is a new birth certificate included

Yes — absolutely! After the adoption is finalized, your child gets a brand new birth certificate listing the adoptive stepparent as the parent, as if they were the birth parent from the beginning.

Here's how it works:

After the court finalizes the adoption, you request a new birth certificate from the Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Vital Records. The new certificate will show:

• The adoptive stepparent as the legal parent
• The child's new name (if you changed it)
• Everything as if the stepparent was the birth parent

The original birth certificate is sealed by court order — it's no longer accessible except by court petition under very limited circumstances.

Cost: There's typically a small fee from the state vital records office for the new birth certificate (usually around $20-$40 for the first copy, depending on how you order it — online, by mail, or in person).

This is one of the beautiful parts of adoption — it creates a completely fresh legal record reflecting your family as it truly is now.

The new birth certificate usually takes 2-4 weeks to arrive after you submit the request to Vital Records.

Do you have any other questions about the adoption process or what happens after finalization?