How to Unseal an Adoption File in Texas
Adoption laws vary from state to state. Adoption records are sealed in Texas but the information can be released if so ordered by a judge. In order to have an adoption file unsealed in Texas, you must file a petition with the court that originally granted the adoption. Send a certified copy of the order granting the request and $10, as of 2010, to the Texas Department of State Health Services.The order must identify the name as it appears on the current birth certificate, the date of birth and place of birth.
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Instructions
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Prepare a detailed statement for the court stating the reasons for your request to open the sealed records. Be specific and make a copy for your records.
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Send Form VS143 along with the $10 fee to the Texas Department of State Health Services to request identification of the court of adoption if you do not know the court which granted the adoption.
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File a petition to open the sealed adoption records with the county clerk in the court that originally granted the adoption.
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Obtain a certified copy of the court order from the court which granted the adoption to allow the sealed adoption record to be opened.
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Mail a certified copy of a court order granting the opening of the sealed adoption and the $10 fee to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The order must come from the court that granted the adoption and must show the registrant's name exactly as it appears on the birth certificate, the date of birth and the birth place.
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