Quick facts
- Exemplified (triple-certified) copy may be required for some foreign uses — confirm before ordering ($50 + pages, §70628).
- Birth-parent names: unlike agency adoptions, a stepparent Certificate of Adoption may list birth parents — make sure that matches what the foreign authority needs (some want the full parentage shown).
- The amended birth certificate (CDPH, from the VS-44) is a SEPARATE vital record with its own apostille path — don't conflate it with the court order.
- Never notarize the order — a court record is authenticated by the clerk's certification.
- General condition rules: no lamination · no post-notarization alterations · no tape · staple multipage · legible signatures/seals.
What to know
Issuing office. The Superior Court clerk (family law / adoption records) in the county where the stepparent adoption was finalized. County-specific access forms may apply (e.g., Orange County L-1310). Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. Confirm requester status: stepparent or adoptee → request directly; anyone else → §9200 petition first. 2. Gather the adoption case number, the child's adopted name, adoptive (step)parent's name, and finalization date; bring government-issued ID. 3. Decide what to order: a §9200(c) Certificate of Adoption (which here may include birth-parent names) or a certified copy of the ADOPT-215 Adoption Order. Confirm with the receiving authority. 4. Request "for apostille / international use" so the clerk applies the correct certification/seal. 5. Pay the fees; confirm the clerk's seal/signature are legible. Who can request it. Parties.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just order a certified copy?
If you're the stepparent or the adoptee, yes. Adoption files are confidential (§9200); non-parties need a court-order release.
What should I order?
Usually a §9200(c) Certificate of Adoption (which for stepparent adoptions may name birth parents), or a certified ADOPT-215 Adoption Order. Confirm with the receiving authority.
How much is the certified copy?
$40 (Gov. Code §70626(a)(4)). The $15 divorce rate does not apply.
Will the birth parents' names appear?
In stepparent adoptions, they may — unlike agency adoptions where they're omitted.
Common destinations
Countries this document is most often sent to (pulled from this page's own guidance). Every destination has its own rulebook — apostille (Hague) or full legalization (non-Hague).