Procedure to Obtain a Certified Copy of an Adoption Order
Under the current legislation the Registrar of Adoption
Information has the authority to release a copy of an Adoption
Order to:
1. an adoptive parent
2. an adopted person or any other person (e.g. a lawyer handling
an estate) that the Registrar considers desirable of having a
copy of the Adoption Order.
3. a governmental authority that requires the Order to issue a
birth certificate, passport, or visa.
There is a fee of $15.00 (Canadian funds) for the provision of
each copy of an Adoption Order. Please make your cheque or money
order payable to the Minister of Finance. (Do not make cheque
payable to Ministry of Community and Social Services or Adoption
Disclosure Unit or it will be returned to you). Do not send cash
in the mail.
The Affidavit must be commissioned. This means that you must sign
it in the presence of a lawyer, justice of the peace, notary
public or commissioner for taking affidavits, who will then
commission the Affidavit.
If the person commissioning does not use a stamp or seal, she/he
must provide some proof that she/he is authorized to act as a
commissioner. For example, she/he should provide a business card
or a covering letter on official letterhead for our verification
purposes.
For most adoptions prior to the mid 1960s the adoption order will
contain the adopted person’s given name(s) and surname at
birth. For many orders made after the mid 1960’s the adopted
person’s surname at birth is not shown, just the first
initial of the surname followed by the birth registration number.
The order shows the court in which the order was granted, the
date it was granted and the name of the judge. It also shows the
names of the adoptive parents. Adoption orders do not
contain the names of the birth parent(s) or any information about
them.
If you wish the order to be released to another person for
official purposes, the address of the requesting authority must
be provided, as the Adoption Unit will forward the Order to the
appropriate office in confidence.
Allow 6 - 8 weeks for your request to be processed.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Adoption Disclosure, Central Services
2 Bloor Street West, 24th Floor
TORONTO, Ontario
M7A 1E9
Tel: (416) 327—4730
Fax: (416) 327—0573
F.Y.I. Applications are also available from Adoption Roots
& Rights; name and address required email