Tina's California Adoption Page


California Adoptees Mailing List
This mailing list is here to help adoptees that have a 'California link' keep in touch. The California Adoptees Mailing List is a collection of people that were born in, are living in or are searching in California.

To signup on the California Adoptees list, do the following:

Send an e-mail: majordomo@linux.tcoe.k12.ca.us
Put in the body: subscribe ca-adoptees
Alternatively, you can subscribe to the digest of daily messages.
Put in the body: subscribe ca-adoptees-digest
California Birthmoms Only List for more information.


Overview of California Adoption Information
Adult adoptees can access "non-identifying" information upon reaching the age of majority. Some open counties allow the adoptive parents to access the court files.
Birth parents can access "non-identifying" information regarding the adoptive family.
Adult adoptees and birth parents can use the passive registry. This type of registry requires both parties to independently post their information to trigger a match. When a match occurs, both parties are notified.
There is a consent waiver that can be signed by the adoptee, the birth parent or siblings which would be placed in the file and allow contact information to be forwarded once a matching consent was sent.
The courts can release identifying information to the adoptee with a "compelling need" for medical information.
Need to tell your parents about the search? Check out Letter to my Adoptive Parents

Obtaining Non-Identifying Information: Adopted adults age 18 or older and adoptive parents of adoptees younger than 18 may request non-identifying information from the adoption agency or from the government department that joined in the adoption petition. If the request is denied, the party seeking information may petition the court in which the adoption was finalized. Birth parents can receive information on the status of the adoption and the adoptive parents at time of placement.

Obtaining Identifying Information: If the adoption was finalized on or after January 1, 1984, the adopted adult age 18 or older can receive information on the birth parents if the birth parents have given written consent to the disclosure. Birth parents can receive information on an adopted adult age 21 or older if the adopted adult has given written consent to disclosure. Disclosures are filed with the adoption agency or the government agency that joined in the adoption petition. Adoptive parents of a person younger than 21 can receive information on the birth parents if there is a medical necessity or other extraordinary circumstances that justify the disclosure according to the State Department of Social Services or licensed adoption agency. If the adoption was finalized before January 1, 1984, with consent of both requesting parties, the agency shall arrange contact between the birth parents and adopted adult. The agency shall release the names and addresses of birth siblings age 21 or older to one another if the birth siblings have filed consent.

Using the Adoption Registry: Adopted adults age 18 or older and birth parents of an adopted adult may register. Siblings age 21 or older may register to meet a sibling 21 or older who was adopted.

Contact:
California Department of Social Services
Adoption Branch
744 P Street, MS 19-31
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-3778

Providing Information: The Department or licensed agency shall release any letters, photographs, or other items of personal property in its possession to an adopted adult age 18 or older, birth parents, or adoptive parents of an adoptee under 18 upon written request. Identifying information will be deleted.

Obtaining an Original Birth Certificate: An adoptee must petition the court in which the adoption was finalized.

Citation: California General Laws, Family Law Code Sections 8500 to 8548; 8600 to 9206; 9300 to 9340

Web Site: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov

This material may be reproduced and distributed without permission; however, appropriate citation must be given to the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse.


In California, Start with:

Additional State Level Resources
State Information Dept
10th and L streets
Sacramento CA 95814
916-445-4711
Dept of Social Services
Adoption Branch
744 P St
Sacramento CA 95814
Archives/Records
State library
914 Capitol Mall
P.O. Box 2037
Sacramento, CA 95814

California's Court of Jurisdiction on Adoption is Superior Court

This may be helpful to those Aparents who were told they cannot access the adoption records at Superior Court. The following is how the law reads.

CALIFORNIA CODES - FAMILY.CODE - SECTION 9200
9200. (a) The petition, relinquishment or consent, agreement, order, report to the court from any investigating agency, and any power of attorney and deposition filed in the office of the county clerk pursuant to this part is not open to inspection by any person other than the parties to the proceeding and their attorneys and the department, except upon the written authority of the judge of the superior court. A judge of the superior court may not authorize anyone to inspect the petition, relinquishment or consent, agreement, order, report to the court from any investigating agency, or power of attorney or deposition or any portion of any of these documents, except in exceptional circumstances and for good cause approching the necessitous.

The petitioner may be required to pay the expenses for preparing the copies of the documents to be inspected.
If there is a question about who the parties to the proceeding are, here is the definition of that too. (Include this with your copy of the above code.)
8611. All court hearings in an adoption proceeding shall be held in private, and the court shall exclude all persons except the officers of the court, the parties, their witnesses, counsel and representatives of the agencies present to perform their offical duties under the law governing adoptions.
Compiled by Ann Spanel ISC - LOST and FOUND ROOTS
Many counties do not honor the above because of the following:

Health and Welfare Code
102730. All records and information specified in this article, other than the newly issued birth certificate, shall be available only upon order of a court of record. This was defined in 8/95 by SB 1360.


Access to California Adoption Records or Information
Non-identifying information, as well as letters, photographs or other items of personal property in the possession of the agency are to be released to the person for whom they were intended after the adoptee turns eighteen, provided that there is a written consent to the release of the person items.
In the case of adoptions occurring before 1984, contact between an adoptee and birth parent may be arranged if the adoptee, birth parents and adoptive parents have filed waivers of confidentiality with the Department or agency. The Department or agency is prohibited from soliciting such waiver.
In the case of adoptions occurring after 1984, adoptees may receive identifying information about their birth parents (including the most current known address) at the age of 21 if the Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency has received an affidavit from the birth parent authorizing such disclosure.
Identifying information is available to adoptive parents any time the Department or agency determines that "medical necessity or other extraordinary circumstances justify the disclosure."
In the case of adoptions occurring after January 1, 1984, birth parents may receive information regarding the status of their child any time after the adoption, except identifying information respecting the adoptive family.
Identifying information regarding the adoptee may be disclosed if the adoptee is over 21 and has filed a consent to such disclosure.
Biological siblings may be "matched" with an adoptee who is over 21 if waivers of confidentiality are filed. The birth parent must consent to release of identifying information if the sibling lived with the birth parent until he or she reached 18. For further registry information, contact:
Department of Social Services, Adoptions Branch
744 P Street, M.S. 19/68
Sacramento, California 97814
Telephone: (916) 322-5973.
Cal. Civ. Code 224o; 227b, 224v, 230.6 - 230.8.


Driver's license Transcripts
Dept of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 11231
Sacramento CA 95813
FEE: $2.00 need name and license number or name and DOB
State Medical Association
969 Gough Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Office of Vital Records and Statistics
California Office of Vital Records
MS 5103
1501 Capitol Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95814

Click here for Contact Info on: California County Recorders Offices
If you are looking for marriage or death information, VRS can help with the following
Deaths-$9.00 Deaths from July 1 1905
Marriages-$13.00 Marriage from July 1 1905
Births-$13.00 Births from July 1 1905
Divorces-$13.00 Divorce from Jan, 1962
An additional fee is charged for each 10 years searched.
One certified copy or certification of "no record" is included in fee. Processing time is 8-10 weeks.
Use a credit card and add $5.00 but cut the processing time in half.
Call VRS for the appropriate forms that must be filled out.


Haven't told your a-parents yet and need some help? Check out:
Letter to my Adoptive Parents
This is what I wish I had written when I started my search, but did not write until the search was complete. Fortunately, I was able to tell my mom early on, and this is the method I used on the telephone, since we live 2,000 miles apart.

California Adoption Agencies
Request Non- identifying information
Department of Social Services
Adoption System Unit
744 P Street, M.S. 19-31
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-322- 3778
County of Los Angeles Department
of Children and Family Services
Adoptions Division
695 S. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213-739-6262
Gen. Info: 213-738-4798
San Diego County Department
of Social Services - Adoptions
5454 Ruffin Road
San Diego, CA 92123-9788
619-495-5426

County of Los Angeles
Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces

Los Angelese Maternity Homes
Crittenton Center for Young Women and Infants
234 East Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90031
St. Anne's Maternity Home - Long Beach
1027 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90813
St. Anne's Maternity Home - Los Angeles
155 N. Occidental Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
St. Anne's Maternity Home - Pomona
P. O. Box 303
Pomona, CA 91769
Salvation Army - Los Angeles
Booth Memorial Hospital
2670 Griffin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
This last one's a guess:

Big Sisters Los Angeles/Wilshire Blvd.
6022 Wilshire Blvd., #202
Los Angeles, CA 90036


Some California Searchers
Please note that being listed on my site is NOT an endorsement for these searchers. However, they are well known in the search community. Caveat Emptor! Buyer Beware! Get an estimate up front. Find out what the searcher will provide for that sum of money. Ask for references. Many of these searchers also search in other states.