Pennsylvania Adoption Records: Original Birth Certificates and Name Redaction

Pennsylvania is a redaction state, not a veto state, and that distinction matters. An eligible 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Yes, once they are at least 18 and have graduated, earned a GED, or legally withdrawn from secondary schooling. 23 Pa.C.S. 2937 provides that "an adoptee who is at least 18 years of age and who has graduated from high school, completed a General Educational Development program or has legally withdrawn from secondary schooling or, if the adoptee is deceased, the adoptee's descendants, may apply to the Department of Health for the adoptee's noncertified copy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," and that the department "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)." Age alone is not the trigger. The statute pairs the age floor with a secondary-schooling condition, so an 18-year-old still enrolled in high school who has neither graduated nor legally withdrawn does not yet meet the plain text of the section. 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.

While the adoptee is living, only the adoptee can apply for this copy. Section 2937(a) opens the door to the adoptee's descendants only "if the adoptee is deceased," so a living adoptee's adult child is not an eligible applicant. Adoptive parents and birth parents are not eligible applicants under this section at all.

How to Apply for a Pennsylvania Original Birth Record

• Who may apply: the adoptee, if at least 18 and graduated from high school, finished a GED program, or legally withdrawn from secondary schooling; or, if the adoptee has died, the adoptee's descendants
• 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?

The adoptee, if they are at least 18 and have graduated from high school, completed a GED program, or legally withdrawn from secondary schooling. The adoptee's descendants may apply only if the adoptee is deceased. Adoptive parents and birth parents cannot apply.

Can an 18-year-old Pennsylvania adoptee who is still in high school apply?

Not under the plain text of 23 Pa.C.S. 2937(a). The statute requires an adoptee to be at least 18 and to have graduated from high school, completed a General Educational Development program, or legally withdrawn from secondary schooling. An adoptee who turns 18 while still enrolled meets the age condition but not yet the schooling condition.

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.