Out-of-Commonwealth Adoptions

Evidence Required to Register an Out-of-Commonwealth Adoption

You must provide these original documents to the Town Clerk's office. Each will be returned to you with two exceptions.

  • Original Certificate of Adoption (R-891 form) acquired from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Probate and Family Court (will not be returned - retained with the record at the State)
  • Certified copy of the original birth certificate
    • Original notarized English translation of the Birth Certificate, if the original Birth Certificate was not created in English (will not be returned - retained with the record at the State)
  • Child's Naturalization Certificate or Immigration and Naturalization Papers (if one was issued)
  • U.S. Passport (if one was issued)
  • U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (if one was issued)
  • Parent(s) Identification
  • Social Security Number for each parent
  • Proof of residency in Belmont during the year the child is adopted (Belmont census, available in the Town Clerk's office)

Creating the Belmont Record of an Out-of-Commonwealth Adoption

The Town Clerk must attest to having seen the originals, must photocopy them, and must forward them with the appropriate registration paperwork to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Vital Records Office. The Commonwealth will return the originals, with the exception of the two already noted.

Once the Out-of-Commonwealth Birth Certificate is prepared, one of the parents must come to the Town Clerk's office to sign as the deponent to the facts. The birth is then submitted to the State for review and acceptance. Once approved, the Birth Certificate will be available for release as a vital record and certified copies may be issued.

Fee

The recording fee for filing the Out of Commonwealth Adoption is $50, which includes one certified copy of the Out-of-Commonwealth Birth Certificate. Additional copies of the Birth Certificate can be obtained for $20 each.

This Birth Certificate in no way constitutes proof of citizenship for children born abroad. It is a birth registration based upon facts provided by Out-of-Commonwealth parties.