Adoption Records in PEI: How to Access Your Birth Information

For decades, adoption records in Prince Edward Island were sealed. Adoptees could not access their original birth certificates. Birth parents could not know what name their child had been given or where they had gone. This secrecy caused what one mother described to the CBC as "a lifetime of grief."

That changed on January 31, 2020.

PEI amended its Adoption Act to create an open records system — one of the most significant legal shifts in Island adoption history. Here is what that means in practice for adoptees, birth parents, and anyone affected by an adoption finalized in PEI.

What Changed in 2020

Before 2020, access to adoption information was restricted and required mutual consent through the Post-Adoption Registry. After 2020, access rights were legislated directly.

Adult adoptees (age 18+) can now apply to Post-Adoption Services for their original birth registration — the document that existed before the adoption was finalized. This includes:

• The name given to the child at birth
• The names of the birth parent(s) on the original registration

Birth parents can, once the child they placed for adoption reaches age 19, request a copy of the Adoption Order. This document shows the name given to the child at the time of adoption. The adoptive parents' names are removed before disclosure.

These rights apply as of right — no consent from the other party is required.

Disclosure Vetoes: The Transition Period Protection

Because many adoptions before 2020 were conducted with an expectation of permanent anonymity — in some cases, it was explicitly promised — the law created a transition period for older adoptions.

Between 2020 and 2021, individuals affected by adoptions finalized before January 31, 2020 could file a Disclosure Veto to prevent their identifying information from being released. A veto:

• Remains valid until the person removes it voluntarily
• Remains valid for one year after the person's death (then lapses)
• Is not available for adoptions finalized after January 31, 2020 — open records apply automatically

If someone has filed a Disclosure Veto, Post-Adoption Services will inform the person requesting information that a veto exists — but will not disclose who filed it. The identifying records are withheld.

Contact Preferences

Separate from whether information is released, anyone involved in an adoption can file a Contact Preference specifying how they wish to be approached if someone requests their information. Options include:

• Contact through a third party (social worker intermediary)
• Contact by email only
• No contact

If a "No Contact" preference is filed, the person requesting the records must sign a legal Undertaking agreeing not to contact the person directly before the records are released to them. The information is still provided, but the Undertaking is legally binding.

Non-Identifying Information

Even under the old closed records system, adoptees could request non-identifying background information — details compiled at the time of adoption that describe the birth family without revealing their names.

This information typically includes:

• Physical descriptions of birth parents
• Ethnic and cultural background
• Health history and known genetic conditions
• The birth mother's occupation, interests, and education level
• The circumstances that led to the adoption plan

This information is available through Post-Adoption Services regardless of whether a Disclosure Veto exists. It does not identify anyone by name.

New Birth Certificate After Adoption

When an adoption order is granted, the Vital Statistics office creates a new birth registration in the adoptive parents' name. The original birth registration is sealed — not destroyed, but not accessible to the public.

The new birth certificate shows:

• The child's name (as determined by the adoptive parents)
• The adoptive parents as the legal parents
• The child's date and place of birth

This is the birth certificate used for all legal purposes — passports, school enrollment, driver's license applications — from finalization forward.

Adoptees who want to access their original birth registration must apply through Post-Adoption Services once they are 18, not through the Vital Statistics office directly.

How to Apply

Post-Adoption Services is a branch of the Department of Social Development and Seniors. Applications are made using the Post Adoption Services Application Form (available on the government website).

• Mailing address: 161 St. Peters Road, PO Box 2000, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
• Phone: 902-368-6511
• Email: [email protected]

Processing times vary depending on whether additional research (active searches, verification of records) is required.

If you are an adult adoptee who wants help navigating the records process or understanding what information may be available, the Prince Edward Island Adoption Process Guide includes a detailed overview of the open records system, what to expect at each stage of an application, and the legal framework governing disclosure vetoes and contact preferences.

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