NC Law

North Carolina adoption records are sealed by law.  Without the mutual consent of the birth family and the adoptee, we cannot disclose identifying information.

**New legislation effective 10/1/2010, will expand access to the current Confidential Intermediary Program. Services may now be available to adoptees 18 years of age and older.  If a birth parent is deceased, adult birth family members may now be contacted without a court order. CHS may now agree to act as a confidential intermediary for specified family members of a deceased adoptee or birth parent or with written consent of a living adoptee or birth parent. In addition, if a birth parent is deceased, CHS can attempt to secure a death certificate and deliver it to the person who requested services.**

The laws governing disclosure of information in an adoption are found in Chapter 48 of the General Statutes of North Carolina enacted by the General Assembly. Briefly, the Statute allows the following non-identifying background information to be disclosed:

• Birth history
  
• Age of birth parents in years at the time of child's birth
  
• Heritage of birth parents
  
• Education of birth parents
  
• General appearance of birth parents
  
• All known birth family medical history

 
In 2007, the NC General Assembly passed legislation that allows CHS to act as a confidential intermediary for a biological parent, an adult adoptee (age 21 or older), or an adult lineal descendant of a deceased adoptee in order to obtain and share non-identifying birth family health information. If both parties want contact, CHS may share identifying information with the written consent of the individuals involved.  Further, CHS may agree to act as a confidential intermediary for the adoptive parents of a minor adoptee to obtain and share non-identifying birth family health information. If a search reveals that a biological parent is deceased, the law does NOT allow CHS to contact relatives of the biological parent.  The adoptee can file a motion with the Clerk of Court in the county where the adoption was finalized requesting permission for relatives of the deceased biological parent to be contacted by CHS.

Please visit our Confidential Intermediary Services page for more information about those services.