As you may know,
New York State adoption records are sealed.
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services does not maintain adoption records. You should begin your search by contacting the agency and the county Department of Social Services that handled your case. In addition, the New York State Health Department's Adoption Registry may have records related to your specific adoption history.
Three kinds of information may be available from the Registry: non-identifying, identifying, and medical:
Non-identifying Information: If you are adopted or if you are the biological sibling of an adopted person, you can get non-identifying information about your birth parents even if they do not register with the Adoption Registry or consent to sharing. This includes their general appearance, religion, ethnicity, race, education, occupation, etc.; the name of the agency that arranged the adoption; and the facts and circumstances relating to the nature and cause of the adoption.
Identifying Information: If all are registered and all have given their final consents, adoptees and their birth parents, or adoptees and their biological siblings can share their current names and addresses. If only one parent signed the surrender agreement or consented to the adoption, then the registration of the other parent is not needed for the exchange of identifying information between the adoptee and the registered birth parent.
Medical Information: Birth parents can give medical and psychological information to the Registry any time after the adoption. If the adoptee is already registered, the information will be shared with him or her. If the adoptee is not registered, the information will be kept until the adoptee registers. The information is important to adoptees because it can indicate if they have a higher risk of some diseases. Medical information updates must be certified by a licensed health care provider.