81-13-504. Mutual-consent, voluntary adoption registry -- Procedures -- Fees.

654 words·~3 min read·/ut/title-81/chapter-13/81-13-504

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Effective 9/1/2025

(1)As used in this section, "adopted individual" means a child adoptee who is 18 years old or older.

(2)The office shall establish a mutual-consent, voluntary adoption registry.

(a)An adopted individual or a pre-existing parent of an adopted individual, upon presentation of positive identification, may request identifying information from the office, in the form established by the office.

(b)A court or a child-placing agency may accept that request from the adopted individual or pre-existing parent, in the form provided by the office, and transfer that request to the office.

(c)The adopted individual or pre-existing parent is responsible for notifying the office of any change in information contained in the request.

(d)Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the office may only release identifying information to an adopted individual or pre-existing parent when the office receives requests from both the adopted individual and the adopted individual's pre-existing parent.

(e)After matching the request of an adopted individual with that of at least one of the adopted individual's pre-existing parents, the office shall notify both the adopted individual and the pre-existing parent that the requests have been matched, and disclose the identifying information to those parties.

(f)Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(c) or (d), if an adopted individual has a sibling of the same pre-existing parent who is under 18 years old and who was raised in the same family setting as the adopted individual, the office may not disclose the requested identifying information to that adopted individual or the adopted individual's pre-existing parent.

(a)An adopted individual or an adult sibling of an adopted individual, upon presentation of positive identification, may request identifying information from the office in the form established by the office.

(b)A court or a child-placing agency may accept that request from the adopted individual or adult sibling in the form provided by the office,and transfer that request to the office.

(c)The adopted individual or adult sibling is responsible for notifying the office of any change in information contained in the request.

(d)The office may only release identifying information to an adopted individual or adult sibling when the office receives requests from both the adopted individual and the adopted individual's adult sibling.

(e)After matching the request of an adopted individual with that of the adopted individual's adult sibling, if the office determines that the office has sufficient information to make that match, the office shall notify both the adopted individual and the adopted individual's adult sibling that the requests have been matched, and disclose the identifying information to those parties.

(5)After receiving a request for information from an adopted individual and a pre-existing parent under this section, the office shall:

(a)search the office's vital records for the adopted individual's pre-existing parent; and

(b)if the search described in Subsection (5)(a) reveals that the pre-existing parent who had requested information under this section is dead, inform the adopted individual that the pre-existing parent is dead and disclose the identity of the pre-existing parent.

(6)The office shall attempt to notify an individual who requests information under this section:

(a)of the results of the initial search for a match; and

(b)if the initial search does not produce a match, that the office will keep the request on file and will attempt to notify the individual in the event of a match.

(7)Information registered with the office under this section is available only to a registered adopted individual and the adopted individual's pre-existing parent or registered adult sibling under the terms of this section.

(8)The office may not disclose information regarding a pre-existing parent who has not registered a request with the office.

(9)Nothing in this section limits the disclosure of information in accordance with Section 81-13-103 .

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426 , 2025 General Session