Short answer. Yes. Under Family Code Article 229, parental authority terminates upon adoption of the child. Once a final adoption judgment is entered, the biological parents' authority ends by operation of law — unless a later final judgment revives it, which is rare.
What the law says
Unless subsequently revived by a final judgment, parental authority also terminates: (1) Upon adoption of the child;
Family Code, Article 229 — Revivable Termination of Parental Authority. Read the full provision →
Adoption as a terminating event
Article 229 lists the specific events that cause parental authority to end. Adoption is first on that list. The statute reads: Unless subsequently revived by a final judgment, parental authority also terminates: (1) Upon adoption of the child. This is not a discretionary outcome — it follows automatically from the final judgment of adoption. The biological parents do not need to formally surrender their rights in a separate proceeding; the adoption decree itself is the triggering event.
Other events that also end parental authority
Adoption is one of five grounds listed in Article 229. The others are: appointment of a general guardian for the child; a judicial declaration of abandonment; a final court judgment specifically divesting parental authority; and a judicial declaration that the person exercising authority is absent or incapacitated. Each of these is treated as a separate and independent ground. This matters because it shows that the law treats adoption as a complete transfer of parental responsibility — comparable to a formal judicial stripping of that authority.
The 'unless revived' qualification
Article 229 includes an important phrase: unless subsequently revived by a final judgment. This means that while the termination is immediate and automatic upon adoption, it is not, in theory, permanent under all circumstances. A court could issue a later judgment restoring biological parental authority — most likely if the adoption itself were declared void or rescinded by a final court order. In ordinary adoptions that proceed normally, revival does not happen. But the phrase signals that adoption does not erase the biological relationship in an absolute legal sense — it suspends and transfers authority to the adoptive parents.
What the biological parents retain after adoption
Once parental authority passes to the adoptive parents, the biological parents lose the right to make decisions for the child, to exercise custody, and to manage the child's property. What changes — and what does not change — will depend in part on the specific adoption law applicable to your situation. Under general civil law principles, adoption severs the legal tie to the biological family in significant ways, but questions about whether any residual rights remain are fact-specific. If you are involved in an adoption proceeding or its aftermath, the specific circumstances warrant careful review.