My biological father is still alive but we haven’t spoken in years. If my stepdad adopts me, an adult, does my biological father have to be notified

Great question! For adult adoption (age 18+), your biological father does NOT need to consent or even be notified in most cases.

Here's why adult adoption is different:

Adult adoption only requires YOUR consent — you're an adult, so you make your own decisions. The biological parent's rights aren't being "terminated" the same way they would be in a minor child adoption, because you're already legally independent.

Most states don't require notice to biological parents for adult adoptions. The court views it as a decision between two consenting adults (you and your stepdad). Your biological father generally wouldn't be involved in the process at all.

The main documents needed are:

• Your written consent (as the adult being adopted)
• Your stepdad's petition
• If your stepdad is married to your mom, typically her consent as well

The process is much simpler than minor adoption:

• No home study required
• No background check required
• No parental consent needed
• Typically finalizes in 4-6 weeks
• Cost is the same: $349

Once finalized, your stepdad becomes your legal parent with full inheritance rights, medical decision-making authority, and all the legal bonds of a parent-child relationship.

Since you mentioned you're in New York (based on the page you're on), New York allows adult adoptions and doesn't require biological parent involvement. The process is very straightforward.

Do you have any other questions about how adult adoption works, or what the benefits would be?