Putative Fathers’ Registries

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

A natural fathers right to known his childThe 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.

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!

NameLaw codeWhen formwebsiteaddresss phone number fee
Alabama Putative Father Registry §§ 26-10C-1. 30 daysformwebsiteAlabama 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; 25.20.055website
Arizona Putative Father Registry§§ 8-106.01 30 daysformwebsiteArizona Dept. of Health Services
PO Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030
(602) 364-1300$5.00 fee &
self addressed stamped envelop
Arkansas Putative Father Registry §§. 9-9-224prior to filing adoption petitionformwebsiteLegal 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/ TPRformwebsiteFlorida 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 petitionformwebsiteVital 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 petitionformwebsiteVital Statistics Unit
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
(208) 334-5988 and /or (208) 334-5990yes, but not listed as to how much
Illinois Putative Father RegistryStat. Ch. 750 § 50/12.1formwebsite3 N Old State Capitol Plaza
Springfield IL 62701
1-866-737-3237
Indiana Putative Father Registry§§ 31-19-5-2; 31-19-5-3; 31-19-5-530 days / prior to filing adoption petitionformwebsiteIndiana 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 petitionwebsiteVital Records Bureau,
Lucas Building
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, IA, 50319-0075
(515) 281-4944
free
Kansas Putative Father Registry§38-1138Kansas 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 § 9:400prior to the filing of a petition for adoptionformwebsiteVital Records
PO Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160-0630
(504) 568-5152
no regisrty §§ 18-A, § 9-201; tit. 19-A, §§ 1605; 161620 days
no regisrty §§ § 5-1028
MA Parental Claim Registrar Ch. 209C, §§ 2 and 11; Ch. 210, § 4Aprior to TPRDepartment 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 PaternityformwebsiteVital 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 daysformwebsiteOffice 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 § 192.01615 days post birthformwebsiteMissouri 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; 42-2-2043 days post birthformwebsiteBureau 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 birthformwebsiteNebraska 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 TPRformwebsiteDepartment 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 9-4-610 days post birth formwebsiteLaura 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-cprior to the setting of the final hearingformwebsiteNYS 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; 3107.06215 daysformwebsiteOhio 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, § 7506-1.1unclearformDept. 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, § 5103prior to filing adoption petition/ TPR /60 days maxBureau 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; 63-9-820prior to filing adoption petitionformwebsiteSouth Carolina Department of Social Services, Responsible Father Registry
P.O. Box 1520
Columbia, SC 29202
South Dakota §§ 25-8-50; 25-8-63with 7 daysDepartment of Health
Tennessee Putative Father
Registry
§§ 36-2-318 30 daysformwebsiteDepartment 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 RegistryFC Chapter 160, SUBCHAPTER E]31 daysformwebsiteDept. 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-6-122prior to mother’s TPR or ONE business day after birth -whichever is laterformwebsiteBureau 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 §§ 63.2-124910 days post birth formwebsiteDepartment 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 1-22-117prior to filing adoption petitionformwebsiteDepartment 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 §§ 48.02514 days post birthformwebsiteDCF/DSP – Room E200
P.O. Box 8916
Madison, WI 53708-8916
Phone: (608) 264-8525
Fax: (608) 266-0260

4 Comments on "Putative Fathers’ Registries"

  1. ….and just how is this NOT government imposed slut shaming again?

    • KidsNeed Fathers | August 15, 2015 at 5:15 pm | Reply

      It is NOT about the woman… This is for the FATHER so that he may have some sort of say in a child’s life.
      Get over yourself you slut!

  2. Christine Merlo | August 8, 2016 at 11:55 pm | Reply

    Why doesn’t New jersey have a registry listed.

    • Because they don’t have one in New Jersey!

      Quoting the Quad A’s:

      If There is No Putative Father Registry:
      Many States and the Northern Mariana Island allow a putative father to claim paternity by filing an affidavit or acknowledgment of paternity with a court or appropriate State authority. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. If there is not a putative father registry or a voluntary paternity acknowledgment, paternity can always be established by court order.”

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