The Pima County Attorney’s Office handles uncontested adoptions at no cost to Pima County residents. Families must pay fees for fingerprints and birth certificates, but no attorneys’ fees are charged. Uncontested adoptions include, but are not limited to, a stepparent who has been legally married to the child’s birth parent for at least one year, or other relative adoptions (grandparent, aunt, uncle, adult sibling). We also assist adoption agencies with finalizing adoptions, including foreign readoptions.

In the event of a stepparent adoption, the child must be legally free from only the non-custodial parent. In all other adoptions, the child must be legally free from both parents. In both circumstances, this is required whether the parent’s location or identity is known, or whether the parent is involved in the child’s life. Parental rights of the non-custodial parent must be severed before the adoption can take place or the non-custodial parent must have provided valid written consent.

If you need the documents to file for severance of parental rights, you can obtain the necessary paperwork at the Pima County Juvenile Court Website or Clerk of Court’s office.

See Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 8, to read all laws governing adoptions in Arizona.

If you believe that you fit the criteria set forth above, you can obtain the Adoption Packet from the Juvenile Division of the Pima of the Pima County Attorney’s Office located at 2235 E. Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713.