NEWS / New VA laws allows adoptee to access original birth certificates as CA considers similar measure

The Commonwealth of Virginia is now allowing adoptees to access their original birth certificates under a new measure that became law in July. In the meantime, some California legislators are also trying to introduce a similar bill to give adoptees the right to access their original vital records.

Virginia native Jim Peters was adopted when he was 8 years old. For over 6 decades, Peters attempted to obtain information about his biological parents and details of the first decade of his life. However, Virginia state law prevented him from accessing his original birth certificate.

“I tried to do some searching around to see, you know, what I could find out,” Peters was quoted by ABC News 13 as stating. “And early on, I found out that the records are sealed at birth.”

In 2023, Peters recounted the struggles he faced to ABC News 13 employee Mark Spain, who then reached out to State Delegate Wendell Walker to change the legislation that would allow adoptees to see their original birth certificates.

In July 2026, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that enabled adult adoptees to obtain the vital record in question. The bill also gave birth parents the opportunity to select their contact preferences with their biological child.

The new rules apply to anybody who had been born in Virginia, whether that person is a resident or not.

Peters was elated to finally obtain his original birth certificate, thanks to which he discovered that his original name was Jimmy Lee Grubs. He also learned the birth name of his mother and is hope to connect with possible siblings or cousins.

In the meantime, 63-year-old Californian Paul Kimball, who was adopted at the age of 1, is pushing for a similar measure in his home state that would enable him access to his original birth certificate.

“I was born in Fort Bragg, California, and was given another name,” CBS News quoted Kimball as stating. “This is something that states that I am a true full human being, and at 63, I still don't want the state to have that control over something that's mine.”

Kimball went on to say that even though he had a “fantastic” upbringing with his adopted family, seeing his original birth record has a “biological pull” and would give him a sense of completion.

For almost 100 years, California law has kept original adoptee birth certificates sealed with the justification of protecting the identity of biological mothers.

The California Assembly is now considering a bill similar to the one adopted in Virginia that would enable Kimball and other adoptees to access their original birth certificates. Supporters stress biological relatives can already be found via genetic testing and without accessing any vital records.

At the same time, Democratic Senator Caroline Menjivar expressed concern for biological mothers who would be reluctant to testify against the measure in an effort to protect their identity.

The bill has so far not been called to a full floor. Kimball expressed hope that it could be sponsored by another lawmaker in the California General Assembly’s next session expected to start in December 2026.

If you need assistance retrieving certified copies of birth certificates or other vital records and getting them apostilled or authenticated for use abroad, do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@apostille.us or by phone at (212) 233-7061. You can also place an order on our website.