What are the adoption laws in Ohio?

Ohio adoption law is found in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3107, and adoptions are handled by the Probate Court in the county where you file. For a stepparent adoption, here are the main points to know.

Where you file. The Probate Court in one of Ohio's 88 counties handles the case. Venue is the county where the child was born, or where the petitioner, the child or the child's parent lives when you file, or where the petitioner is stationed in military service. The clerk of your county's Probate Court can tell you about local forms and procedures.

Residency. Ohio has no minimum residency period (ORC § 3107.04), so a recent move to Ohio does not hold you back.

Consent. A child who is 12 or older must consent to the adoption (ORC § 3107.06). Consent from the other biological parent is a separate question. Ohio's abandonment provision uses a period of 12 months (ORC § 3107.07). Whether it applies to your situation depends on your facts, so if the other parent may object or you are unsure, talk with an attorney or the Probate Court clerk.

If you can't find the other parent. Ohio has procedures for cases where the biological parent cannot be found. The steps depend on your circumstances, so ask the clerk or an attorney how they apply to you.

Home study. Ohio does not waive the home study for stepparent adoption (ORC § 3107.031). Plan for it as part of the process, and ask your county clerk how it is handled locally.

Court appearance and timeline. Ohio requires a brief court appearance to finalize a stepparent adoption. The typical timeline is 3-6 months.

Who can adopt. An unmarried adopter must be 18 or older. A married couple adopting together needs only one spouse to be an adult.

Adult adoption. Ohio allows it only under specific conditions. The adult must:

• be totally or permanently disabled, or
• have a developmental disability, or
• have had a foster caregiver, kinship caregiver or stepparent relationship with the petitioners as a minor (with the adult's consent), or
• have been in the care of a children services agency or child placing agency on their 18th birthday (with the adult's consent), or
• be the child of the petitioner's spouse (with the adult's consent).

Adult adoptions typically take 4-8 weeks, and a hearing is required. There is no general "relative" category.

Cost. Court filing fees run $200-$500, and the typical total is under $1,000. Attorney representation often costs $3,000-$5,000 or more.

After finalization. Questions about the child's birth record go to the Ohio Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics.

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 Ohio county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, backed by our 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 592 Ohio families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.