Adoption records

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The Adoption Contact Register

You can add yourself to the Adoption Contact Register at the General Register Office to:

  • find a birth relative or an adopted person
  • say you don’t want to be contacted

This is not a tracing service - for a connection to be made between people, you must both be on the Adoption Contact Register.

Find birth relatives if you were adopted

You can add yourself to the Adoption Contact Register if you’re 18 or over and your birth or adoption was registered with the General Register Office.

You need to fill in form CR part 1 to add yourself to the register. Read guidance notes on how to complete the form.

You need:

  • your original birth name
  • your date of birth
  • the full name(s) of your birth mother (and birth father if known)

The fee is £15 - instructions on how to pay are on form CR part 1.

Find someone who was adopted if you’re a birth relative

You can add yourself to the register to try to find an adopted person by filling in form CR part 2. Read guidance notes on how to complete the form. You’ll only be able to find people who have also added themselves to it.

You need to be 18 or over.

The fee is £30 - instructions on how to pay are on form CR part 2.

You can also use this form if you are an adopted person looking for other adopted siblings.

You can also apply to make contact with an adopted person through an approved intermediary agency.

More information

Contact the Adoptions Section of the HM Passport Office.

Adoptions Section
adoptions@gro.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 1837
Text relay: 18001 0300 123 1837
Find out about call charges