California Form ADOPT-200 is the Adoption Request you file with the Superior Court to ask a judge to make you the legal parent of a child or, in some cases, an adult. Download the current version from the California Courts self-help site and file it with the clerk in the county where you live.1California Courts. Adoption Request (ADOPT-200) The form tells the court who you are, who you want to adopt, and what kind of adoption you’re pursuing. Every step that follows — investigation, hearing, new birth certificate — starts from this one document.
Pick the Right Adoption Type Before You Start
Near the top of the form you check a box identifying your adoption type. That choice controls which Family Code provisions apply, what companion documents you’ll need, and how long the process takes. Checking the wrong box can trigger investigation requirements that don’t apply to you and delay the case.
- Agency adoption. A public or licensed private agency places the child with you after the birth parents relinquish their rights or a court terminates them. The agency screens you, then supervises the child in your home for at least six months before finalization.2California Department of Social Services. Adoptions – General Information About Adoption
- Independent adoption. The birth parent places the child directly with you, without an agency choosing the match. The California Department of Social Services or a county agency still performs a home study.3California Courts. Independent Adoption in California
- Intercountry adoption. If the child was born abroad and the adoption was finalized in that country, you may need to re-adopt through a California court to get a California birth certificate. You’ll need a certified copy of the foreign decree and proof of the child’s lawful entry into the United States.4Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.493 – Requirement to Request Adoption Under California Law of a Child Born in a Foreign Country
- Stepparent or domestic partner adoption. You adopt the child of your spouse or registered domestic partner. There is no minimum length of marriage or partnership, and the parent-child relationship survives divorce once granted.5Superior Court of California. Stepparent Adoption6California Courts. Stepparent Adoption in California
- Adult adoption. You can adopt someone 18 or older. The only age rule is that the adopting parent must be older than the person being adopted.7California Courts. Adult Adoption in California
Filling Out the Form Item by Item
The form is broken into numbered items. Most are straightforward biographical entries, but a few carry rules that catch people off guard.
Petitioner information. Enter the legal names of all adopting parents and your address. Under Family Code Section 8714, petitioner names appear in the case caption, and your county of residence sets which court has jurisdiction.8California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 8714 – Adoption Request
Adoption type. Check the single box that matches your situation.
Child’s information. Enter date of birth and sex. Do not put the child’s name in the case caption. Section 8714 keeps it out to protect confidentiality; the pre-adoption name goes in the body of the petition or in the agency’s joinder document.8California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 8714 – Adoption Request
Agency information. If an agency is involved, list its name.
Status of the birth parents’ rights. State whether their rights have been terminated by court order, relinquished to an agency, or whether consent has been given in an independent adoption.
Your relationship to the child. Stepparent, relative, foster parent, or no prior relationship.
Indian ancestry. Answer only after making a genuine inquiry (see the next section).
New name. The name the child will have after the adoption is granted.
You sign under penalty of perjury. Knowingly providing false information is a felony. Under Penal Code Section 126, perjury is punishable by two, three, or four years in state prison.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code Section 126
Take the ICWA Question Seriously
The form asks whether the child is or may be a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe. This is not a formality. California places an affirmative, continuing duty on courts and agencies to ask about a child’s tribal connections, and the Indian Child Welfare Act imposes notice and procedural requirements that can change the whole course of the case.
Ask available family members about the child’s heritage before you file. If you check “no” without inquiring and tribal membership surfaces later, the court can vacate the adoption. If the child does have tribal ties, the tribe must receive notice and may intervene or ask that the case be transferred to tribal court.
Companion Forms You File or Prepare Alongside It
ADOPT-200 is the lead document. Several other forms travel with it or get prepared for later stages.
- ADOPT-210 Adoption Agreement. Your promise to treat the child as your own legal child with full rights, including inheritance. A child 12 or older also signs. It is not signed until the final hearing.10California Courts. Adoption Agreement (ADOPT-210)
- ADOPT-215 Adoption Order. You prepare this for the judge to sign at the hearing. It carries your information and the child’s new name.11Judicial Council of California. Adoption Order (ADOPT-215)
- ADOPT-230 Adoption Expenses. Required for independent and agency adoptions, not for stepparent adoptions. Disclose every payment made in connection with the adoption: medical bills, attorney and court costs, agency fees, prenatal care, counseling, transportation, anything of value paid to or for either birth parent or the child. The court scrutinizes this form because it exists to prevent illegal payments for children.12California Courts. Adoption Expenses (ADOPT-230)13Judicial Council of California. California Form ADOPT-230 – Adoption Expenses
- VS 44 Court Report of Adoption. The state form that goes to California Department of Public Health Vital Records after the adoption is granted, which triggers the new birth certificate. The court clerk completes and certifies part of it.14California Department of Public Health. The Adoption Process
Intercountry cases also require a certified copy of the foreign decree and proof of the child’s lawful U.S. entry.4Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.493 – Requirement to Request Adoption Under California Law of a Child Born in a Foreign Country Tribal customary adoptions require the tribal customary adoption order. Call the clerk in your county to ask about any local requirements before you file.
Where to File and What It Costs
File your completed ADOPT-200 and companion documents with the Superior Court clerk in the county where you live. Some counties accept electronic filing for adoption cases; others require paper. Confirm with your clerk before you make the trip.
The petition filing fee is $20 per child being adopted.15California Courts. File a Stepparent Adoption Request With the Court16Superior Court of California. Adoptions – Forms, Fees and Filing Instructions Investigation and home study fees are billed separately and vary by county and adoption type. Fingerprinting is another out-of-pocket cost. You pay the Live Scan fee for the criminal background check yourself; it is not covered by the filing fee.17California Legislative Information. California Family Code Section 8712
Courts can defer, waive, or reduce investigation fees when payment would cause financial hardship, when the child has been in your foster care for at least a year, or when the child has special needs.17California Legislative Information. California Family Code Section 8712 For the filing fee itself, submit Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) alongside your petition. You qualify if you receive certain public benefits, have a household income below the court’s thresholds, or lack income for basic necessities and court costs. A granted waiver covers filing fees, certified copies, sheriff’s service fees, and other costs.18Judicial Council of California. Information Sheet on Waiver of Superior Court Fees and Costs
When the clerk accepts the paperwork, they assign a permanent case number and stamp every document. Keep copies of everything stamped; those are your proof the case is open.
What Happens After You File
Filing kicks off three parallel tracks: notice, investigation, and scheduling.
The clerk sends notice of the adoption hearing to everyone entitled to receive it. In dependency cases, that includes the child’s attorney, any CASA volunteer, the child welfare agency, the child’s tribe if ICWA applies, and the California Department of Social Services. A copy of your ADOPT-200 goes with the notice.19Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.730 – Adoption
Meanwhile the agency or department assigned to your case runs the home study and background check, then files a written report with the court recommending approval or denial. That report is one of the most important documents the judge sees. Cooperate quickly with the investigator; delays on your end push back the entire timeline.
At the hearing, the judge reviews the documents and the investigation report. If the adoption is in the child’s best interest, the judge signs ADOPT-215. For agency adoptions, the child must have been in your home for at least six months before the court will grant the petition.2California Department of Social Services. Adoptions – General Information About Adoption The ADOPT-210 Adoption Agreement is signed at this hearing, not before.10California Courts. Adoption Agreement (ADOPT-210)
Getting the New Birth Certificate
Once the judge signs the order, the court forwards the completed VS 44 to California Department of Public Health Vital Records, which issues a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents.14California Department of Public Health. The Adoption Process Processing can take up to a year from the date the court submits the form.20Superior Court of California. Adoptions If you need proof of the adoption before the certificate arrives, order certified copies of the adoption order from the court clerk.