If you have an interest in original birth certificates from Missouri, take note.
Missouri State Capitol, CC0 Public Domain Image, Pixabay
The Missouri Adoptee Rights Act, which allows an adult adoptee to request a non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate, took effect on 28 August 2016. The ability to request an original birth certificate rolled out in two stages. The first stage allowed an adoptee born before 1941 to request their original birth certificate beginning 28 August 2016. The second stage allows adult adoptees (at least age 18) born in or after 1941 to request a copy or their original birth certificate beginning 1 January 2018.
The Bureau of Vital Records began accepting original birth certificate applications for those born in 1941 or later on 1 October 2017. Release of the certificates starts on 2 January 2018. A $15 fee is required with the application. An adoptee’s attorney is also eligible to request the original birth certificate on behalf of the adoptee.
The act allows birth parents the option to complete a contact preference and medical history form. A $15 fee is required with the birth parent contact preference form.
For more information on The Missouri Adoptee Rights Act, for information for adoptees or birth parents, or for an application for a non-certified copy of an original birth certificate, see the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website.
Additional information is available on the Missouri Adoptee Rights Movement website. The group will host a conference and a celebration from 31 December 2017 to 2 January 2018.
Note that in order to be eligible, the adoptee must have been born in Missouri.
I previously blogged in January 2015 and December 2015 about the efforts in Missouri for OBC access. House Bill 1599, mentioned in the December 2015 post, was signed into law on 1 July 2016.
Thank you to Heather Dodd for the gentle reminder that I needed to update you with Missouri’s progress!
