privateadoption.orgState overview
Texas
A few of the basics in Texas, in plain words. Tap a card to read it in full with its official source.
A child residing in Texas may be adopted when the listed termination conditions are met. An adoption suit may be filed in the county where the child resides or where the petitioners reside. No separate residency period for petitioners was located in chapter 162.
Tex. Fam. Code 162.001(b); 103.001(b) · as of 2026-10-21
The court may appoint a qualified individual, a qualified private entity, or a domestic relations office. The statute lists minimum qualifications, including a human services degree and a Texas license, and 8 hours of family violence training. When a licensed child-placing agency or DFPS is involved, it conducts the pre- and post-placement parts under DFPS rules.
Tex. Fam. Code 107.152; 107.153(c); 107.154 · as of 2026-10-21
The vital statistics unit keeps a registry of paternity. A man who wants notice of an adoption or termination proceeding for a child he may have fathered may register before the child is born.
Tex. Fam. Code 160.402(a) · as of 2026-10-21
An adoption suit may be filed in the county where the child resides or where the petitioners reside, regardless of another court's continuing jurisdiction. A termination suit may be joined with the adoption suit, and the court then terminates rights at the same time it grants the adoption.
Tex. Fam. Code 103.001(b); 162.016(a) · as of 2026-10-21
Who to ask
These entries describe what Texas law and agencies say. For what they mean for your family, ask an adoption attorney licensed in Texas.
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