Virginia Adoptees Can Now Request Original Birth Certificates Without a Court Order

Virginia adult adoptees can now request copies of their sealed original birth certificates without first obtaining a court order under House Bill 301, which took effect July 1, 2026.

The change applies to adult adoptees whose original birth certificates were sealed and filed by the Virginia Department of Health. Requests go through the department’s Office of Vital Records by mail or in person.

What House Bill 301 changed

Before the new law, Virginia adoptees generally had to obtain a court order to access an original birth certificate after an amended certificate was issued. House Bill 301 requires the State Registrar to provide access when the adult adoptee submits the required application, proof of identification and payment.

The law does not require the release of every adoption-related record or every original birth certificate. Virginia’s legislative summary says an original certificate cannot be released when it is the certificate of birth in use, is subject to amendment or is being used by an individual for legal purposes.

The process covers sealed original birth certificates filed by the Virginia Department of Health. It does not create a general process for obtaining every adoption record or records held by another state.

Who can apply

The new process is for adult adoptees seeking an original birth certificate that was sealed and filed by the Virginia Department of Health. The Virginia Office of Vital Records says the request must be made by the adult adoptee and must include an Application for Certification of a Birth Record, a legible copy of acceptable identification and the required fee.

Minors do not qualify under the same adult-adoptee process described in House Bill 301.

How to request the record

Applicants may submit requests to the Office of Vital Records by mail or in person. The mailing address is Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1000. The in-person office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, with walk-in hours listed by the department as 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Applicants should prepare:

An Application for Certification of a Birth Record;
A legible photocopy of acceptable identification; and
The required payment.

The Office of Vital Records lists several primary identification options, including a state-issued photo identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card, certain military and immigration documents, and other approved records. Applicants who do not have an acceptable primary document may submit two qualifying secondary documents.

Examples of secondary documents include certified school records, health insurance cards, certain military records, a utility bill from the past six months or a valid voter registration card. The department says its identification list may change without prior notice, so applicants should check the current requirements before mailing a request.

Cost and processing time

The standard fee is $15 per certificate or search. The fee is not refundable if the office does not find a record. If no birth record is found, the office says it will issue a “No Record” letter.

Mailed applications may include a check or money order payable to the State Health Department. In-person requests may be paid by check, money order, major credit card or cash. The department says not to mail cash.

For birth records requiring no amendments, the Office of Vital Records says to allow up to four weeks. Its general guidance says records requiring amendments may take up to six weeks. Amendment work can also involve a separate $10 administration fee in addition to the ordinary certificate fee.

The agency expects a high volume of requests because it received inquiries that could not be fulfilled under the previous court-order requirement. Applicants should not treat the four-week estimate as a guaranteed delivery date.

Birth-parent contact preferences are optional

House Bill 301 also creates a process for birth parents to state a contact preference. The Virginia Department of Health’s form offers three choices: a birth parent may indicate that they would like to be contacted, would like contact through an intermediary or would not like to be contacted.

The form is optional. It is not a veto, a legally enforceable no-contact order or a change to the birth certificate. If a completed form is matched to a sealed original birth certificate, the department files it with the record and provides it to an adult adoptee who requests the certificate.

Birth parents may update their preference later by submitting a new form, a legible copy of identification and the required $15 search fee. The form is submitted to the Office of Vital Records by mail or in person.

Before submitting a request, applicants should review the current Virginia Office of Vital Records application, payment and identification instructions. The agency expects demand to be high, and processing may take up to four weeks for birth records requiring no amendments.

Sources

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