Rule 39. DOCKETING AND INDEXING · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 39.6 lets the original case files serve as the Adoption Docket itself, requires each adoption to receive a unique case number and be indexed by the petitioners’ names, and mandates that all adoption records — including the index — stay sealed, locked, and confidential unless a judge orders otherwise.
Full Text of Rule 39.6
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The original files shall suffice as the Adoption Docket. Each adoption shall be given a unique consecutive case number pursuant to Rule 36.9. The adoption index shall contain the names of
the petitioners. All adoptions shall be recorded in a separate adoption minutes and final record which shall be properly indexed. All adoption records, including the index, shall be kept sealed and locked and shall be confidential unless otherwise ordered by the judge.
Plain-English Summary
Adoptions get different treatment from every other docket in Rule 39. Rather than requiring a separate log of entries, Rule 39.6 allows the original case files to double as the Adoption Docket, and each adoption receives its own unique consecutive case number like any other action.
Where the rule departs sharply from the civil and criminal dockets is confidentiality. The adoption index lists only the petitioners’ names, adoptions are recorded in their own separate minutes and final record book, and the entire set of records — files, minutes, and index alike — must be kept sealed and locked. Nothing in that record is open for public inspection unless a judge specifically orders it unsealed.
That confidentiality reflects the sensitive, often lifelong stakes adoption records carry for the families involved. By walling off adoption filings from the open civil docket and the public index, the rule protects the privacy of adoptive families, birth parents, and adoptees while still preserving an official, retrievable record of the proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What serves as the Adoption Docket under Rule 39.6?
The original case files suffice as the Adoption Docket; a separate docket log is not required.
How is each adoption case numbered?
Each adoption receives a unique consecutive case number under Rule 36.9.
Whose names appear in the adoption index?
The adoption index contains the names of the petitioners.
Are adoption records open to public inspection?
No, all adoption records, including the index, must be kept sealed and locked and remain confidential unless a judge orders otherwise.
Where are adoptions recorded besides the case file?
All adoptions are recorded in a separate adoption minutes and final record, which must be properly indexed.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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