Adoption Records

Adoption Registration Unit, Access to Sealed Records and Other Services

Adoption records in Tennessee are private and confidential and not open to the general public. Adoption records are, however, available to eligible persons.

How to Request Records

You will need to submit the following items:

• A completed Request for Access to Sealed Adoption Records/Release of Information and Other Services CS-1026 form.
• A copy of a picture ID, Driver's License, or passport.
• Other supporting documents that can help us identify if we have a record, including a birth certificate, order of adoption, or order of paternity. 

Please email the filled-out form and copies of documents to EI_DCS.PostAdoptionRecords@tn.gov, or print the items out and mail to:

Fee

There are fees associated with records requests.  If eligible, the fee to access the record is $150.00. Once your record is received, there is a 25-cent per-page copy fee. After we receive your request and determine that we have a record, we will contact you to collect the fee.

Persons Eligible to Receive Adoption Records: 

• Adult individuals, surrendered for the purpose of adoption.
• An adopted individual’s birth, adoptive, step, or legal parent.
• An adopted individual’s birth or adoptive adult siblings.
• An adopted individual’s adult lineal descendants.
• A legal representative for any of these persons.

Note: The adopted person must consent to the release of any identifying information contained in the sealed record.

Persons NOT Eligible to Receive Access to Adoption Records:

• A parent, guardian, sibling, ancestor, spouse, or legal representative whose rights were involuntarily terminated for cause.
• A person guilty of a crime of violence or neglect against the adopted person.

Consent is required from the adoptee.  If you are a relative of the adoptee, we will search for and attempt to gain consent. In cases where there is a record of rape or incest, the birth mother must also consent to the release of the sealed record, even to the adoptee.  We will search for and contact the birth mother in these cases to attempt to gain consent.

For More Information:

Call the Post Adoption Records Information Line at (615) 532-5637.