State Laws and Legislation

Minnesota Adoption Law

Permits single LGBT individuals to petition to adopt? Yes.
Minnesota law allows any adult resident to petition to adopt. (MINN. STAT. ANN. § 259.22)

Permits a same-sex couple to jointly petition to adopt? No explicit prohibition.
State law does not directly speak to the issue, and no state court has heard the issue of whether same-sex couples can or can not jointly petition to adopt.

Permits a same-sex partner to petition to adopt partner’s child or child of the relationship? No explicit prohibition.
There is no explicit prohibition, and some lower courts have allowed second-parent adoptions to proceed.  No state court, however, has heard the issue of whether a same-sex partner can or can not petition to adopt a partner’s child or child of the relationship.

Updated: Wed, December 09, 2009 - 1:00:17