- How do I receive a New Jersey birth record for a child adopted from a foreign country?
Please see the details regarding placing an adoption on file. - Does an adoptee receive a new birth certificate after his/her adoption is finalized?
Yes. At the time an adoption is finalized, an amended birth certificate, known as the Official Birth Certificate, is issued. The Official Birth Certificate lists the adoptive parents as the mother and father. The Official Birth Certificate replaces the Original Birth Certificate, and the Official Birth Certificate is the legal record of birth. The Original Birth Certificate and evidence of adoption are placed in a "sealed file." - How can I obtain a copy of my original birth certificate if I have been adopted?
On May 27, 2014, Governor Christie amended the vital records law when he signed legislation that allows an adult adoptee, whose Original Birth Certificate was placed in a sealed file, to obtain a non-certified copy of that Original Birth Certificate without a court order. P.L. 2014, c. 9. This new law takes effect in January 2017. Prior to the effective date of the new adoption law, an individual seeking a copy of his or her original birth certificate will have to obtain a court order permitting the seal on the record to be broken and a copy of the original birth certificate to be released to the adoptee.