District of Columbia

District of Columbia Adoption Rights For Birth Parents

✅ REVOCATION PERIOD: 14 CALENDAR DAYS ✅

In the District of Columbia, you have 14 calendar days after signing your relinquishment of parental rights to change your mind for any reason.

To revoke your consent, you must submit a verified writing to the agency handling your adoption. If the 14th day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline extends to the next working day.

No relinquishment is considered final until this revocation period has expired with no revocation being made. The law specifies that automatic revocation can be exercised only once.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: SECOND RELINQUISHMENT RULES ⚠️

If you revoke your relinquishment, a waiting period of 30 days from the date of revocation must pass before you can execute a second relinquishment.

Be aware: a relinquishment executed a second time is irrevocable, unless the court finds it was not given voluntarily (such as cases involving fraud, coercion, or material mistake).

The agency is required by law to fully inform you of these rights both in writing and verbally before you sign any relinquishment documents.