It's a fact that ALL states allow falsification of birth certificates - they are all guilty of changing the true birth information, issuing an amended birth certificate, and sealing the original... usually 'forever'. However, some states go even a step further, according to reunited triadians:
| ARIZONA | (see note) --> | Amended birth certificate looks like the original; no indication of an adoption occurring. AZ adoptees may not be aware that they are adopted. |
| FLORIDA | (date and/or city of birth) | Changing city of birth to reflect the location of intermediary/aparents is STILL a practice that's going on. I understand that they stopped tampering with birthdates in *either* 1972 or 1974. I'm unable to confirm this. |
| GEORGIA | (date and/or birthplace, plus non-id info) | Like FL, legally allows changing city of birth to reflect location (county) of aparents, as well as outright lies in non-id info... including false medical information. In addition, the state will apparently allow changing of birthdate at the aparent's [formal] request, by more than a YEAR. GA is a particularly nasty state in regards to adoption policies and procedures. |
| ILLINOIS | (date of birth) | The adoptee who wrote had her date of birth changed to the tune of ~12+ months!! |
| INDIANA | (date of birth) | Also, amended birth certificate looks like the original; no indication of an adoption occurring. IN adoptees may not be aware that they are adopted. |
| MARYLAND | (city of birth) | The reunited adoptee was born in Washington, D.C., but her amended b/c states that she was born in Maryland... home of her aparents. |
| MASSACHUSETTS | (date of birth) | (no other info) |
| MICHIGAN | (date of birth) | (no other info) |
| MINNESOTA | (falsification of non-id info) | (no other info) |
| NEW YORK | dob | dob appears to have been changed for one adoptee Janet's been in contact with Another says that middle name was changed, and spelling errors were made. |
| NORTH CAROLINA | (city of birth) | Apparently it is routine to change the city of birth to reflect the location of the aparents, as in GA and FL. |
| RHODE ISLAND | (*state* of birth) | The reunited adoptee who wrote was born in MA, but her amended b/c states that she was born in RI... home of her aparents. |
| TEXAS | (city of birth and date of birth) | Allows changing city, and date of birth (but not the year). |
| UTAH | (no details) | (no details) |
| WASHINGTON, DC | (city of birth) | (no other info) |
SEARCHERS BEWARE!! The likelihood that your birth certificate was falsified beyond the norm is actually *quite* small.... but it IS a possibility. Widen your search parameters: look for near-dates, and cities other than the one listed on your amended birth certificate, just in case you've been a victim of gross b/c falsification. It happens.
Kate Workman
