States in the USA with Putative Father’s Registries, the Forms, the Law Codes, etc

The follow chart is, as best possible, a current list of the states with active Putative Father Registries. I can tell you that finding this information is not easy and ensuring it’s accuracy is more difficult. No wonder so many father’s are completely unaware of the very existence of PFR or their importance to Father’s Rights especially in adoption.

In a perfect world, this list would be simple and consistent, but it is not. With 50 states we have 50 different methods, even more laws and more codes. I would have like it to be linked to the statute in each state and the form and the information, but that’s not happening. It took me over two days to just get this far and honestly, I want to scream already. Even search for PFR information on .gov sites for each state often turns up little. Plus many states don’t have decent websites with easy access to the actual updated statues in Adoption law, so there are bound to be errors in this. If you find one, please let me know and I shall repair it as soon as possible.

• For more detailed information, please see the Child Welfare Information Gateways “Rights of Unmarried Fathers'” PDF.
• You can also search for state statues per adoption laws here.
• An updated in 2012 putative fathers registry list can be downloaded here as well.

Registering on a PFR Does NOT Ensure Father’s Rights

To ensure a father’s right to his child, technically, a man should register for every woman that he is not married to to cover the length of time that they could conceive a child; however the Putative Father’s Registry only ensures that a father will be CONTACTED and MADE AWARE of the adoption proceedings should the mother of his child desire to relinquish. It means that he cannot be listed as an Unknown Father in adoption.

Let me repeat because this is very important:

Being listed on the Putative Father’s Registry does NOT mean that you have paternal rights to your child and will be recognized as the legal father.

It just means that they know that you want to be told about any impeding adoptions. In many states a man is not recognized as having paternal rights unless he has also supported the mother and child during the pregnancy and often a father must PROVE that support if he is not married to the mother of the child to be adopted.

Registering on a Putative Father’s Registry means that you will be notified of court proceedings. Not all states will even require you to sign a termination of paternal rights if you cannot prove support.

In addition; if the mother moves/  is moved / gives birth/ relinquishes the baby in another state, then the putative father’s registry for THAT state is often the one that must be registered on.

And yes, it is purposely confusing and difficult. In my opinion, a putative father’s registry is an easy tool used by adoption industry agencies and lawyers to ignore father’s. Not on a registry? Oh well, then we can just pretend you do not care about your child. It won’t really matter if you “didn’t know she was pregnant” because clearly ALL responsible fathers will be proactive and use the registries that they didn’t know existed.  If you “really” cared about your child, you would be registered, right? Hence it becomes the fault of the father for losing his parental rights; consequences of your “choices” or more gaslighting in adoption!

Name	Law code	When	form	website	addresss	phone number	fee
Alabama Putative Father Registry	§§ 26-10C-1.	30 days	form	website	Alabama Putative Father Registry Office of Adoption Department of Human Resources 50 N. Ripley Street Montgomery, AL 36130-4000	(334) 242-9500
Alaska / no registry	§§ 18.50.165; 25.20.055			website
Arizona Putative Father Registry	§§ 8-106.01	30 days	form	website	Arizona Dept. of Health Services PO Box 3887 Phoenix, AZ 85030	(602) 364-1300	$5.00 fee & self addressed stamped envelop
Arkansas Putative Father Registry	§§. 9-9-224	prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	Legal Section/Vital Records 4815 W. Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205-3867	(501) 661-2275 501-661-2869 (fax)	$5.00 fee
California / no regisrty	§§ 7571; 7573
Colorado / no registry	§§ 19-4-107; 19-4-113
Connecticut / no registry	§§ 46b-172a
Delaware Registry of Paternity	§§ 8-401; 8-402; 8-405				Division of Child Support Enforcement P.O. Box 904 84A Christiana Road New Castle, DE 19720	(302) 577-7171
Florida Putative Father Registry	§§ 63.054	prior to filing adoption petition/ TPR	form	website	Florida Dept. of Health Office of Vital Statistics PO Box 210 Jacksonville, FL 32231-0049	(904) 359-6900 ext. 1096	$9.00 fee & specific form
Georgia Putative Father Registry	§§ 19-11-9(d)(1)	prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	Vital Records 2600 Skyland Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30319	404-679-4886	$10 fee & specific form
Hawaii / no registry	§§ 584-3.5
Idaho Putative Father Registry	§§ 16-1513	prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	Vital Statistics Unit PO Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0036	(208) 334-5988 and /or (208) 334-5990	yes, but not listed as to how much
Illinois Putative Father Registry	Stat. Ch. 750 § 50/12.1		form	website	3 N Old State Capitol Plaza Springfield IL 62701	1-866-737-3237
Indiana Putative Father Registry	§§ 31-19-5-2; 31-19-5-3; 31-19-5-5	30 days / prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	Indiana State Department of Health 2 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204	(317) 233-7253 Fax: (317) 233-1289
Iowa Putative Father Registry	§§ 144.12A & 600A.6	prior to filing adoption petition		website	Vital Records Bureau, Lucas Building 321 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA, 50319-0075	(515) 281-4944	free
Kansas Putative Father Registry	§38-1138				Kansas Dept. of Social & Rehab Services PO Box 497 Topeka, KS 66601-0497	(785) 296-3237
Kentucky / no registry	§§ 213.046; 406.025
Louisiana Putative Father Registry	§ 9:400	prior to the filing of a petition for adoption	form	website	Vital Records PO Box 60630 New Orleans, LA 70160-0630	(504) 568-5152
no regisrty	§§ 18-A, § 9-201; tit. 19-A, §§ 1605; 1616	20 days
no regisrty	§§ § 5-1028
MA Parental Claim Registrar	Ch. 209C, §§ 2 and 11; Ch. 210, § 4A	prior to TPR			Department of Children & Families 600 Washington St., Floor 1 Boston MA 02111-1744	(617)-748-2000
Michigan Putative Father Registry	§§ 710.33; 722.1003; 722.1004- A Notice of Intent to Claim Paternity		form	website	Vital Records, Health Statistics 3423 N. Martin Luther King Boulevard Lansing, MI 48906	(517) 335-9334 FAX (517) 335-9264 (517) 335-8666	$10.00 fee
Minnesota Putative Father Registry	§ 259.52 and § 257.57	30 days	form	website	Office of the State Registrar P.O. Box 64882 St. Paul, MN 55164-0882	(612) 676-5466 1-888-345-1726 (toll free) 651-201-5994
Mississippi / no regisrty	§ 93-17-6
Missouri Putative Registry	§ 192.016	15 days post birth	form	website	Missouri Dept. of Health; Senior Services Bureau of Vital Records PO Box 570 Jefferson City. MO 65102-0570	(573) 522-3233 573-751-6378.
Montana Putative Father Registry	§§ 42-2-202; 42-2-203; 42-2-204	3 days post birth	form	website	Bureau of Vital Statistics 111 N. Sanders, Room 205 Helena, MT 59620	(406) 444-4228	$10.00 fee
Nebraska Putative Father Registry	§§ 43-104.01 / 43-104.24.	5 days post birth	form	website	Nebraska Health & Human Services Vital Statistics Section P.O. Box 95065 Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
Nevada / no registry	§§ 440.280; 440.283; 126.053				signed a declaration for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity developed by the Board pursuant to § 440.283.
NH Putative Father Registry	§§ 170-B:6	prior to mother's TPR	form	website	Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child Support Services 129 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301	(603) 271-4745 603 271-4427
New Jersey / no registry	§§ 9:17-41
New Mexico Putative Father Registry	§§ 24-1-3, 24-1-5 and 9-4-6	10 days post birth	form	website	Laura Gutierrez, Registration Supervisor Bureau of Vital Records/Health Services PO Box 26110 Santa Fe, NM 87502	(505) 827-2338 1-866-534-0051
New York Putative Father Registry	§ 372-c	prior to the setting of the final hearing	form	website	NYS OCF/PFR Capital View Office Park 52 Washington St., Room 323 NoNYS OCF/PFR Capital View Office Park 52 Washington St., Room 323 No. Rensselaer, NY 12144-2796	(518) 474-9406
North Carolina / no registry	§§ 48-2-206; 49-10
North Dakota / no registry	§§ 14-20-11; 14-20-12; 14-20-50
Ohio Putative Father Registry	§§ 3107.061; 3107.062	15 days	form	website	Ohio Dept. Job and Family Services P.O. Box 182709 Columbus, OH 43218-2709	1-888-313-3100 (614) 728-2604 (fax)
Oklahoma Putative Father Registry	§§ tit. 10, § 7506-1.1	unclear	form		Dept. of Human Services - Adoptions PO Box 25352 Oklahoma, City, OK 73125	(405) 522-5871
Oregon Putative Father Registry	§ 109.070	VERY complicated!			Bureau of Vital Records PO Box 14050 Portland, OR 97923-0050	(503) 731-4492 503-945-5600
Pennsylvania	§§ 23, § 5103	prior to filing adoption petition/ TPR /60 days max			Bureau of Child Support Enforcement ATTN: Paternity Services Coordinator Post Office Box 8018	(Inquiries may be faxed to 717-787-0297)
Rhode Island / no registry	§§ 15-8-3
Responsible Father Registry	§§ 63-9-810; 63-9-820	prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	South Carolina Department of Social Services, Responsible Father Registry P.O. Box 1520 Columbia, SC 29202
South Dakota	§§ 25-8-50; 25-8-63	with 7 days			Department of Health
Tennessee Putative Father Registry	§§ 36-2-318	30 days	form	website	Department of Children's Services Cordell Hull Building - 8th Floor 436 Sixth Avenue, North Nashville TN 37243	(615) 741-9699 or (615) 532-5637
Texas Paternity Registry	FC Chapter 160, SUBCHAPTER E]	31 days	form	website	Dept. Of State Health Services P.O. Box 12040 Austin, TX 78711-2040	(888) 963-7111 ext. 7782	$10 or $18 fee
Utah Putative Father Registry	78B, Chapter 15, 78B-6-125,78B-6-122	prior to mother’s TPR or ONE business day after birth -whichever is later	form	website	Bureau of Vital Records 288 North 1460 West PO Box 141012 Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012	(801) 538-6363 or (801) 538-6380	There is no fee to file the form. A certified copy of the form is $16.
Vermont / no registry	§§ Rule 80.5.	prior to filing adoption petition		website
Virginia Putative Father Registry	§§ 63.2-1249	10 days post birth	form	website	Department of Social Services 7 North Eighth St. Richmond VA 23219-3301	(877) 433-2339 1-877-IF DADDY	free
Washington Putative Father Registry	§§ 26.26.300; 26.26.305
Wyoming Putative Father Registry	§§ WS 1-22-117	prior to filing adoption petition	form	website	Department of Family Services Hathaway Building 3rd Floor Cheyenne, WY 82002	(307) 777-3570 or (307) 347-6181
West Virginia / no registry	§§ 48-24-101; 48-24-106
Wisconsin Paternal Interest Registry	§§ 48.025	14 days post birth	form	website	DCF/DSP – Room E200 P.O. Box 8916 Madison, WI 53708-8916	Phone: (608) 264-8525 Fax: (608) 266-0260