Thank you for letting us know about the experience you had with The Office of Vital Records. We apologize for the difficulty you faced during this process.
Various factors can potentially impact the timely issuance of an amended birth certificate after adoption.
We would appreciate the opportunity to work with you directly to make sure your experience is better during this important time for your family. Our Corrections Unit can be reached at (602) 364-1200.
Please reference the guidelines for adoptive parents on how to facilitate a timely amendment to a birth certificate after adoption;
Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S. 36-§336) states that all courts in the State of Arizona shall submit the Certificates of Adoptions, court orders of adoption and court orders for modification of an adoption to the State Office of Vital Records by the 10th day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the adoption was finalized. The Office of Vital Records must give the court the opportunity to send the finalized adoption orders to our office. If the Office of Vital Records does not receive the Certificate of Adoption from the court within 30 days, the adoptive parents may submit the following documents to the State Office of Vital Records.
1. An Adoption Application for Birth Certificate. The application must be completed and signed by the parent.

2. A photo copy of the parent’s government-issued picture identification or the parent must sign the application in the presence of a notary.

3. The Adoption worksheet filled out by one of the adoptive parents. Please make sure the adoptive parent print’s their name, signs the form, enters the date in which the form was signed and their phone number.

4. The certified final decree of adoption from the superior court.

5. The cost to amend the certificate and for the certified copy, which is $30.00 dollars. If additional copies are requested, they may be purchased at $20.00 for each additional copy. Acceptable methods of payment are: money order, attorney’s company business check, Visa or Master Card
After the request is submitted to the State Office of Vital Records, the processing timeframe usually takes 7 to 10 business days to process the request. Factors that may contribute to a lengthier processing timeframe are: issues with the court order that may need to be rectified before processing can occur; a large volume of requests or adoptions to process; and shortage of staff. Requests are processed in the date order in which they are received.

Send the request to:
Attn: Adoptions
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030

The following is a check list for your convenience. Please ensure the following items are included with the request:
 Application for copy of birth certificate
 Adoption worksheet
 Final adoption decree certified by the court (raised seal)
 Photo copy of your ID or application must be signed in the presence of a notary
 $30.00 payable by money order, Visa or MasterCard
 Pre-paid postage envelope to send documents and certificate back to requestor

Please call the Corrections Unit at 602-364-1200 to verify the adoption has been completed, if the adoption has been completed by the State Office of Vital Records. The parent will only need to submit the following:
 Application along with a photo copy of the parent’s valid, government-issued identification or the application may be signed in the presence of a notary
 $30.00 dollars payable by money order, Visa or MasterCard
 Additional copies of the certificate may be purchased for $20.00 each.