Surrogacy in Washington, D.C.
We serve all of Washington, D.C., working with surrogates and intended parents on Capitol Hill and around the Navy Yard, in Columbia Heights and Petworth, in Georgetown in Northwest D.C. and the neighborhoods around it, in Brookland and Shaw, and in Anacostia and across Southeast D.C. Families build through gestational surrogacy in the District every year, with the order of parentage handled by your attorneys through the D.C. Superior Court. The District wrote surrogacy agreements into its code in 2017, so the agreement is signed with independent counsel on each side before the embryo transfer, and either party can ask the court for an order of parentage once the pregnancy is confirmed. Most of it happens where you live: you apply from home, match from home, and see your own OB for prenatal care. The first fertility-clinic appointments happen at our clinic in California, a real trip we plan with you well in advance from Reagan National, Dulles or BWI. Here is what that actually looks like from Washington, D.C.
- Serving
- All of Washington, D.C.Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Georgetown, Brookland, Anacostia and beyond
- Your care
- Your own OB and hospitalAt home in Washington, D.C., through delivery
- The law
- In the D.C. CodeThe District's 2017 collaborative reproduction law: independent counsel on each side, and an order of parentage your attorneys can seek once the pregnancy is confirmed
- Parentage
- By court orderYour attorneys petition the D.C. Superior Court; the order takes effect at birth and directs the birth certificate to name the intended parents
How surrogacy works when you live in Washington, D.C.
The District's statute spells out what a surrogacy agreement has to contain, so the question we hear most from D.C. is not whether this happens here. It is what working with a California program actually means from Capitol Hill, Petworth or Georgetown: which steps come to you, and which ones ask you to travel. Here is the plain geography, one side at a time.
Washington, D.C. for the pregnancy, California for the clinic
Applying, the screening conversations, and the records review happen from home by phone and video, whether home is a rowhouse on Capitol Hill, an apartment near the Navy Yard, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Brookland, Shaw or Anacostia. The first fertility-clinic appointments, the medical screening, and the embryo transfer happen at our fertility clinic in California. We do not pretend that clinic is around the corner: those are planned trips from Reagan National, Dulles or BWI, booked with you well in advance, never a relocation.
Once pregnancy is confirmed, everything comes home: your own OB, your own hospital, whether you deliver in Northwest D.C., on Capitol Hill, or in Southeast D.C., with your coordinator a call away throughout. The full picture is on our become a surrogate page.
One team, from the first call to the order of parentage
Consultations happen by video, or in person at our California home office when you would rather have a table between you. One coordinator runs the match, the screening, and the clinic. The legal work sits with independent attorneys, D.C. counsel included, who draft the surrogacy agreement the District's statute requires, with separate counsel for your surrogate, and who petition the D.C. Superior Court for the order of parentage the statute provides, which either party can seek once the pregnancy is confirmed.
We tell you where each step happens, and who is in the room, before you commit to anything. Start with surrogacy for intended parents.
What the law says in Washington, D.C., plainly.
"What are the D.C. surrogacy laws?" is how most people in Washington, D.C. ask it, by name rather than by verdict, and the honest answer is a change in the law with two dates. Until 2017 a District law prohibited surrogate parenting contracts. Since April 7, 2017 the Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act has set out who can be a surrogate, what the agreement has to contain, and how an order of parentage is sought, so the plan is made with your attorneys before anything medical begins. The full state-by-state picture lives on our law guide.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your own Washington, D.C. attorney confirms how it applies to your match.
Read our full surrogacy law guideUntil 2017, a District of Columbia law prohibited surrogate parenting contracts and attached a civil penalty, with possible imprisonment, to arranging one for compensation. On April 7, 2017, the Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act took effect: it repealed that prohibition and wrote surrogacy agreements, their requirements, and a court order of parentage into the D.C. Code. Under it, the agreement is in writing, signed by the surrogate (and her spouse or domestic partner, if any) and the intended parents before the embryo transfer, every party has independent legal counsel, and it is notarized or signed before two witnesses. The statute asks that a surrogate be at least 21, have given birth to at least one live child, be approved in a medical evaluation and in a mental-health evaluation, and complete a joint consultation with the intended parents, who are themselves at least 21 and part of that same consultation. It asks that the agreement provide for the intended parents to assume the surrogate's agreed-upon reasonable medical and ancillary expenses, a term the statute defines to include lost wages and compensation for the risk and inconvenience of the pregnancy, paid by insurance, cash, escrow or another arrangement the agreement sets out. An agreement that meets those requirements is, in the statute's words, enforceable, and the intended parents are the child's parents whether or not they are genetically related to the child.
Either the intended parents or the surrogate can ask the D.C. Superior Court for an order of parentage once the pregnancy is confirmed. The statute lets the court issue the order before the birth, the order takes effect when the child is born, and it directs the District's vital records office to issue the birth certificate naming the intended parents; if the order is not issued before the birth, the statute directs the court to issue it within 45 days after. Which court has jurisdiction turns on one of three facts the statute names: a party is a legal resident of the District, a party has lived in the District for at least a year before the petition is filed, or the child is born in the District. The same statute says the agreement may not limit the surrogate's right to make decisions to safeguard her own health or the pregnancy, and it defines an intended parent as an individual, married or unmarried. The exact filings and their timing are your attorneys' plan, not something a page can promise.
A note on accuracy. The District's statute covers both gestational and traditional surrogacy; gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate has no genetic link to the child, is the only kind we do. Because the order of parentage runs through the D.C. Superior Court on your attorneys' petition, the drafting and the counsel carry the weight; your own Washington, D.C. attorney confirms how it applies to your match.
Requirements to become a surrogate in Washington, D.C.
These are the general guidelines most surrogacy programs follow, ours included, for anyone thinking about becoming a surrogate in Washington, D.C. Read them as a starting point rather than a verdict; the deciding step is always a conversation and a medical review.
Are between about 21 and 38 years oldThe range can flex based on your health history.
Have given birth before and are raising a child of your ownAgencies and clinics look for prior pregnancy experience.
Had healthy, full-term pregnancies and deliveriesReviewed with your medical records during screening.
Are in good general healthConfirmed through a clinic medical evaluation.
Live in a stable home with reliable supportA partner, family, or friends you can lean on.
Do not smoke or use illicit drugsAsked about and reviewed as part of screening.
Are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent residentHelps keep the legal process clean and predictable.
Have a stable income, not relying on cash assistanceSo compensation is genuinely yours to keep.
The District's statute asks for some of this too. It asks that a surrogate be at least 21, have given birth to at least one live child, be approved in a medical evaluation and in a mental-health evaluation by a professional with training in collaborative reproduction, and complete a joint consultation with the intended parents about what could come up during the pregnancy. All of that is already part of how we screen. What carries the rest of the weight is the screening itself: your medical records, a clinic evaluation in California, and psychological screening, done in that order and explained as we go.
How much do surrogates make in Washington, D.C. is one of the first questions we hear, and the honest answer is personal: compensation is real, it is written into your agreement before any medications begin, and it is shaped by your situation. The District's statute asks that the agreement provide for the intended parents to assume your agreed-upon reasonable medical and ancillary expenses, a term it defines to include lost wages and compensation for the risk and inconvenience of the pregnancy, paid by insurance, cash, escrow or another arrangement the agreement sets out. With us, that is in writing with your own attorney before anything medical, and it is held in escrow. We would rather have that conversation with you personally than post headline numbers, so the answer you hear is actually yours.
A c-section in your history? A tubal ligation, anxiety, or PCOS? Usually not the end of the story, and never a reason to be turned away unheard. Our surrogate eligibility guide takes those questions one condition at a time, the become a surrogate page covers the whole arc, or simply reach out.
Building your family from Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights or Northwest D.C.
Searching for a surrogacy agency in Washington, D.C. turns up agencies with District addresses; we are a California team, and we say so. From Capitol Hill or the Navy Yard, Columbia Heights or Petworth, Georgetown or Brookland, working with us means one coordinated team for the match, the screening, the clinic and the independent legal work, run by one person you know by name, who tells you up front where every step happens. Here is what that means in practice.
Remote first, in person when you want
Video consultations fit around work hours and school pickups; when you would rather sit down together, the California home office is a planned trip, and we tell you exactly which steps ask for one. The step-by-step arc is on our how surrogacy works page.
Counsel who draft the agreement and petition for the order of parentage
Your agreement is drafted and reviewed by independent attorneys who write it to the District's statute, with separate counsel for your surrogate, and who then petition the D.C. Superior Court for the order of parentage, which the statute lets either party seek once the pregnancy is confirmed and which takes effect when the child is born. The statute names three facts, any one of which gives the D.C. Superior Court jurisdiction over that petition: a party is a legal resident of the District, a party has lived in the District for at least a year before filing, or the child is born in the District, so intended parents and surrogates do not both need to live in the District; your attorneys confirm which court your match files in.
Every kind of family, welcomed
We welcome married, unmarried, LGBTQ+, and single intended parents. The District's statute defines an intended parent as an individual, married or unmarried, speaks of a "spouse or domestic partner" throughout, and makes the intended parents the child's parents whether or not they are genetically related to the child, and experienced D.C. counsel structures the path for each family. See how we support LGBTQ+ families.
Clear costs before you commit
"How much does surrogacy cost in Washington, D.C., and does insurance cover any of it?" comes up early here, so we answer it early. Surrogate compensation is one part of the cost in Washington, D.C., and the clinic, the legal work, and your insurance shape the rest, so we post no price lists and spring no surprises: before you commit, we walk through what shapes the total and put a personalized estimate in writing for your situation, and your consultation covers what your own coverage does and does not do, policy by policy. Our surrogacy costs guide shows how that conversation works.
How does surrogacy work in Washington, D.C.?
Six steps, the same order every time, at the pace your match sets. Here is the road from first call to homecoming.
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First conversation and application
By phone or video from anywhere in the District, Capitol Hill to Georgetown. Surrogates begin an application; intended parents talk goals, timing, and the kind of relationship they hope to have with their surrogate. Nothing medical yet.
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Screening, remote first
Records review and psychological screening are arranged around your schedule, mostly from home, and the mental-health evaluation and the joint consultation the District's statute asks of surrogate and intended parents together are part of that work. The in-person clinic evaluation at the California clinic is one of the planned trips, with dates you will know well in advance.
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Matching
We introduce a surrogate and intended parents who fit each other on values, expectations, communication style, and the practical things, like contact during pregnancy and views on tough medical decisions. You decide together whether to move forward.
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Legal contracts with independent counsel on each side
Each side retains its own attorney, and the surrogacy agreement the District's statute requires is completed, signed, and notarized or witnessed before the embryo transfer, as the statute asks. This is also when compensation and expenses go into writing, in the statute's terms the agreed-upon reasonable medical and ancillary expenses the intended parents assume. The statute covers gestational and traditional surrogacy; our matches are gestational only.
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Embryo transfer and pregnancy
The California clinic handles the medical cycle and the transfer. Then Washington, D.C. takes over: your own OB, your own hospital, your own bed, whether that is on Capitol Hill, in Columbia Heights, in Northwest D.C. or wherever home is, from the first heartbeat appointment to delivery, with your coordinator close to both sides throughout.
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Parentage and birth
Your attorneys petition the D.C. Superior Court for the order of parentage, which the statute lets them seek once the pregnancy is confirmed and which takes effect when the child is born, and the order directs that the birth certificate name the intended parents, so the family goes home together, on the court's timeline.
A California team, honest about the miles
Our home office is in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and we would rather say that plainly than pretend a downtown or Northwest D.C. storefront. Agencies with a District address do exist, the fertility clinics here are well known, and some families will rightly choose that proximity; we are not pretending to be nearby. Washington, D.C. is a real flight away, so the program is built for it: phone and video for everything except the clinic steps, scheduled around your work and your kids, with the clinic trips planned well ahead from Reagan National, Dulles or BWI.
When you reach out, a real person calls you back and stays your person, whether home is a rowhouse on Capitol Hill or near the Navy Yard, an apartment in Columbia Heights or Petworth, a street in Georgetown, Cleveland Park or Chevy Chase D.C., Brookland, Shaw, or Anacostia and Southeast D.C. The only steps that bring you to California are the clinic ones. If you live in Maryland or Virginia, your own page is there, because which court your match files in and which law applies depends on where you live and where the baby is born, and your attorneys settle that for your match.
11989 Arrow Route, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
(626) 528-6868
Washington, D.C. surrogacy, answered
Is surrogacy legal in Washington, D.C.?
Until 2017 a District law prohibited surrogate parenting contracts and attached a penalty to arranging one for compensation. On April 7, 2017 the Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act took effect, repealed that prohibition, and wrote surrogacy agreements, their requirements, and a court order of parentage into the D.C. Code: the agreement is signed with independent counsel on each side before the embryo transfer, and either party can ask the D.C. Superior Court for an order of parentage once the pregnancy is confirmed.
That is the whole change, stated as the D.C. Code states it, and your own Washington, D.C. attorney applies it to your match. For the state-by-state picture, see our surrogacy law guide.
Can intended parents get a pre-birth order in Washington, D.C.?
Either the intended parents or the surrogate can file for an order of parentage in the D.C. Superior Court once the pregnancy is confirmed. The statute lets the court issue the order before the birth, the order takes effect when the child is born, and it directs the Registrar of Vital Records to issue the birth certificate naming the intended parents; if the order is not issued before the birth, the statute directs the court to issue it within 45 days after.
Which court has jurisdiction depends on where the parties live or where the child is born, and your attorneys plan the filing; the statute sets out what can be asked for, and how your petition runs is their plan for your match. The depth lives on our surrogacy law guide.
What are the requirements to become a surrogate in Washington, D.C.?
The District's statute asks that a surrogate be at least 21, have given birth to at least one live child, be approved in a medical evaluation and in a mental-health evaluation, and complete a joint consultation with the intended parents; Lily Baby's screening covers each of those and adds the medical and background review every match includes.
Our program guidelines sit alongside, starting with the checklist above, and final eligibility is that conversation plus that screening, never a form. Every application is read by a person, not a filter; the surrogate eligibility guide handles the condition-by-condition questions.
How much do surrogates make in Washington, D.C.?
Compensation for a surrogate in Washington, D.C. is real, it is written into the agreement before any medications begin, and it is shaped by her situation; the District's statute asks that the agreement provide for the intended parents to assume her agreed-upon reasonable medical and ancillary expenses, which it defines to include lost wages and compensation for the risk and inconvenience of the pregnancy.
So it is in writing with your own attorney before anything medical, and we talk it through with you personally rather than posting numbers. The whole arc is on our become a surrogate page.
How do intended parents on Capitol Hill, in Columbia Heights or in Northwest D.C. get started?
With a conversation. Consultations are remote or at our California home office, and from there we coordinate the match, the screening, the clinic, and the independent legal work.
We walk through costs before you commit: surrogate compensation is one part of the cost in Washington, D.C., and the clinic, the legal work, and your insurance shape the rest. Start on our intended parents page, see the full arc on how surrogacy works, or read the surrogacy costs guide.
Do you need a lawyer for surrogacy in Washington, D.C.?
Every Lily Baby match includes independent counsel on each side, drafted before any medical step, and the District's statute itself asks that every party to a surrogacy agreement have independent legal counsel and that the parentage petition carry an affidavit from each party's attorney.
Your attorneys draft the agreement and petition the D.C. Superior Court for the order of parentage. We coordinate the referrals so you are never hunting for counsel alone.
Get started in Washington, D.C.
It starts with a conversation, from wherever you are in the District, Capitol Hill to Georgetown. We listen first, then show you exactly what comes next.