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North CarolinaSB 2482025-2026 SessionSenateWALLET

AN ACT TO MAKE ACCESS TO NEW BIRTH CERTIFICATES FOR PERSONS ADOPTED SIMILAR TO PERSONS THAT ARE NOT ADOPTED.

Sponsored By: Warren Daniel (Republican), Todd Johnson (Republican), Michael A. Lazzara (Republican)

Signed by Governor

ADOPTIONCOURT CLERKSCOURTSDEEDSMINORSPRESENTEDPUBLICPUBLIC OFFICIALSPUBLIC RECORDSRATIFIEDRECORDATION OF INSTRUMENTSREGISTER OF DEEDSSOCIAL SERVICESSTATE EMPLOYEESSTATE REGISTRARVITAL RECORDSRECORDSCHAPTEREDFAMILY ISSUES

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Adoptees get updated birth certificates

Beginning January 1, 2026, the State Registrar prepares a new birth certificate after an adoption is reported. The certificate shows the adoptee’s full adoptive name, sex, state and date of birth, and adoptive parents’ names when applicable. It does not mention the adoption. In a stepparent adoption, it lists the adoptive parent and the unchanged parent, and keeps the same city and county of birth. Names do not change if a joint request is filed before the decree by the petitioner, the petitioner’s spouse, the adoptee if 12 or older, and any living parent whose rights are ended. Certified copies or abstracts are available to the adoptee, the adoptee’s children, adoptive parents, spouse, brothers, and sisters from the State Registrar or the county register of deeds.

Stronger privacy for adoptee records

Beginning January 1, 2026, adoptee birth certificates are sealed and not open to public inspection under the usual public-record law. The adoptee-specific rules control even when general register-of-deeds rules would allow inspection. When a new certificate is prepared, the county removes the original, deletes index entries, and sends the original to the State Registrar for sealed keeping. Counties do not add adoptee certificates to their files or indexes. Counties get electronic access so they can issue certified copies under the law. Staff who issue these copies must take yearly adoptee-privacy training from the State Registrar.

Faster county service for adoptee certificates

Beginning January 1, 2026, if a county needs to issue an adoptee birth-certificate copy and the record is not digitized, the State Registrar must digitize it within two business days after the county asks. The State Registrar does not charge the usual fee to a county register that issues an adoptee birth certificate for someone born in that county under the access rule.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Warren Daniel

    Republican • Senate

  • Todd Johnson

    Republican • Senate

  • Michael A. Lazzara

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Danny Earl Britt, Jr.

    Republican • Senate

  • David W. Craven, Jr.

    Republican • Senate

  • Ralph Hise

    Republican • Senate

  • Steve Jarvis

    Republican • Senate

  • Timothy D. Moffitt

    Republican • Senate

  • Mujtaba A. Mohammed

    Democratic • Senate

  • Norman W. Sanderson

    Republican • Senate

  • Benton G. Sawrey

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 146 • No: 0

House vote • 6/4/2025

SB 248: Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted.

Yes: 104 • No: 0 • Other: 15

Senate vote • 5/1/2025

SB 248: Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted.

Yes: 42 • No: 0 • Other: 8

Actions Timeline

  1. Ch. SL 2025-9

    6/13/2025Senate

  2. Signed by Gov. 6/13/2025

    6/13/2025Senate

  3. Pres. To Gov. 6/6/2025

    6/6/2025Senate

  4. Ratified

    6/5/2025Senate

  5. Ordered Enrolled

    6/4/2025House

  6. Passed 3rd Reading

    6/4/2025House

  7. Passed 2nd Reading

    6/4/2025House

  8. Added to Calendar

    6/4/2025House

  9. Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

    6/4/2025House

  10. Reptd Fav

    6/4/2025House

  11. Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

    6/3/2025House

  12. Reptd Fav

    6/3/2025House

  13. Re-ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

    5/29/2025House

  14. Withdrawn From Com

    5/29/2025House

  15. Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

    5/6/2025House

  16. Passed 1st Reading

    5/6/2025House

  17. Regular Message Received From Senate

    5/5/2025House

  18. Regular Message Sent To House

    5/5/2025Senate

  19. Passed 3rd Reading

    5/1/2025Senate

  20. Passed 2nd Reading

    5/1/2025Senate

  21. Reptd Fav

    4/30/2025Senate

  22. Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

    4/29/2025Senate

  23. Com Substitute Adopted

    4/29/2025Senate

  24. Reptd Fav Com Substitute

    4/29/2025Senate

  25. Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate

    3/10/2025Senate

Bill Text

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