All adoption records maintained by each Circuit Clerk shall be impounded in accordance with the procedures provided by the Illinois Supreme Court's General Administrative Order on Record Keeping and shall be opened for examination only upon specific order of the court, with the order naming the persons so who are to be permitted to examine the file. Certified copies of all papers and documents contained in any file so impounded shall be made only by court order. The guardian ad litem for a minor sought to be adopted shall have the right to inspect the court file without leave of court during the pendency of the proceeding. The attorney of record for petitioners and other parties may inspect the file only with leave of court. The petitioners to the adoption, the attorney of record for the petitioners, and the guardian ad litem of the person who is the subject of the proceeding shall be entitled to receive certified copies of the order of adoption in the proceeding at any time within 30 days after the entry of the judgment of adoption without order of court. After 30 days from the entry of the judgment of adoption, no copies may be obtained without prior order of court, but good cause is not necessary to be shown except by one of the petitioners to the adoption. 750 Illinois Compiled Statutes 50/18(c).
The DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk's Office provides forms to assist those persons interested in obtaining information from an Adoption file. To assure access in an expedient manner for both you and the Court, the following information may be needed:
18.1. (a) The Department of Public Health shall establish a Registry for the purpose of providing identifying information to mutually consenting children surrendered for adoption or adoptees and biological parents and to mutually consenting biological siblings. Identifying information for the the purpose of this Act shall mean only the name and last known address of the consenting person or persons.
(b) At any time after a child is surrendered for adoption, or at any time during the adoption proceedings or at any time thereafter, either biological parent or both of them may file with the Registry of Biological Parent Registration Identification Form and an Information Exchange Authorization. 750 Illinois Compiled Statutes 50/18(c).
For further information you may research the Illinois Compiled Statutes by utilizing the DuPage County Law Library located on the second floor of the Judicial Center.
You can also contact the Illinois Department of Public Health who can provide further information about the registry and the forms they provide.
An additional source of information about Adoptions is the Illinois Bar Association Web Site.