The department of health shall neither open an adoption file nor make its contents available except as follows:

1. (A) The department shall inspect the file to determine the court involved for the purpose of division (D) of section 3107.09 or section 3107.091 or 3107.171 of the Revised Code.
2. (B) The department shall make the file's contents available to an adopted person or lineal descendant of an adopted person in accordance with section 3107.38 of the Revised Code.
3. (C) The department shall open the file to transfer releases to the file in accordance with section 3107.381 of the Revised Code.
4. (D) The department shall open the file to file a contact preference form from a biological parent pursuant to section 3107.39 of the Revised Code and remove any previously filed contact preference form from the biological parent.
5. (E) The department shall open the file to remove and destroy a name redaction request form pursuant to division (A) of section 3107.391 of the Revised Code.
6. (F) The department shall open the file to file a denial of release form under division (A) of section 3107.46 of the Revised Code or an authorization of release form under division (B) of that section.
7. (G) The department shall make the file's contents available to an adopted person or adoptive parent in accordance with section 3107.47 of the Revised Code.
8. (H) The department shall open the file to file a request from an adopted person under division (A) of section 3107.48 of the Revised Code or to remove and destroy the request pursuant to division (B) of that section.
9. (I) The department shall inspect the file to assist a birth parent or birth sibling in finding the adopted person's name by adoption in accordance with section 3107.49 of the Revised Code.
10. (J) The court that decreed the adoption may order that the contents be made open for inspection or available for copying.

Last updated August 13, 2025 at 11:21 AM