Source: https://adopteerightslaw.com/vermont-obc/
Timestamp: 2018-08-18 12:48:06
Document Index: 518511840

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 5078', '§ 449', '§ 451', '§ 6', '§ 6', '§ 6', '§ 6', '§ 6']

Vermont Original Birth Certificates | Adoptee Rights Law
Vermont’s adoption registry allows disclosure of identifying information on a date-based framework:
Adoptions finalized prior to July 1, 1986: birth parent consent required. Disclosure is allowed if the birth parent has “filed in any probate division of the superior court or agency any kind of document that clearly indicates that he or she consents to such disclosure.”
Adoptions finalized on or after July 1, 1986: birth parent consent is not required. A birth parent, however, may file a nondisclosure statement to prohibit the release of identifying information. In addition, disclosure is prohibited if the birth parent, prior to July 1, 1996, has “filed in any court or agency any kind of document that clearly indicates that his or her identity not be disclosed and has not withdrawn the document.”
Relevant Vermont Law: Original Birth Certificates
18 V.S.A. § 5078. Adoption; new birth certificate
Note: Vermont has a pending law that will overhaul many of the provisions of its vital records statute. A copy of the enacted law is here, and it takes effect on July 1, 2018. The changes involve amended birth certificates after an adoption. I am analyzing the statute to determine if it makes any substantive changes related to an adult adoptee’s access to the original birth certificate.
(a) The supervisor of vital records registration shall establish a new birth certificate for a person born in the state when the supervisor receives a record of adoption as provided in 15 V.S.A. § 449 or a record of adoption prepared and filed in accordance with the laws of another state or foreign country.
(d) The new certificate, and sufficient information to identify the original certificate, shall be transmitted to the clerk of the town of birth to be filed according to the procedures in 15 V.S.A. § 451.
15 § 6-107. Release of original birth certificate
(a) A copy of the adoptee’s original birth certificate may be released to the adoptee upon the request of an adoptee who has attained the age of 18 and who has access to identifying information under this article [Vermont Adoption Act, 15 V.S.A. §§ 6-101 to 6-112].
(b) When 99 years have elapsed after the date of birth of an adoptee whose original birth certificate is sealed under this title, the department of health shall unseal the original certificate and file it with any new or amended certificate that has been issued. The unsealed certificate becomes a public record in accordance with any statute or regulation applicable to the retention and disclosure of birth certificates.
Relevant Vermont Law: Adoption Records
15A § 6-102. Records confidential, court records sealed
(d) All records on file with the court or agency shall be retained permanently and sealed for 99 years after the date of the adoptee’s birth. Sealed records and indices are not open to inspection by any person except as provided in this title.
(e) The records of an agency which ceases operation in this state shall be transferred to the department for retention under the provisions of this title.
Relevant Vermont Law: Identifying Information
15 § 6-105. Disclosure of identifying information
(a) Identifying information about an adoptee’s former parent shall be disclosed by the registry to any of the following persons upon request:
(3) A deceased adoptee’s direct descendant who is 18 or more years old or the parent or guardian of a direct descendant who is less than 18 years old.
(1) The adoptee’s former parent;
(2) The adoptee’s sibling who is 18 or more years old.
(e) Identifying information about the adoptee shall be disclosed to the adoptee’s former parent if the parent of an adoptee who is less than 18 years old consents to the disclosure.
(f) Identifying information about a deceased adoptee shall be disclosed by the registry to the adoptee’s former parent or sibling upon request if:
(1) the deceased adoptee’s direct descendant is 18 or more years old and consents to the disclosure; or
(g) Identifying information about a sibling of an adoptee shall be disclosed by the registry to the adoptee upon request if both the sibling and the adoptee are 18 or more years old and the sibling consents to disclosure.
15 § 6-106. Request for nondisclosure
A former parent of an adoptee may prevent disclosure of identifying information about himself or herself by filing a request for nondisclosure with the registry as provided in section 6-105 of this title. A request for nondisclosure may be withdrawn by a former parent at any time.
Filed Under: Original Birth Certificates Tagged With: Adoption Registry, Date-Based Restrictions, Disclosure Veto, Restricted Access, State OBC Laws, Vermont
I was adopted in 1960 thru Catholic Charities in Burlington Vermont. How or who can I email about getting unidentifiable info about my birth mother. Any info would be helpful. Thank you, fingers are crossed!!
Hi, Laurie. I will follow up with you by email but I’ve found the folks at the state agency in Vermont to be pretty helpful and open about questions around identifying information. While Vermont is a “restricted” state it does have a mechanism to get information, though obviously much easier for some adoptees than others.
Information about the Vermont Adoption Registry is available through the website of the Vermont Department for Children and Families.