    16. a. All records of proceedings relating to adoption, including the complaint, judgment and all petitions, affidavits, testimony, reports, briefs, orders and other relevant documents, shall be filed under seal by the clerk of the court and shall at no time be open to inspection or copying unless the court, upon good cause shown, shall otherwise order. An index to all adoption proceedings shall be maintained by the clerk of the court, but no index of adoption proceedings shall be open to inspection or copying or be made public except upon order of the court.

   b.   Upon entry of a judgment of adoption, the clerk of the court shall certify to the State Registrar, any successor agency or any similar agency in the State or country of the child's birth, the date of entry of the judgment, the names of the adopting parent or parents, the name of the child, the date and place of birth of the child and the new name of the child if changed by the judgment of adoption.

   L.1977,c.367,s.16; amended 1993,c.345,s.15.

Last modified: October 21, 2006