California · Family Code

FAM §8912: (a) An international adoption or readoption request may be filed by a resident of this state in a county authorized by Section 8609.

What this law says, in plain English

A resident of this state may file a request for international adoption or readoption in a county that has been authorized under Section 8609.

Read the full statutory text
(a) An international adoption or readoption request may be filed by a resident of this state in a county authorized by Section 8609.5. The court clerk shall immediately notify the department at Sacramento in writing of the pendency of the proceeding and of any subsequent action taken. (b) The caption of the adoption request shall contain the names of the petitioners, but not the child’s name. The request shall state the child’s sex, date of birth, and the name the child had before adoption. (c) If the child is the subject of a guardianship petition, the adoption request shall so state and shall include the caption and docket number or have attached a copy of the letters of the guardianship or temporary guardianship. The petitioners shall notify the court of any petition for guardianship or temporary guardianship filed after the adoption petition. The guardianship proceeding shall be consolidated with the adoption proceeding. (d) The order of adoption shall contain the child’s adopted name and the name the child had before adoption. (e) If the petitioner has entered into a postadoption contact agreement as set forth in Section 8616.5, the petitioner shall file the agreement, signed by the participating parties, with the court before the adoption is finalized.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.