Minnesota Father’s Adoption Registry:

Minnesota Father’s Adoption Registry:

Minnesota Father’s Adoption Registry:   

A voluntary registry for a man who may be the child’s father but is not married to the child’s mother at or before the time of the child’s birth; and has not established paternity via the court.  

Commonly questions

Q: How do I register?

A: You will need to register before or within 30 days of the child’s birth. You can register by free by filling out the forms found at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/registry/regfrm.htm.  Once the forms are filled out you can turn them in person or mail them to

Fathers' Adoption Registry
Minnesota Department of Health
Office of the State Registrar
P.O. Box 64882
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0882

Q: Why should I register?

A: By registering, you will be notified by the court when adoption proceedings for the child begin and you can decide if you would like to preserve your rights as the father or consent to the adoption.  If you chose to preserve your rights as the father, you will need to start a paternity action with the court to legally establish that you are the father.

Q: What happens if I register 31 days after the child’s birth?

A: If the registry has already been searched, you may not be notified by the court of a pending adoption and the court may rule you gave up your paternal rights.  Also, the child may be adopted without your consent.  

If you register 30 days or after the child’s birth and the registry has not been searched, you will be identified in the search.  At the time of the search, it will be up to the court to determine if you have met the filing requirements.  Additionally, if there has been no adoption, your information may be used to contact you for financial support.

Q: Does the registry apply to all children?

A: No, the registry only applies to children born January 1, 1998 or later.

If you have more questions you can call Stacey Keenan, Attorney at Law at 651-357-1882.