§ 19-8-20.Forwarding of decree, report, and subsequent orders to department; issuance of adoption certificate; use as evidence
Chapter 8. Adoption · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2020 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-8-20
Plain-English Summary
Once a court enters an adoption decree, the clerk sends the department a copy of the decree along with the original investigation report and background information filed in the case. If the court later enters another order in the case or the adoption is revoked, the clerk sends a copy of that too. So the department holds its own copy of the key records.
The section also creates a short, practical document: the certificate of adoption. At any time after the decree, any adopting parent, or an adopted person who has reached 18 years of age, may ask the clerk of the court that granted the decree for one. The clerk issues it under the court’s seal after the requester pays the fee set in paragraph (4) of subsection (g) of Code Section 15-6-77. Any court or proceeding must accept the certificate as primary evidence of the facts it states. That matters because adoption files are sealed under § 19-8-23, so the certificate lets a family prove the adoption without opening the file.
The certificate follows a form set out in the statute. It certifies the names of each adopting parent, the adoptee’s full name and date of birth, the county superior court that entered the decree, the date of the decree and the adoption file number. The clerk signs it under the court’s hand and seal; no notary or witness is involved. Under § 19-8-21, this section also applies to adult adoptions. It was last amended in 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get proof of an adoption in Georgia?
Ask the clerk of the superior court that granted the decree for a certificate of adoption. Any adopting parent may request one at any time after the decree is entered, and so may an adopted person who has reached 18 years of age. The clerk issues it under the court’s seal once the fee is paid. Separately, for most domestic adoptions § 19-8-18 lets the clerk give the petitioner certified copies of the decree at no cost when it is entered.
Can an adult adoptee get a certificate of adoption?
Yes, once the adoptee has reached 18 years of age. The adoptee asks the clerk of the court that granted the decree and pays the fee set by Code Section 15-6-77. The certificate states the basic facts of the adoption; access to the sealed adoption file itself is governed by § 19-8-23.
What information is on a Georgia certificate of adoption?
The form lists the names of each adopting parent, the adoptee’s full name and date of birth, the county whose superior court entered the decree, the date of the decree, and the adoption file number. The clerk signs it and issues it under the hand and seal of the court, with the date it was given.
Will a court accept a certificate of adoption as evidence?
Yes. The section says the certificate shall be received as evidence in any court or proceeding as primary evidence of the facts it contains. That lets an adoptive family or adult adoptee prove the adoption without unsealing the court’s adoption file.
What does the clerk do with the adoption file after the decree is entered?
The clerk forwards to the department a copy of the decree together with the original investigation report and the background information filed with the court. If the court later enters another order or the adoption is revoked, the clerk forwards a copy of that as well.
Amendment History
Laws 1990, p. 1572, § 5; Laws 1991, p. 1324, § 4; Laws 1991, p. 1640, § 8; Laws 2018, Act 285, § 1-1, eff. Sept. 1, 2018; Laws 2020, Act 521, § 19, eff. July 29, 2020.