Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§14942 Documents of other Convention countries
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 143— - INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT › § 14942
Summary
Documents from another Convention country about an adoption case can be used in any U.S. federal, state, or local court without needing extra proof or special certification. A court will only ask for more if someone makes a specific, supported claim that the papers are fake, altered, or otherwise unreliable.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §14942
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Documents originating in any other Convention country and related to a Convention adoption case shall require no authentication in order to be admissible in any Federal, State, or local court in the United States, unless a specific and supported claim is made that the documents are false, have been altered, or are otherwise unreliable.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of Pub. L. 106–279, set out as an
Effective Date
s; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 14942
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73