Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records

Adoption Records

All adoptions occurring after May 31, 1947 are sealed. The State of Maryland now helps coordinate searches for adoptive parents, adoptive children and birth families through the Department of Human Resources, 1-800-39-ADOPT, and the Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry. Also use this phone number if you need information about your adoption.

What can I do from home?

For adoptions prior to June 1, 1947, you can place your order online. For just the decree, use the "Civil Disposition" form. For the full case file, use the "County Court Case" form. We do not recommend placing an order online unless you know the date of the adoption.

You can also search indexes. If you do not know the location of the Adoption, then you’ll want to find the index in order to find the county or city of adoption before placing your order. An index also provides the information needed by our staff to locate the record.

What if I don't know the date of the adoption?

For adoptions before June 1947, you can search our equity indexes, which include adoption case numbers. You also can email us at msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov that you do not know the date we can advise you that way as well. We do not recommend that you place an order without being certain of the date.

What years do we have adoption records?

We have Adoption records from 1893, but adoptions after 1947 require a court-appointed intermediary to research and access them, as they are sealed by the courts.

Should I Place an Order or Do Research?

Place an Order

We are not able to take orders for records after June 1947. See note above.
Choose this option only if you know the date of the adoption. Please do not guess.
As a benefit your record will be a certified copy
Fees apply
Some records are stored at an off-site location so you may receive your order up to 10 business days later.

Do Research

Archivists will advise you - you'll need to find the information they need to ultimately find your record
You'll only be able to do research for records before June 1947*
The adoption record will be paper. It will be pulled from our stacks using a call slip.
Fees apply for a certified copy even if you do the research.
Note that photographs of records are allowed for free.
Fees apply if staff do all research to find your record.

*adoption records created on or after June 1, 1947 are restricted by law (Acts 1947, ch. 599; Md Rule 9-112).