Paragraph 12 Birth records

When an adoption order is made, the Registrar General for Scotland makes an entry in the Adopted Children Register showing the adopters as the parents of the child. A full extract and an abbreviated certificate of the entry in that Register (which takes the place of the child’s original birth certificate) can be obtained by the adopters from General Register Office, New Register House, Edinburgh on payment of a fee. Where the child reaches the age of 16, he will be entitled to see his original entry in the birth register and to purchase a certificate of that entry if he so wishes. This means that when he is 16 he will be able to find out his original names as well as your name and your address when you registered his birth. Should you wish, the adoption agency will discuss with you the possible implications this may have for you in the future.