Part XII: Family Law · Last amended May 1, 2025 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 107 lets a person petition the court to unseal adoption records by showing good cause, while shielding the identity of anyone who wants to stay anonymous.
(a)A person may petition the court to open adoption records. A petition must identify the type of information sought and state good cause for access, and, in the following circumstances, must provide the information indicated below:
(1)If the petition seeks health, genetic, or social information, the petition must state why the health history, genetic history, or social history of the Office of Vital Records and Statistics is insufficient for the purpose.
(2)If the petition seeks identifying information, the petition must state why the voluntary adoption registry of the Office of Vital Records and Statistics is insufficient for the purpose.
(b)The court may order the petition served on any person having an interest in the petition, including the placement agency, the attorney handling a private placement, or the birth parents. If the court orders the petition served on any person whose identity is confidential, the court will proceed in a manner that gives that person notice and the opportunity to be heard without revealing that person's identity or location.
(c)The court will determine whether the petitioner has shown good cause and whether the reasons for disclosure outweigh the reasons for non-disclosure.
(d)If the court grants the petition, the court will permit the petitioner to inspect and copy only those records that serve the purpose of the petition. The order will expressly permit the petitioner to inspect and copy such records.
(e)The court clerk must reseal the records after the petitioner has inspected and copied them.
Amendment History
Added effective November 1, 2003; amended effective May 1, 2025.
Plain-English Summary
Utah seals adoption records to protect the privacy of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children. Rule 107 gives a narrow, court-supervised path around that seal. Anyone who wants to see part of a sealed adoption file — health history, social background, or the identity of a birth parent — must file a petition that names the specific information sought and explains why the petitioner needs it. The rule does not treat every category of information the same way: a petitioner chasing medical or genetic history must first explain why the state's voluntary adoption registry and vital records office cannot answer the question, and a petitioner chasing identifying information must do the same. The idea is that unsealing a court record should be a last resort, not a first move.
Once a petition is filed, the court decides who else needs notice. That can include the adoption agency, the attorney who handled a private placement, or a birth parent — and if that person's identity is itself confidential, the court has to find a way to notify them and let them respond without giving away who they are or where they live. The judge then weighs the reasons for opening the file against the reasons for keeping it closed, and if the petitioner shows good cause, the court's order is narrow: it opens only the specific records that serve the stated purpose, not the whole file. After the petitioner has inspected and copied what the order allows, the clerk reseals the record. Nothing about the process leaves the file permanently open to the next person who asks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file a petition to open adoption records under Rule 107?
The rule does not limit petitioners to any one category — an adopted person, a birth parent, an adoptive parent, or anyone else with a stake in the record can ask. What matters is whether the petition identifies the specific information sought and states good cause for getting it.
What counts as good cause to unseal an adoption record?
The rule leaves that judgment to the court, which weighs the petitioner's reasons for disclosure against the reasons the record was sealed in the first place. A petition seeking health or genetic history has to explain why the state's vital records office cannot supply that information first; a petition seeking someone's identity has to explain why the voluntary adoption registry is not enough.
Will the birth parents be told about the petition?
The court can order the petition served on anyone with an interest in it, including a birth parent. If that person's identity is confidential, the court still has to give them notice and a chance to respond, but it has to do so without revealing who they are or where they live.
What happens to the records after they're opened?
The court's order only opens the records that serve the purpose stated in the petition — not the entire adoption file. After the petitioner inspects and copies those records, the clerk reseals them, so the file does not stay open for anyone else.
Does filing a Rule 107 petition guarantee I'll learn a birth parent's identity?
No. The court only grants what the petition shows good cause for, and it can deny a request for identifying information if the reasons against disclosure outweigh the reasons for it.
Source & verification. Rule text, Advisory Committee Notes, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure,
adopted by the Utah Supreme Court. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:unseal adoption records utahopen sealed adoption filepetition to open adoption recordsaccess adoption records utah courtfind birth parent information