A. The state registrar shall create and register a state of Arizona certificate of foreign birth for an adopted person who satisfies all of the following:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 36-338

  • Adult: means a person who has attained eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Certificate: means a record that documents a birth or death. See Arizona Laws 36-301
  • Court order: means a written decision issued by:

    (a) The superior court, an appellate court or the supreme court or an equivalent court in another state. See Arizona Laws 36-301

  • Department: means the department of health services. See Arizona Laws 36-301
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Process: means a citation, writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Register: means to assign an official state number and to incorporate into the state registrar's official records. See Arizona Laws 36-301
  • Submit: means to present, physically or electronically, a certificate, evidentiary document or form provided for in this chapter to a local registrar, a deputy local registrar or the state registrar. See Arizona Laws 36-301
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Arizona Laws 1-215

1. Was born in a foreign country.

2. Is not a United States citizen.

3. Has gone through a completed adoption process in a foreign country before coming to the United States.

4. Has an IR-3 stamped passport.

B. Before the state registrar creates and registers a certificate of foreign birth, either a state court, an adoptive parent or an adult adopted person must submit the following:

1. An adoption decree or other official document finalizing the adoption from the country of the adopted person’s birth that has been translated into English.

2. A copy of the passport page showing the IR-3 stamp.

C. Before the state registrar creates and registers a certificate of foreign birth for a parent of an adopted child who has been issued an IR-3 visa and who has completed a readoption process in a court in this state, the parent must provide either of the following:

1. An original state of Arizona certificate of adoption issued by a court in this state.

2. A certified court order of adoption issued by a court in this state and either a birth certificate from the country of the adopted person’s birth that has been translated into English or any other written documentation that establishes the date and place of the adopted person’s birth and that has been translated into English.

D. If the adopted person does not have an IR-3 stamped passport, before the state registrar creates and registers a certificate pursuant to this section an adoptive parent or an adult adopted person must submit either:

1. An original state of Arizona certificate of adoption issued by a court in this state.

2. A certified court order of adoption issued by a court in this state and either a birth certificate from the country of the adopted person’s birth that has been translated into English or any other written documentation that establishes the date and place of the adopted person’s birth and that has been translated into English.

3. If the person was not adopted in this state, a court order issued in this state that recognizes the adoption pursuant to section 36-336.

E. The state registrar shall not create and register a state of Arizona certificate of foreign birth for an adopted person who was born in a foreign country and who was a United States citizen at the time of birth. The state registrar shall inform the adoptive parents or the adult adopted person that a birth certificate may be obtained through the United States department of state.

F. A state of Arizona certificate of foreign birth for an adopted person must show the country of birth and state that the certificate is not evidence of United States citizenship for the person for whom it is issued.