy of your original birth certificate if you’re at least 21 and were adopted after 2000. This document will list your birth parents’ names, unless they’ve submitted a disclosure veto to remain anonymous.
Birth parents can also request amended birth certificates for adoptions that occurred in 2000 or later, as long as the adoptee is over 21 years old. Adoptees can file a disclosure veto if they don’t want identifying information released.
What Happens to the Original Birth Certificate After Adoption in Maryland?
After an adoption, the adoptee’s birth certificate is changed to list their adoptive parents. The original birth certificate, which has the birth parents’ names, is sealed as part of the adoption record.
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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 1,205,522 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.
Register NowRECENT MEMBERS IN Maryland
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A Few of Our Members Currently Searching Within Maryland Who Chose To Be Featured
31. Eagleowl : Would like to know about my family - born in Baltimore - think name was Michael - think birth mother tried to contact when we were in Ca. but adopted mother hung up
32. Nancypushkin : I am someone’s daughter born January 5, 1965 in Washington DC. I know i was adopted though Catholic Charities and my birth mother went to live and work at a place for unwed mothers located in Washington DC. I was born in Washington DC. My birth mother was 26 when she had me and was working at a car dealership in the Baltimore, MD area. I believe my birth father worked at this car dealership also and was married to someone else. A piece of non identifying information would be that my birth mother indicated that she did not want to hold me after my birth, as is done right after delivery, but changed her mind and was glad she held me for just that short time...
33. Traceyjay : My legal name is Tiffany Franklin and it was changed when i was adopted....my birth name is Tracey Marie Jackson and my mother name is Laura Jackson. I was born at University of Maryland Medical Center.
34. Suehunley : Birth name Dennis William Harting, place Montomgery General Hospital,Onley,Md, Birth Mother Susan Harting age 18, lived in Silver Spring Md
35. Teonda : Before I got adopted my last name was Marshall. My name is still the same Teonda. I know I have 3 other siblings and I was the youngest.
36. SANDYSUN1970 : GIRL BORN 01/23/1970‚ ADOPTED IN MARCH 1970 FROM LUTHERAN FAMILY CHILDREN SERVICES‚ ADOPTION TOOK PLACE IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY
37. JohnJr42 : My adoptive father always told me I was born in Washington, D.C., the same city in which I was raised. Yet my social security number says I was born in neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland. My birthdate was November 29, 1968, which means my conception took place probably sometime between mid-to-late February and early-to-mid-March of that year (if November 29, 1968, really is my birthdate). My adoptive father once told me my biological father was in the media (but he didn’t say which form of mediaprint, radio or TV). I would like to thank my biological mother for not having an abortion.
38. Damront18 : I am looking for any family to help me with some family medical history. My brother, sister, and I were adopted together and any information we can collect will be greatly appreciated. We were in Anne Arundel county, Maryland. We all had the same mother, one of us had a different dad. Our names were changed with the adoption, I can provide just the first names, if we are a match.
39. Ews1963 : I would like to get tin touch with you. I would like to thank you
40. Cinlue : I am a female born in 1990.
41. 33sleepy : My brother was born in Boise, ID. We believe the adoption took place in another state. This was a private adoption. I believe the adoption was through a doctor in Nampa, ID. I am not sure if the birth year was 1956 or 1957. Mother’s name Marlene Hayes she was 17 at the time of pregnancy.
42. Savhsu : William Barker Camm my biological father (I was born 1960 in DC but conceived at Williamsburg when he was a professor & she was a student) was quite a "Player". A half-sister (13 years my senior‚ born 1947 from Elmira but born in Quantico‚ Va as he was in the Marines at the time) and I found each other about 10 years ago. I spoke to him once in 1987 and when I asked about other siblings he said "none that I know of‚ huh‚ huh" which obviously was a lie‚ he knew about both of us. SO..... we believe there are probably others. He lived in the Elmira‚ NY area mid 40s to mid 50s and Norfolk/Williamsburg‚ Va mid 50s-mid 60s (student then professor at William & Mary College). So searching mainly for adoptees born in these general time frames in these general areas. If you think it’s possible you may be the child of William Barker Camm please contact me. They’ve made me choose a birth year‚ but could literally be anywhere from 1943 to 1980
43. Bonchance11 : I was born in Chestertown, Maryland at Kent and Queen Anne’s hospital. My mother was a high school student, who was a foster child. She was 17. She changed her last name after I was adopted. There was no named father. I am looking to find out medical history.
44. Wendyinnes : My Aunty Thelma Fudge and Husband John Simon who were married in the USA who had no kids and went by the Surname of "Thelma and John Myint". My name now is Wendy McPharlin and my name before marriage was "Wendy Brendalina Innes" born in Burma. The Birthdate is correct. I went to live with them in the 70’s in Washington DC USA. I was told I was adopted by them but no paper work given to me but maybe in the safe which I did not get to first. My Uncle passed a year before my Aunt who passed in December 2012. There was a separate memorandum written out for me only that was together with the family formal will that went missing. There may have been the adoption papers that also went missing. For legal matters I would like to get hold of the legal adoption papers. It would be of great help to me if you could track down the adoption papers for me in Washington DC USA.
45. Yourauntmonique : Would really like to meet you. Have been looking, quite possibly incorrectly, for a very long time to find you. Your birth mother felt pressured into adoption and was too scared to divulge the true identity of your birth father, which unfortunately is recorded falsely on your birth certificate. She still has your newborn picture, which she see’s as fate.
