Getting Adoption Records in Ontario: Birth Registration and Vetoes

Many adopted adults and birth parents spend years wondering about each other. In Ontario there is a formal route to identifying information, and it comes with safeguards that let people say how, or whether, they want to be contacted.

This guide explains who can apply and when, what you receive, how no-contact notices, contact preferences and vetoes work, and how the Adoption Disclosure Register fits in. Your situation may have details that change the picture, so a lawyer can confirm how the rules apply to you.

Who can apply, and at what age

An adopted person who is at least 18 can apply to the Registrar General for uncertified copies of their original birth registration and the registered adoption order.

A birth parent can apply for identifying information about the adopted person, but only once the adopted person is at least 19. That one-year difference is easy to miss, so check the age before you apply.

• Adopted person: age 18 or older, applying for the original birth registration and the adoption order.
• Birth parent: the adopted person must be at least 19.

What you receive

An adopted person receives uncertified copies of the original birth registration and the registered adoption order. Whether those copies can be used for a particular purpose, such as proving identity, depends on the situation, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer or the Registrar General.

No fee is charged to access adoption records. If someone offers to obtain them for a charge, ask what the charge covers.

No-contact notices and contact preferences

Ontario lets both sides say how they feel about contact. An adopted person who is 18 or older, or a birth parent, can file a notice that they do not wish to be contacted.

A no-contact notice does not automatically stop you from getting information. Identifying information is released only if the applicant agrees in writing not to contact the person who filed the notice.

That promise matters. Knowingly contacting someone, or trying to, despite their no-contact notice is an offence, with a fine of up to $50,000 for an individual or $250,000 for a corporation.

There is also a softer option. An adopted person who is 18 or older, or a birth parent, can file a notice of contact preference stating how they would like to be contacted. These notices are not binding. Think of one as a request that tells the other person what would feel comfortable.

Disclosure vetoes

A disclosure veto is stronger than a no-contact notice. While a veto is in effect, the Registrar General will not release the identifying copies or information.

Vetoes are limited. An adopted person or birth parent may file one only if the adoption order was made before September 1, 2008. If your adoption order is dated on or after that day, a veto is not available, though a no-contact notice still is.

Timing matters. Do not assume a veto or a notice is in place until it has been matched to the registration, so confirm the current position with the Registrar General before you rely on it.

The Adoption Disclosure Register

Not everyone wants to wait for, or go through, a records application. Adopted people and birth relatives can join the Adoption Disclosure Register to exchange information.

Applications must be mailed. They cannot be faxed, emailed or hand-delivered. A match can take months or years, and it may never happen. It helps to treat the Register as one possible route, not a guarantee.

What to do next

• Confirm your age and, if you are a birth parent, that the adopted person is at least 19.
• Find out the date of the adoption order, because it decides whether a veto is possible.
• Decide whether you would also like to file a no-contact notice or a contact preference.
• Be ready to sign a written agreement not to make contact if the other person has filed a no-contact notice.
• Consider joining the Adoption Disclosure Register by mail.
• Speak with a lawyer if the adoption was handled outside Ontario, the records are unclear, or you are unsure how a notice affects you.

Take your time and think about what you would like to happen after you receive the information. Contact is a separate step from getting records, and you can choose it carefully.

Frequently asked questions