Law change re: MN adoption records

Law change re: MN adoption records

A notice from the Minnesota Department of Human Services/Minnesota Department of Health states:

Adopted people to get access to original birth records

Due to a recent law change, adopted people will be able to request their original birth records beginning on July 1, 2024 (Minnesota Statutes 144.2252 and 259.83). Currently, adopted people may or may not be able to access their birth records, depending on the preferences of the birth parents. The new law allows any adopted person born in Minnesota who is 18 or older to request the original pre-adopted record of their birth.

Parents who have placed a child for adoption

Birth parents may submit a Birth Parent Contact Preference form to indicate whether they would ilke to be contacted by the adopted person when access changes on July 1. Adopted people will have access to the original birth records, regardless of the parents’ contact preferences.

Here's another important detail (from www.fosteradoptmn.org/minnesota-records-access-information/):

For relatives of adopted person (if deceased)

Beginning July 1, 2024, an adopted person’s original birth record may also be requested by people related to the adoptee, if the adoptee is deceased. These individuals include: the adoptee’s spouse, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the adoptee.