The Requirements For Surrogacy: An Explainer

If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, you know that there is a fairly extensive list of surrogacy requirements if you want to become a surrogate in California, Utah, Pennsylvania, or any other state where surrogacy is prevalent. While this list may seem absolutely too strict, every requirement has a reason for why it exists.

Let’s break them down:

You Must Be Between 21 and 37 Years Old

The age requirement was put into place because these are the ages when women are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy. It starts at 21 because a woman needs to have carried a successful pregnancy already and be able to make her own legal decisions. The “sweet spot” for ages, so to speak is the late twenties and early thirties, though women can be up to 37 years old when they start the process.

You Need To Be A US Citizen or Green Card Holder

This one is simple: in order to be legally paid for your surrogacy services, you need to be a legal citizen or a Green Cardholder. It also helps with tracking your medical history and proving that you fit all the rest of the requirements on this list.

You Cannot Smoke, Do Drugs, Or Drink Alcohol

It should be fairly obvious why you cannot be a smoker or drinker while you are pregnant – it can negatively impact your own health as well as the health of your baby. You will be tested throughout the time you carry the baby.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you cannot be a surrogate if you have ever had a glass of wine. It simply means that you need to have the ability to restrain from drinking for the length of your pregnancy.

You Need To Have Given Birth Already – Without Complication

One thing that all surrogacy agencies need to see is that you can carry a healthy pregnancy and give birth to that baby without any complications. If you have had complications, you had a bad pregnancy, or you needed to have a C-section, you may not be eligible to be a surrogate.

You Should Have Custody Of Your Child

Of course, you should have custody of the child that you gave birth to – this shows that you are responsible and that you can care for a child. Remember that you are going to be taking care of the baby while it is in your stomach, so you want to show that you are able to do so.

You Need To Have Reliable Transportation

When you are a surrogate, you will need to go to medical appointments, visits with the agency, and more. This means that you need to have access to reliable transportation. Depending on where you live, it may mean that you can use public transportation. However, for most people, it means that you have a driver’s license and access to a car.

You Receive No Government Assistance

Surrogates cannot be on certain forms of government assistance for many surrogacy agencies. This is likely because of health insurance, living situations, and the fact that people who do not have money may lie to become surrogates in order to get that money.

You Need To Be Physically Healthy

While your body mass index (BMI) is not always an accurate representation of your health, most surrogacy agencies have a BMI cutoff of 30. This is because women who are significantly overweight are more likely to have certain problems during their pregnancies, up to the point where pregnancy may not be safe for them. 

requirements for surrogacy

When you decide to become a surrogate, there are many different requirements to do it – these requirements have been put in place to protect you, the baby, and Intended Parents. Some surrogacy agencies will give you tools to get where you need to be within these requirements, especially if you are a little bit overweight or you do not have reliable transportation.

The sooner you can start your journey to meeting surrogate requirements, the better you will be.