Bill > H818

This bill modifies the procedures for creating and accessing birth certificates for adopted individuals in North Carolina. The bill allows the State Registrar to prepare a new birth certificate for an adoptee that includes their adoptive name, sex, birth details, and adoptive parents' names, without any reference to the adoption. In stepparent adoptions, the birth certificate will list the existing parent and the stepparent as the child's parents, with provisions for maintaining original names if all parties agree. The bill expands access to these birth certificates, allowing the State Registrar and county registers of deeds to provide certified copies to the adoptee, their children, adoptive parents, spouse, and adoptive siblings. Importantly, the bill requires registers of deeds to complete initial and annual training on handling adoptee birth certificates, with the first training to be available by November 2025 and staff required to complete initial training by January 2026. The changes aim to make birth certificate access for adopted individuals more similar to that of non-adopted individuals, while maintaining privacy protections. The new provisions will become effective on January 1, 2026, and will apply to birth certificates in the electronic birth registration system.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H818