(Des Moines, IA) Today, Governor Reynolds signed new legislation that will allow an adopted adult whose original birth certificate was substituted with a new certificate after an adoption, to apply for and obtain a non-certified copy of the original certificate of birth, which will include biological parent information. The new
law will also allow an entitled person to apply for the adult adoptee’s original certificate prior to adoption if the adoptee is deceased.

In addition, the law allows biological parents to file contact preference and medical history forms with the Bureau of Health Statistics in the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). If completed by biological parents, these forms will be released to an adult adoptee or entitled person upon proper application.

The law will immediately apply to those who were born before 1971. Beginning January 1, 2022, anyone over the age of 18 can request the same document.

Application processing will take approximately six weeks. Contact preference forms and medical history forms may already be on file for the biological parent(s) named
on the record. If the contact preference forms and medical history forms are on file, the forms will be released to the adult adoptee with the noncertified original certificate of birth. Biological parents may choose to release their identity and contact information to the adoptee, they may also choose not to disclose their
identity and contact information.

Those wishing to apply or learn more about the application process should visit the IDPH website