How do I get a new birth certificate for my adopted child?

Adopting a child is a rewarding experience for both of you. Creating a family that includes children who otherwise would not have a loving home is very commendable, but since it is a legal process, it involves a lot of requirements. When you finally reach the end and your child legally becomes yours, you probably want nothing more than to have a birth certificate that declares you are the parent.

The Louisiana Department of Health explains that Louisiana Vital Records will be where you go to get the new birth certificate. You must follow the court’s orders for what you must have on the document. For instance, you may not have to include the exact location of birth, but you usually do have to keep all the other original details and can only change the parent names.

You may have one of three situations when it comes to the birth certificate depending on where your child was born. If he or she was born in a foreign country, then the Department of Children and Family Services will create a new birth certificate when the court finalizes the adoption. You will then have to go to DCFS to sign it. Vital Records will then process it, but you will need to provide the U.S. Certificate of Citizenship form to ensure that the birth certificate is valid as evidence of citizenship in the U.S.

If your child was born in another state, then the court will typically send the order for a new birth certificate to Vital Records for processing. You may also have to do this yourself, providing the original birth certificate and proof of adoption.

Finally, if your child was born in Louisiana, then the court will forward everything to the Department of Children and Family Services for the creation of a new birth certificate. You will sign it and Vital Records will process it.