70.58.210 - Birth certificate upon adoption.

Birth certificate upon adoption.

(1) Whenever a decree of adoption has been entered declaring a child, born in the state of Washington, adopted in any court of competent jurisdiction in the state of Washington or any other state or any territory of the United States, a certified copy of the decree of adoption shall be recorded with the proper department of registration of births in the state of Washington and a certificate of birth shall issue upon request, bearing the new name of the child as shown in the decree of adoption, the names of the adoptive parents of the child and the age, sex, and date of birth of the child, but no reference in any birth certificate shall have reference to the adoption of the child. However, original registration of births shall remain a part of the record of the board of health.

     (2) Whenever a decree of adoption has been entered declaring a child, born outside of the United States and its territories, adopted in any court of competent jurisdiction in the state of Washington, a certified copy of the decree of adoption together with evidence as to the child's birth date and birth place provided by the original birth certificate, or by a certified copy, extract, or translation thereof or by a certified copy of some other document essentially equivalent thereto, shall be recorded with the proper department of registration of births in the state of Washington. The records of the United States immigration and naturalization service or of the United States department of state are essentially equivalent to the birth certificate. A certificate of birth shall issue upon request, bearing the new name of the child as shown in the decree of adoption, the names of the adoptive parents of the child and the age, sex, and date of birth of the child, but no reference in any birth certificate shall have reference to the adoption of the child. Unless the court orders otherwise, the certificate of birth shall have the same overall appearance as the certificate which would have been issued if the adopted child had been born in the state of Washington.

     A person born outside of the United States and its territories for whom a decree of adoption has been entered in a court of this state before September 1, 1979, may apply for a certificate of birth under this subsection by furnishing the proper department of registration of births with a certified copy of the decree of adoption together with the other evidence required by this subsection as to the date and place of birth. Upon receipt of the decree and evidence, a certificate of birth shall be issued in accordance with this subsection.

[1979 ex.s. c 101 § 2; 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 42 § 40; 1943 c 12 § 1; 1939 c 133 § 1; Rem. Supp. 1943 § 6013-1.]

Notes: Severability -- 1979 ex.s. c 101: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [1979 ex.s. c 101 § 3.]

Adoption: Chapter 26.33 RCW.

Decree of adoption -- Duties of state registrar of vital statistics: RCW 26.33.290.

Uniform parentage act: Chapter 26.26 RCW.