How do I get a copy of the adoption order in Wyoming?

To get a copy of your adoption order in Wyoming, ask the clerk of the District Court in the county where your adoption was filed. The District Court is the court that handles the adoption and issues the final order, so the clerk's office is the place to request copies, both right after finalization and years later.

Right after your adoption is finalized:

• Ask the District Court clerk how to request certified copies of the order. A certified copy carries the court's certification, and that is usually what agencies want to see.
• Ask how long the clerk's office takes to prepare copies and whether they can be handed to you or mailed.
• Ask what the fee is per copy. The District Court clerk in your county can confirm the current amount.
• Request more than one certified copy, since several offices may each want an original certified copy rather than a photocopy.

If you need a copy later:

• Contact the clerk of the District Court where the adoption was finalized.
• Have the child's name, your name, the approximate date of finalization, and the case number if you have it.
• Ask the clerk about the fee and the turnaround time for certified copies of older orders.

Where you may need the order:

• Wyoming Vital Statistics Services: This is the agency to contact about an updated birth certificate after the adoption. Ask the agency what paperwork and fees it requires, and whether it wants a certified copy of the order.
• Health insurance: An insurer may ask for the order when you add your child to your plan.
• School records: A school may ask for it if you are updating the child's name or parent information.
• Passport applications and personal records: Keep certified copies with your other important family documents.

Timing: Stepparent adoptions in Wyoming generally take about 3-6 months from start to finish. You will not have an order to copy until the District Court finalizes the adoption, so plan your paperwork around that date.

Special situations: Whether you can get copies, or how the court handles your records, can depend on the facts of your case. That is especially true if the adoption was contested, if you are not the person named in the case, or if you are requesting a record for someone else. For those questions, the District Court clerk can tell you what the court requires, and an attorney can advise on your specific situation.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your Wyoming county, which you then file yourself without an attorney. The cost is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and they come with our 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 191 Wyoming families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.