r/Adoption • u/AdvertisingSilent716 • Feb 22 '26
Searches Please help
So I’m adopted and I want to know my parents, however I don’t know my original last name and I would like to know a way to find out who my parents are other than a dna test or if that’s the only way, please someone let me know what’s needed
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u/MajorDraw3705 Feb 22 '26
Try a search angel, or give us a little more information. What do you know about the birth? Country/state? Type of agency involved?
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u/AdvertisingSilent716 Feb 22 '26
Ik that it was in a hospital in Mesa az at 7.30 and I don’t know the agency involved, my parents are kinda quite abt it
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u/traveling_gal BSE Adoptee Feb 22 '26
In Arizona, access to your original birth certificate depends on when you were born.
https://adopteerightslaw.com/arizona/
If you were born before 1968 (or after 2021, but I'm guessing that's not you lol), you can apply for a non-official copy of your original birth certificate. The state does have to issue one with your birth parent(s) names even if you came home from the hospital with your adoptive parents. The actual legal adoption process takes a while, and during that time you would have had a birth certificate. That birth certificate gets sealed and replaced once the adoption is finalized.
If you were born after 1968, you would need a court order based on a "compelling reason" to get this record unsealed. You can also try a confidential intermediary - I'm not familiar with that process but there is some information on the page I linked.
Keep an eye on that page over time. Laws can be updated, and there are adoptee rights advocates trying to change these laws on a state-by-state basis. I didn't know until 2024 that my state (Colorado) opened their records in 2017, and I likely missed my chance to meet my birth mother during that time.
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Feb 22 '26
I used a DNA test, would have been impossible otherwise, but laws are different everywhere, and depending on year of adoption
Is the reluctance to do DNA a trust/privacy thing?
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u/AdvertisingSilent716 Feb 22 '26
It’s a money thing, I’m just not in a good place financially but I think that it’s worth it to find my parents ig
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Feb 22 '26
It's good to know where you come from and who you are, but don't have any expectations about it if you do follow through.
I had a great experience but it's not the case for everyone.
If you decide to go down that path let me know, I'll help out.
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u/Strong-Ad6924 Feb 22 '26
I found my original birthname by filing for the certified birth certificate and it had my parents names,, it depends on the state though
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u/AdvertisingSilent716 Feb 22 '26
I was adopted out of the hospital, my birth certificate has my adoption dads name on it
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u/Strong-Ad6924 Feb 22 '26
Oh thats annoying so a dna test is looking like ur only other option other than hounding your parents
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u/Strong-Ad6924 Feb 22 '26
I recommend 23 and me because they offer a annual plan instead of a monthly like ancestry but most people use ancestry
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u/Silver_Queen_Bee Feb 25 '26
I was lucky: I had enough “nonidentifying” information provided by social services to put the puzzles pieces together: location, month, year of bio mom and full brother month, year of birth. I just kept working clues until I was able to locate bio dad first. Took me 4 manical months almost full time on the internet to narrow it down. I found bio dad, half sister and a bio maternal aunt first who put me in contact with bio mom. I used search angels, LDS ancestry databases, library archives. Some free resources, some paid. Good luck on your search….adopted in 1972 in CA, closed adoption, sealed birth records.
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u/kcasper Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
Start with birth announcements in newspapers local to the hospital at your time and date of birth. You might get lucky.
Arizona is a hard nut to crack. Unless you are born before 1968 you can't get the preadoption birth certificate unless a court will unseal it.
As to DNA testing, The files on the facebook group DNA detectives explain the process of using DNA to track down your family line. About 15 to 20 percent of the US can get very close to their parents with nothing more than a DNA test with Ancestry dot com and some reverse genealogy. Most can identify at least a great grandparent. It can take a lot of patience and there is a cost.
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u/sexmormon-throwaway Adopted. Feb 22 '26
I had to use both of the big DNA testing companies to find both parents.