The District of Columbia Petition To Break The Seal of Adoption is a legal process that allows adopted individuals, or their birth parents, to apply for access to confidential adoption records. This process is available to individuals adopted in the District of Columbia or whose parents reside in the District of Columbia. The petition can be used to open adoption records, including original birth certificates, adoption papers, and other documents related to the adoption. There are two types of District of Columbia Petition To Break The Seal of Adoption: Direct Access and Limited Access. The Direct Access petition allows the adopted individual, or the birth parent, to receive all available information contained in the adoption record, including the name of the birth parents. The Limited Access petition allows the adopted individual or the birth parent to receive limited information, such as medical histories or other non-identifying information.