Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Adoption Records: Original Birth Certificates and Name Redaction
Pennsylvania is a redaction state, not a veto state, and that distinction matters. An adult adoptee always receives a copy of their original birth record. What a birth parent can do is limited to blanking out their own name on that copy; they cannot prevent the adoptee from getting the document at all.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Can an Adult Adoptee Get Their Original Birth Certificate in Pennsylvania?
Yes, always, once they turn 18. 23 Pa.C.S. 2937 provides that "an adoptee who is at least 18 years of age...may apply to the Department of Health for the adoptee's noncertified copy of original birth record...the Department of Health shall issue a noncertified copy of original birth record within 45 days." This reform dates to 2016's Act 127.
The key feature of Pennsylvania's model, adopted under a 2016 reform, is that release is guaranteed. A birth parent cannot block it. What a birth parent can do is file a Name Redaction Request (NRR) form so that only their own name is blanked out, appearing as "NAME REDACTED" on the document the adoptee receives. The adoptee still gets the certificate either way; the redaction affects only whether that one name is visible.
Only the adoptee, or the adoptee's own lineal descendants, can apply for this copy. Adoptive parents and birth parents are not eligible applicants under this section.
How to Apply for a Pennsylvania Original Birth Record
- Form: Adoptee's Application for Noncertified Copy of Original Birth Record
- Fee: $20 per application
- Processing time: 45 days
- Note: Only one copy is released per application.
Applications go to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Pennsylvania's Court Record Confidentiality
23 Pa.C.S. 2915 provides that "all court and agency records shall be maintained as a permanent record and withheld from inspection except as provided under this chapter." Companion sections 2933 through 2936 (covering identifying information, statement of medical and social history, confidentiality, and refusal to search) fill out Pennsylvania's disclosure procedure for records predating the 2016 reform. Those sections are sometimes loosely described as setting a "good cause" disclosure standard, but that exact phrase was not independently confirmed in the specific text reviewed for this article, so it is not presented here as a verbatim statutory term.
The Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry (PAIR)
23 Pa.C.S. 2921 directs the state to "establish a Statewide confidential registry for the receipt, filing and retention of medical and social history information and authorization forms...prescribe and distribute forms on which an adoptee, an adoptive parent and a birth parent may...request identifying information or contact." This registry, known as PAIR, is Pennsylvania's centralized channel for medical and social history and for consent-based identifying-information or contact requests.
PAIR is commonly attributed to "Act 101 of 2010," but that specific attribution could not be independently confirmed for this article; a source document intended to verify it could not be read. The underlying registry mechanics in 2921 itself are confirmed regardless of which act created them, so this article describes PAIR by its statutory function rather than repeating the Act 101 date claim.
A birth parent who redacts their name from an original birth record copy is separately directed to submit contact-preference and medical information to PAIR, so an adoptee's certificate showing "NAME REDACTED" does not necessarily mean no path to contact exists; it means that path runs through PAIR rather than being printed on the certificate itself.
Non-Identifying Information
Statement of medical and social history provisions live in the companion sections 2933 through 2936. PAIR is the live operational channel through which a birth parent's submitted medical and social history reaches an adoptee. For the broader search process, including DNA testing and realistic expectations for a search, see How to Find Birth Parents.
For how Pennsylvania's redaction model compares to other states, see How to Get Your Original Birth Certificate and Adoption Reunion Registries. Pennsylvania's broader sealed-court-record rules are covered in Pennsylvania Court Records; for a name change following marriage or divorce, see Pennsylvania Marriage & Divorce Records; to locate a deceased birth parent, see Pennsylvania Death Records.
Disclaimer
This article provides general legal information about adoption records access in Pennsylvania as verified on 2026-08-11. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Readers with a specific question about pre-2016 disclosure procedures, or who need advice about a specific record, should consult a lawyer licensed in Pennsylvania.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a birth parent stop a Pennsylvania adoptee from getting their original birth certificate?
No. Pennsylvania uses redaction, not a veto. A birth parent can only have their own name blanked out on the copy through a Name Redaction Request; they cannot prevent the adoptee from receiving the document.
How much does a Pennsylvania original birth record cost?
$20 per application, and only one copy is released per application. Processing takes 45 days under 23 Pa.C.S. 2937.
Who can apply for a Pennsylvania adoptee's original birth record?
Only the adoptee, once they are 18 or older, or the adoptee's lineal descendants. Adoptive parents and birth parents cannot apply.
What is PAIR in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry, a statewide confidential registry under 23 Pa.C.S. 2921 for medical and social history and for identifying-information or contact-consent forms from adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents.
What does 'NAME REDACTED' mean on a Pennsylvania original birth certificate?
It means a birth parent filed a Name Redaction Request to have only their own name blanked out. The rest of the document, and the certificate itself, is still issued to the adoptee.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on 3 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 23 (Domestic Relations)
§ 2915Court and agency recordsIn force
(a) General rule.--All court and agency records shall be maintained as a permanent record and withheld from inspection except as provided under this chapter. (b) Who may access court or agency records.--Only the following are authorized to access court or agency records for the purpose of releasing nonidentifying or identifying information under this chapter: (1) The court which finalized the adoption. (2) The agency that coordinated the adoption. (3) A successor agency authorized by the court which finalized the adoption. (c) Disposition of agency records upon closure.-- (1) As soon as practicable, but not less than 30 days prior to the date on which an agency ceases to operate as a legal entity in this Commonwealth, the agency shall, unless it has applied to operate as a new legal entity, notify the department of its intention to cease operating. (2) Within this time period, the agency shall submit a plan to the department relating to the closure and transfer of case records to another agency. The plan shall be subject to approval by the department.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at palegis.us
§ 2921Establishment of registryIn force
The department shall do all of the following: (1) Establish a Statewide confidential registry for the receipt, filing and retention of medical and social history information and authorization forms for all adoptions finalized or registered in this Commonwealth. (2) Prescribe and distribute forms on which an adoptee, an adoptive parent and a birth parent may: (i) Request identifying information or contact. (ii) Authorize or refuse to authorize the release of identifying information or contact. (iii) File and update information with the registry. (3) Retain information filed with the registry as a permanent record. (4) Disseminate the information pursuant to the requirements of this subchapter.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at palegis.us
§ 2937Original birth recordIn force
(a) General rule.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an adoptee who is at least 18 years of age and who has graduated from high school, completed a General Educational Development program or has legally withdrawn from secondary schooling or, if the adoptee is deceased, the adoptee's descendants, may apply to the Department of Health for the adoptee's noncertified copy of original birth record. Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the Department of Health shall issue a noncertified copy of original birth record within 45 days of receipt of an application if the application complies with the requirements of subsection (d). (b) Contact preference.--The Department of Health shall develop and, upon request, make available to each birth parent named on the original birth certificate a contact preference form on which the birth parent may state a preference regarding contact by an adoptee who is the birth child of the birth parent.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at palegis.us
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Sources and References
- 23 Pa.C.S. § 2937 (Original Birth Record)(palegis.us).gov
- 23 Pa.C.S. § 2915 (Court and Agency Records)(palegis.us).gov
- 23 Pa.C.S. § 2921 (Establishment of Registry)(palegis.us).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health, Adoptees: Vital Records(pa.gov).gov