New Law: Access to Birth Certificates of Adopted Persons

A new Illinois law will help adult adoptees and their decendents learn more about their ancestry. It will also allow individuals to gain information about their biological family members including obtaining original birth records when one of their grandparents was adopted as a child.

Under the law, adult grandchildren will be granted access to birth certificates and other information regarding their deceased grandparents, if the grandparent was adopted.

The law is effective January 1, 2015.