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As a father-to-be you are entitled to certain legal rights. If the mother of your child is considering adoption it is important that you know your rights. Fathers-to-be are entitled to have a say as to whether their children are placed for adoption with non-family or not. Fathers-to-be are entitled to take full custody of a child they fathered if the mother chooses to relinquish her parental rights. The process to do this is time sensitive. While we are not lawyers there is basic information about the legal rights of fathers-to-be should know about. In order for a father-to-be a man must acknowledge paternity of a child by completing forms for a Putative Father Registry.
Below is a list of links to Putative Father Registries by state. Not all states have registries. States with Italicized information are states in which ignorance or not knowing about the pregnancy or birth is not an excuse for not signing up on the registry. Alaska does not have a putative father registry but statute 25.23.100 states that a putative father is entitled to recieve notice of adoption proceedings. A form is provided to acknowledge paternity. For an adoption to continue the father must also consent or not contest the adoption. Alabama Putative Father Registry
Department of Human Resources
50 N. Ripley Street
Montgomery, AL 36130-4000
(334) 242-9500
Arizona Putative Father Registry
Arizona Dept. of Health Services
PO Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030
(602) 364-1300
Arkansas Putative Father Registry
Legal Section/Vital Records
4815 W. Markham Street
Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
(501) 661-2275
501-661-2869 (fax)
California does not have a putative father registry. A putative father must bring an action declaring the existence of a father-child relationship within 30 days of being presented with the notice of adoption proceedings, or the birth of the child, whichever is later. The court shall cause an inquiry to be made of the birth mother and any other appropriate person to determine the identity of the natural father. At least 10 days prior to a proceeding to every person identified as the natural father or a possible natural father must be notified. Colorado does not have a putative father registry. A putative father must file an action of paternity within 30 days after the child's birth, or within 30 days after receiving notice that he is the father or likely father. Within 20 days after service of notice of termination of parental rights a putative father must file an answer.
Connecticut does not have a putative father registry. A fahter can file at any time but not later than 60 days after the date of notice of termination proceedings. The putative father can complete a claim form (provided by the probate court). A putative father will be notified of termination proceedings if he has been adjudicated the father, has acknowledged in writing that he is the father, has contributed regularly to child support, has his name on the child's birth certificate, has filed a claim for paternity or is named in the termination petition as the farther. Delaware Registry of Paternity
Division of Child Support Enforcement
P.O. Box 904
84A Christiana Road
New Castle, DE 19720
(302) 577-7171 Florida Putative Father Registry
Florida Dept. of Health
Office of Vital Statistics
Attn: Cindy Russ
PO Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0049
(904) 359-6900 ext. 1096 Hawaii does not have a putative father registry. A fahter must file within 30 days after the child's birth if the mother is reliquishing the child for adoption. A father can file prior to the child's placement with adoptive parents, prior to the date of execution of a valid consent to the child's adoption by the mother, and not later that 3 years after the child reachers the age of majority.
Idaho Putative Father Registry
Vital Statistics Unit
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
(208) 334-5988 Illinois Putative Father Registry 9th floor 9F7-1 10 West 35th St., Chicago, IL 60616 (312) 808-9040 or 866-737-3237
Indiana Putative Father Registry Mary Hinds Indiana State Department of Health 2 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 233-7253 \n
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Iowa Putative Father Registry Jill France, Division Director Vital Records Bureau, Department of Public Health Lucas Building 321 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA, 50319-0075 (515) 281-4944 Kansas Putative Father Registry
Jamie Corkhill
Kansas Dept. of Social & Rehab Services
PO Box 497
Topeka, KS 66601-0497
(785) 296-3237 Kentucky does not have a putative father registry. A father who acknowledges the child as his own by asserting paternity in the action, to the custodial agency, or the party bringing the action, within 60 days after the child's birth he is made a party, and is brought before the court in the same manner as any other party to a termination action prior to the final order in the termination proceeding. Notice is also required if the mother identifies him, his name is on the birth certificate, or he has contributed to the financial support of the child.
Louisiana Putative Father Registry
Charlene Mills
Department of Health and Hospitals
PO Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160-0630
(504) 568-5152
Maine does not have a putative father registry. A putative father has 20 das to petition the court to establish his parental rights after his has been given notice of adoption proceedings. A judge will conduct a hearing. Maryland does not have a putative father registry. The father is entitled to notice if the mother has filed for adoption proceedings. The father must acknowledge paternity and the mother must agree that his is the father. The father must file an objection within 30 days.
Massachusetts MA Parental Claim Registrar Office of General Counsel Department of Social Services 24 Farnsworth Street Boston MA 02210 (617) 748-2011
Michigan Putative Father Registry Vital Records, Health Statistics 3423 N. Martin Luther King Boulevard Lansing, MI 48906 (517) 335-9334 fax is (517) 335-9264
Minnesota Putative Father Registry
Program Administrator
Office of the State Registrar
P.O. Box 9441
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9441
(612) 676-5466
1-888-345-1726 toll free
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This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Mississippi does not have a putative father registry. A putative father must demonstate that his is fully committed to being a parent within 30 days or he does not have a right to object to an adoption.
Missouri Putative Registry
Norma Lynn Turnbow
Missouri Dept. of Health; Senior Services
Bureau of Vital Records
PO Box 570
Jefferson City. MO 65102
(573) 526-1537
Montana Putative Father Registry
Montana Office of Vital Statistics
Dept. of Public Health Services
111 N. Sanders, Room 205
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-1803 ** (406) 444-4228 (fax)
Nebraska Putative Father Registry
Nebraska Health & Human Services
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
New Hampshire NH Putative Father Registry
Department of Health & Human Services
Division of Child Support Services
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-4578 New Jersey currently has no putative father registry. Under statute 9:3-45; 9:3 45.1 a written objection can be filed within 20 days of receipt of notice or 35 days if the father is a non-resident. The putative father is also entitled to notice of adoption proceedings. if he has ammended the birth certificate to have his name placed on it within 120 days
New Mexico Putative Father Registry Laura Gutierrez, Registration Supervisor Bureau of Vital Records/Health Services PO Box 26110 Santa Fe, NM 87502 (505) 827-2346
New York Putative Father Registry NYS OCF/PFR Capital View Office Park 52 Washington St., Room 323 No. Rensselaer, NY 12144-2796 (518) 474-9406 Nevada does not have a putative father registry. The father must be served with a notice of termination of parental rights and must appear at the proceedings and claim custodial rights. The hearing cannot be held until after the child's birth or six months after a petition is filed, whichever comes later. North Carolina does not have a putative father registry. The fahter must filewithin 15 days after recieving notice of the mother's intent to place the child for adoption. The father is not entitled to any further notice of adoption proceedings. He must also file a petition within 30 days after he is notified. North Dakota does not have a putative father registry. A man will be notified if he is presumed to be the father, if he is a father whose relationship to the child has been determined by a court, if he is a father to whom the child is a legitimate child under law. The court will cause an inquiry to be made to identify the biological father (if need be). A fahter is given notice of termination proceedings if he is identified to the court's satisfaction. He must appear and claim custodial rights.
Ohio Putative Father Registry
Ohio Dept. Job and Family Services
255 E. Main Street, 3rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-5222
(614) 728-9659
(614) 728-2604 (fax)
Oklahoma Putative Father Registry
Dept. of Human Services - Adoptions
PO Box 25352
Oklahoma, City, OK 73125
(405) 522-5871
Oregon Putative Father Registry
Bureau of Vital Records
PO Box 14050
Portland, OR 97923-0050
(503) 731-4492 Pennsylvania does not have a putative father registry. The putative father is notified at least 10 days notice of a termination proceeding if he has filed a claim of paternity prior to the institution of proceedings. The putative father of the child must complete Department of Public Welfare form. The putative father is entitled only to notice of termination proceedings if the mother's consent is not given. Rhode Island does not have a putative father registry. If the father is identified to the satifaction of the court then he is notified of adoption proceedings. The father must appear at adoption proceedings and claim rights to the child.
South Carolina does not have a putative father registry. Notice must be filed withing 30 days of recieving notice of adoption proceedings. The father is entitled to ntoice of adoption proceedings.
South Dakota does not have a putative father registry. Within 60 days of the child's birth the father must publically acknowledge the child as his own and take the child into his famil. He must hav ehis name placed on the child's birth certificate and he must also commence a judicial proceedings to claim his parental right.
Tennessee Putative Father
Registry
Department of Children's Services
Cordell Hull Building - 8th Floor
436 Sixth Avenue, North
Nashville TN 37243
(615) 532-5637
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Texas Paternity Registry
Carolyn Morgan
Bureau of Vital Records
P.O. Box 140123
Austin, TX 78714-0123
(888) 963-7111 ext. 7782
Utah Putative Father Registry
(notice of commencement registry)
Monique Rodriguez
288 North 1460 West
PO Box 141012
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012
(801) 538-6363 Vermont does not have a putative father registry. Unless there is a claim of paternity pending, the putative father must file a claim for paternity within 20 days after being notified of termination proceedings. Reasonable efforts must be made to identify and notify the father. Virginia Department of Social Services Attention: Putative Father Registry 7 N. Eighth St. Richmond, VA 23219 1-877-433-2339; 1-804-726-7524; 1-804-726-7528 Washington does not have a putative father registry. The father must file a claim of paternity or respond to the petition of terminatin within 20 days or30 if he is served with notice out of the state. A man who is claiming paternity of a child can sign an acknowledgement of paternity with intent to estblish paternity. West Virginia does not have a putative father registry. A father is entitled ot notice of adoption proceedings only if his paternity has been established and he is claiming to be the father of the child. A putative father who has asserted or exercised his parental rights and duties withing 6 months is also given notice if he knew the location of the child. Wisconsin does not have a putative father registry. A putative father can declare parental interest up until the termination of parental rights. He must make his declareation in writing and sign it and must include the DOB of the child, his address, the mother's address and reasons he believes he is the child's father.
Wyoming Putative Father Registry
Maureen Clifton
Department of Family Services
Hathaway Building 3rd Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 347-6181 |
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