Rule 5.492.Adoption by a United States resident of a child resident in a foreign country that is party to the Hague Adoption Convention
Division 2. Rules Applicable in Family and Juvenile Proceedings · Chapter 3. Intercountry Adoptions · Adopted 2013 · no amendments on record · Last verified September 10, 2026
Full Text of Rule 5.492
Plain-English Summary
This is the incoming side. A United States resident planning to adopt in California a child resident in a country party to the Hague Adoption Convention must provide the California court with proof that all required Convention findings have been made by the child’s country of residence.
The proof takes a specific form: a Hague Custody Declaration. The California court does not re-make the sending country’s findings; it requires the document showing they were made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to finalize a convention-country adoption in California?
A Hague Custody Declaration proving that all required Hague Adoption Convention findings have been made by the child’s country of residence.
Does the California court redo the foreign findings?
No. The rule requires proof, in the form of the Hague Custody Declaration, that those findings were made by the child’s country of residence.
Amendment History
Rule 5.492 adopted effective July 1, 2013.