How Do You Open Adoption Records In Texas?
In the state of Texas, adoption records are sealed and confidential. Records with identifying information can only be shared by mutual consent of all the parties involved, or through a court order issued to open sealed records. Mutual consent is achieved via registration of the parties involved in a mutual consent registry, after which state officials can confirm details in the records. However, unlike in some other states, officials do not need a court order to view confidential or sealed records to make such a confirmation. Contact the Texas Department of State Health Services’ (DSHS) Central Adoption Registry (see Resources) or the adoption agency that executed the adoption to obtain non-identifying information from your adoption records. If you do not know what agency handled the adoption, the CAR will be able to help. Submit your information to be registered in the mutual consent registry of either the CAR or the adoption agency that handled your adoption, if it has a voluntary re
