Vital Statistics

The New Jersey Adoptees Birthright Act gives adult adopted persons who were born and/or adopted in New Jersey the right to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate (OBC) upon request to the New Jersey Registrar of Vital Statistics.

At any time, a birth parent whose relinquished child was born and/or adopted in NJ may record their choice of preference regarding contact: 'direct contact', through an intermediary, or 'no contact' at this time.  A birth parent may change their prefernce at any time in the future.

In addition, birth parents who had their identifying information removed from the copy of the original birth certificate sent to their son/daughter upon request may change their preference at any time.

A birth parent must submit a completed Family History Information form, including medical, cultural and social history, in order for the contact preference form to be accepted by the State Registrar.

• New Records System For Birth Parents
• Department Link to Documents
  New Records System for Birth Parents Forms
  • Forms Package [REG-36]
    includes:
    Form A, Contact Preference, and
    Form B, Family History Information
    
    
  • Form A, Contact Preference Form [REG-36A]
    
    
  • Form B, Family History Information Form [REG-36B]

Beginning January 2017, authorized individuals may obtain an uncertified copy of an adoptee’s original birth certificate without obtaining a Superior Court Order. The application and instructions below are to be used to make that request. Applications and payment can be submitted prior to January 2017, however, no records will be released until the law’s effective date of January 2017.

Application for an uncertified copy of an adopted person’s original birth certificate [REG-41]

Instructions