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Sealing a Court Adoption Record

This page provides information on how a pre-existing (biological) parent can file a petition with the court to keep specific adoption documents sealed and inaccessible to the child adoptee (adopted before 18, now 18 or older).

This petition, under Utah Code 81-13-103, allows a pre-existing parent to ask a court to keep adoption records sealed. Otherwise, these specific adoption documents would be open to inspection and copying by a child adoptee without a court order. 

What are you trying to do?

Are you looking for an adoption record?
See our page on Opening a Court Adoption Record.

What is a Petition to Seal? 

A pre-existing parent can ask the court to seal an adoption case if they think that the child adoptee's access to the records would place them in reasonable fear of harm from an individual.

Certain requirements must be met before the court can consider the petition:

  • The petition must contain sufficient information to find the adoption case. 

  • The petition must be filed in the court that issued the original adoption decree. 

Records sealed by the petition

If granted, the petition seals the following four adoption records, which a child adoptee would otherwise be able to inspect and copy without a court order:  

  • The report of adoption. 
  • The original birth certificate. 
  • The findings of fact for the adoption. 
  • The final decree of adoption.

How to File a Petition to Seal adoption records

To file this petition, follow these steps. 

The court can only grant the petition if you meet all these conditions. The petition must:

  • Be filed in the same court that entered the final decree of adoption.
  • Include enough information so the court can find the adoption records. 
  • Include a sworn statement (affidavit) establishing that the child adoptee's access to the documents would place the pre-existing parent in reasonable fear of harm from an individual.  

Prepare your petition and include a sworn statement (affidavit) of facts establishing the fear of harm that you need to show. If you use the court’s official form (forms are available in the forms section below), this sworn statement is included at the end. You may include a proposed order with your petition, although it is not required. 

Filing your papers means officially submitting them to the court so your case can begin. This will be a new case with a new case number. File your petition and pay the required filing fee of $375 (unless a fee waiver is granted) using one of the ways listed below. 

 

1. How to File: Choose ONE:

  • In Person: Take your papers to the courthouse clerk's office.
  • Email: Send copies to your court's email address (find it here), write "New filing for [your name]" in the subject line, papers must be in English, filled out completely and only black and white. 
  • Mail: Slowest method. Papers only filed when received by the court.

2. Pay fee or ask for waiver: The court will tell you how to pay. If you cannot afford it, file a fee waiver with your other papers.

3. Get copies: Request date-stamped copies if filing in person.

Need more help? See our page on Filing Procedures. 

If the court grants the petition, the adoption papers stay sealed for 10 years from the day the order is signed. 

The pre-existing parent can ask the court to renew the sealing every 10 years. A renewal request must be filed before the current 10-year sealing period ends. You can use the forms in the forms section below. 

File your renewal request in the court that issued the original adoption decree (where you previously had the records sealed):

  • In District Court: File the renewal request as a new case.
  • In Juvenile Court: File the renewal request in the same existing case (same case number as your last request to seal the records). Do not start a new case.

If the child adoptee wants to unseal the records

If the adoption case has been sealed by a court order, the child adoptee may file a petition to ask the judge to grant access or unseal the case. See our page on Opening a Court Adoption Record.

Forms

Forms to petition the court to seal an adoption record

1158XX - Utah District Court Cover Sheet for Probate Actions 

1138XX - Utah Juvenile Court Petition Cover Sheet  

2001AD - Verified Petition by Pre-Existing Parent to Keep Adoption Documents Sealed

2002AD - Order on Petition by Pre-Existing Parent to Keep Adoption Documents Sealed

 

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