After an adoption is finalized, the state issues a new birth certificate for the adopted child that lists the adoptive parents, and the original certificate is sealed. In Texas, the new document is called a supplementary birth certificate. It looks exactly like any other Texas birth certificate, and nothing on it says the child was adopted.
If you are preparing to finalize, you probably have questions about the birth certificate for an adopted child: how to apply for it, what it costs, how long it takes, what happens to the original, and whether your child can ever see that original. This guide answers each of those questions using current Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) rules, the Texas Health and Safety Code, and the latest legislative activity, so you know exactly what to expect.
How To Get a Birth Certificate for an Adopted Child in Texas
To get a birth certificate for an adopted child born in Texas, your attorney or the district clerk submits a certified Certificate of Adoption (Form VS-160) and a certified copy of the final adoption decree to DSHS Vital Statistics, which then files the new certificate. You cannot submit the application on your own; the district clerk’s office must certify the VS-160 before Vital Statistics will accept it.
Here is what the process looks like in 2026:
- Finalize the adoption in court. The judge signs the final decree of adoption. If you are adopting through Texas Adoption Center, our team coordinates with your finalization attorney so this step is already in motion.
- Complete Form VS-160. Your attorney or the district clerk fills out the Certificate of Adoption with the child’s original birth information and the adoptive parents’ details. The form must be typed or printed cleanly with no cross-outs, white-out, or correction tape, because an examiner trained in adoption cases reviews every application and rejects any with errors.
- Pay the fees. As of 2026, DSHS lists a total of $62 for a Texas adoption: a $25 new-certificate filing fee, $22 for one certified copy of the new record, and a $15 Central Adoption Registry fee that applies only to adoptions granted in Texas. Additional certified copies are $22 each.
- Mail the packet and wait. DSHS currently lists 25 to 30 business days for adoption filings, and this service is not available online through Texas.gov. If the application is rejected, DSHS sends a letter explaining why, closes the file, and the clock restarts when you resubmit.
Two details trip up many families. First, DSHS only issues adoption birth certificates for children born in Texas, even if the adoption itself was finalized in another state. If your child was born elsewhere, the new certificate comes from that state’s vital records office, and for interstate placements the ICPC process will already have you working with both states. Second, if both adoptive parents are the same sex, both names appear on the new certificate, and each parent may choose to be listed as mother, father, or parent.
What Happens to the Original Birth Certificate After Adoption?
In Texas, the original birth certificate is sealed once the supplementary certificate is filed, and from that point on any information released about the birth comes only from the new certificate. Texas Health and Safety Code § 192.008 also requires DSHS to keep public birth indexes from revealing anything that could directly or indirectly expose an adoption placement.
The original is not destroyed. It stays on file with DSHS, and the adopted person can request it as an adult under specific conditions (covered below). Most other states follow the same seal-and-replace model, though the rules for unsealing vary widely, as the Child Welfare Information Gateway summarizes state by state.
Some agencies, including Texas Adoption Center, work with the birth mother before placement to obtain a copy of the original certificate and share it with the adoptive family when she agrees. In an open or semi-open adoption, that copy can become a meaningful part of your child’s story long before they are old enough to request the record themselves.
Can a Birth Certificate Be Changed After Adoption?
Yes. The adoption itself creates the new certificate, and if that new certificate contains an error, you can request a birth certificate amendment from DSHS to correct it.
The most common problems are a misspelled name, a wrong date, or a parent’s information entered incorrectly on the VS-160. To fix one, you complete the DSHS amendment form, sign it in front of a notary, include a photocopy of your ID, attach the supporting documents DSHS requires for that type of change, and mail the packet with payment. DSHS charges $15 for most corrections or $25 to add, remove, or replace a parent, plus $22 for a new certified copy. Processing is currently listed at 25 to 30 business days.
The better strategy is to prevent the error in the first place. Review the VS-160 line by line with your attorney before the clerk certifies it, and check the certified copy the moment it arrives. Any correction later means another form, another fee, and another month of waiting.
Getting Access to the Original Birth Certificate
An adopted person can access their original birth certificate in Texas at age 18, but only if they already know the name of each parent listed on it; otherwise they need an order from the court that granted the adoption. Across the country, states use three general approaches, and some combine them.
1. Turn 18
A growing number of states, including Georgia as of July 1, 2025, let any adult adoptee request a noncertified copy of their original birth certificate with no other conditions. Texas is not one of them yet. Under Health and Safety Code § 192.008(f), a Texas-born adoptee who is 18 or older and knows the identity of each parent named on the original can file the Adult Adoptee Application for a Noncertified Copy (Form VS-145) with a copy of their photo ID and a $10 fee. If their legal name has changed, they also include the supplementary birth certificate, marriage certificate, or court order showing the change.
Texas lawmakers have tried to remove the “must know the names” requirement for a decade. The most recent attempt, HB 1887, passed the Texas House with bipartisan support in 2025 but died in the Senate without a hearing, according to Adoptees United. The Legislature next meets in regular session in January 2027, so the current rule stands for now.
2. Court Order
If an adoptee does not know the birth parents’ names, only the court that granted the adoption can order the original certificate and the supporting adoption documents released. DSHS will tell an applicant which court that was, and if the court is not on file, DSHS issues an affidavit so that any court of competent jurisdiction can hear the request. A family law attorney can file the petition, and judges typically want to see a good reason, such as a medical need or an inheritance issue.
3. Consent of All Parties
Some states require the adoptee, the adoptive parents, and the birth parents to agree before identifying information is released. Texas handles this through its voluntary Central Adoption Registry, run by DSHS. Adoptees born or adopted in Texas, birth parents, and biological siblings who are 18 or older can register for a $30 fee. When two related people have both registered, DSHS notifies them, and identifying information is exchanged only after each completes a written consent and a one-hour post-adoption counseling session. The registry does not unseal the birth certificate itself, but a match often gives an adoptee the parent names needed to request it under option 1.
Will the New Birth Certificate Say the Child Is Adopted?
If you are worried about your adopted child one day spotting something on their birth certificate that reveals the adoption, you can breathe easy. The answer is no. Texas law states that copies of an adopted child’s birth certificate may not disclose the adoption, so the supplementary certificate is indistinguishable from any other Texas birth certificate. It lists your child’s new legal name, you as the parents, and the original date, time, and place of birth. The birth mother’s name and your child’s original name (if you changed it upon adoption) do not appear.
That means you can relax when your child needs copies of their birth certificate for school enrollment, sports leagues, a Social Security card, a passport, or a driver’s license. The new certificate carries the true birth facts and works everywhere a birth certificate is needed. If and when you tell your child about their adoption is entirely your family’s decision, and many families today choose openness from the very beginning so there is never a moment of surprise.
All the Help You Need to Complete Your Family
You are ready to adopt a child, but you may not feel ready to answer all the legal questions and handle all the paperwork. That is completely normal, and it is exactly where we come in. The team at Texas Adoption Center understands what you are going through because we have helped countless families through the very same steps, from the day you first express interest to the day you welcome your child home, and on through finalization and the birth certificate for your adopted child.
To put it simply, we are here to help, and we can help. What happens to the original birth certificate after adoption? Can a birth certificate be changed after adoption? We will get you the answers to these and all the other questions that inevitably come up.
To get started, call us at 512-893-7943 or toll-free at 844-893-7943, text us at 361-461-3742, email us at hello@texasadoptioncenter.org, or contact us online.
