Michigan Adoption Reunion Registry: How It Works and What Changed in 2024

For most of Michigan's adoption history, an adult adoptee who wanted to find their birth family had to hope that the other person was also registered, looking, and entered in the same registry. The system was well-intentioned but limited: it only worked when both sides wanted the same thing at the same time. A 2024 legislative change shifted that balance significantly — but the reunion registry still plays an important role for adoptees who want a mediated path to reconnection.

What the Reunion Registry Is

Michigan's adoption reunion registry is an administrative system maintained by MDHHS that allows adult adoptees, birth parents, and adult birth siblings to voluntarily indicate that they are open to contact. When both parties have registered, MDHHS facilitates the exchange of identifying information and, if requested, coordinates an introduction.

The registry is mutual consent based. This distinguishes it from the 2024 original birth certificate access law, which is unconditional: an adult adoptee can request their OBC regardless of whether anyone else has registered or expressed a preference. The reunion registry is for people who want to take a more structured, mediated approach to reconnection.

How to Register

Both adult adoptees (age 18+) and birth relatives can register with the Central Adoption Registry through MDHHS. The registration process involves:

1. Completing a registration form available through MDHHS
2. Providing identification and proof of the adoption connection (for birth parents, proof of placement; for adoptees, the amended birth certificate or final adoption decree)
3. Specifying the type of contact you are open to — correspondence only, phone, or in-person contact

Once both parties are registered and a match is found, MDHHS notifies the registrants and facilitates the next step according to their stated preferences.

The Contact Preference Form

Under the 2024 OBC law, birth parents who have privacy concerns can file a "contact preference form" with MDHHS. This form is not legally binding and does not restrict access to the original birth certificate. It is purely a statement of the birth parent's preference: welcome contact, prefer contact through an intermediary, or prefer no contact.

An adoptee who requests their OBC will receive it regardless of whether a contact preference form exists. However, some adoptees choose to honor the stated preference before reaching out directly — particularly when the preference form asks for intermediary contact only.

Non-Identifying Information

The Central Adoption Registry also facilitates requests for non-identifying information — background details about the birth family that do not reveal specific names or addresses. This can include:

• Birth parent medical history and hereditary health conditions
• Ethnic and cultural background
• Circumstances of the birth parent's situation at the time of placement
• General educational and occupational information about birth parents

Non-identifying information requests do not require the other party to have registered. They are processed directly through MDHHS and represent the most accessible starting point for adoptees who are primarily concerned with medical history rather than personal contact.

The Confidential Intermediary Program

For adoptees or birth relatives who want to make contact but where a direct search has not been successful, or where the other party has not registered, Michigan law under MCL 710.68b provides for the appointment of a Confidential Intermediary. The process:

1. Petition the court for appointment of a CI
2. The court appoints a licensed intermediary
3. The intermediary uses court-accessible records to locate the biological relative
4. The intermediary contacts the relative on the petitioner's behalf, without revealing the petitioner's identity, to determine whether they are open to contact
5. If the relative consents, the intermediary facilitates the introduction
6. If the relative declines, the petitioner is notified; their identity is not disclosed to the relative

The CI process involves a court petition and fees. It is more formal and more expensive than registering with the reunion registry, but it has a higher likelihood of success when the other party has not proactively registered.

What the 2024 Law Changed

Before July 1, 2024, adult adoptees born between 1945 and 1980 could not access their original birth certificate without a court order. The 2024 amendments to MCL 333.2882 (through HB 5148/5149) removed this restriction. As of July 1, 2024, all adult adoptees in Michigan — regardless of birth year — can request their unredacted original birth certificate from the MDHHS Vital Records division.

This change does not eliminate the value of the reunion registry for everyone. Some adoptees prefer a structured, agency-mediated reconnection rather than a direct approach using the OBC. For older adoptees whose birth records may have limited identifying information, or for adoptees whose birth parents have filed a contact preference form requesting intermediary contact, the registry and CI program remain relevant.

Practical Paths Forward

If you are an adult Michigan adoptee:

• Start with the OBC (if you do not already have it): Request through MDHHS Vital Records under MCL 333.2882
• Request non-identifying information: Contact MDHHS Vital Records if you need medical history or background context
• Register with the Central Adoption Registry: Register your willingness to be contacted; this creates a match if the birth relative is also registered
• Use DNA testing: Services like AncestryDNA and 23andMe have large databases and have helped thousands of adoptees identify biological relatives without any traditional registry
• Petition for a Confidential Intermediary: If the above approaches have not produced results and you want a more structured search

The Michigan Adoption Process Guide explains how adoption records access works in Michigan, the current post-2024 OBC law, and the practical steps for both adoptees seeking records and adoptive families navigating the system.

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