Becoming a surrogate in Pennsylvania can give you the opportunity to help another family become parents while receiving meaningful compensation for the time, physical demands and responsibility involved.

Pennsylvania does not set one statewide list of surrogate qualifications, so agencies and fertility clinics generally determine eligibility using their own screening standards and established medical guidance. If you’ve already had a healthy pregnancy and meet common medical and lifestyle criteria, you may be eligible.

A reputable surrogacy agency can also help coordinate screening, intended-parent matching, compensation, insurance review, independent legal representation and support throughout the process.

Understanding how surrogacy agencies work can help you compare what different programs provide before deciding which one fits your needs.

What Are the Requirements to Be a Surrogate in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania does not currently have a state law that establishes specific eligibility requirements for gestational surrogates.

Instead, agencies and fertility clinics set their own qualifications, commonly relying on professional guidance such as recommendations from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), while also following applicable Pennsylvania law.

ASRM recommends that gestational carriers:

• Be of legal age and preferably between 21 and 45. Agencies and fertility clinics may use narrower age ranges.
• Have completed at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy. Previous pregnancy experience gives the medical team information about how your body has handled pregnancy and delivery.
• Generally have had no more than five deliveries or three cesarean deliveries. Individual clinics may use stricter standards.
• Have a stable home environment and adequate support. Fertility medications, appointments, pregnancy and delivery can affect work and family responsibilities.
• Complete medical screening. This may include medical-record review, physical examination, laboratory testing, infectious-disease screening and evaluation of the uterine cavity.
• Complete psychological screening and counseling. This may cover communication preferences, expectations, family support and your understanding of the surrogacy arrangement.
• Receive legal counseling before treatment. Your attorney should explain your contract, compensation, medical provisions and rights before embryo transfer.

These recommendations help agencies and clinics evaluate whether surrogacy is medically and practically appropriate for a prospective surrogate.

Agencies may also have requirements involving BMI, medications, tobacco or drug use, financial stability and criminal history, and those standards can vary by program.

How to Become a Surrogate in Pennsylvania

The process usually involves seven main steps: application, screening, matching, medical clearance, legal contracts, embryo transfer and pregnancy through delivery.

1. Apply to become a surrogate. You’ll usually provide information about your pregnancies, deliveries, health history, medications, lifestyle and household. The agency uses this information to determine whether you appear to meet its initial requirements.
2. Complete surrogate screening. Screening may include medical-record review, criminal background checks, psychological evaluation and insurance review. A Pennsylvania agency may use standards that go beyond anything currently required by state law.
3. Match with intended parents. Matching should be mutual. You should be able to review information about prospective intended parents, speak with them and decide whether their communication style, expectations and preferences fit yours.
4. Receive medical clearance. The intended parents’ fertility clinic completes its own evaluation before approving you for embryo transfer. Pennsylvania has assisted-reproduction resources in several regions, including Philadelphia, Chesterbrook, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Johnstown, Hershey and Pittsburgh.
5. Complete the gestational carrier agreement. You and the intended parents should have separate attorneys. Your lawyer reviews the agreement with you and addresses compensation, expenses, insurance, medical decisions and Pennsylvania parentage procedures.
6. Complete the embryo transfer. Once legal clearance is complete, you’ll follow the fertility clinic’s medication protocol and travel to the clinic for transfer. The intended parents’ clinic may be in Pennsylvania or another state.
7. Continue through pregnancy and delivery. After the fertility clinic releases you to regular obstetric care, most routine appointments can generally take place closer to home. Your agency and attorneys continue coordinating payments, reimbursements, legal preparation and delivery planning.

How Much Do Surrogates Make in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania surrogates may receive about $65,000-$100,000+ in total compensation, although current programs serving the state advertise offers both below and above that range.

A compensation package may include:

• Base compensation: Direct payment for the time, physical demands and responsibility involved in carrying the pregnancy.
• Additional payments: Separate payments may apply to specific procedures, multiples, cesarean delivery or other circumstances defined in your agreement.
• Allowances: Some programs provide monthly or one-time allowances for smaller surrogacy-related expenses.
• Reimbursements: Travel, childcare, lost wages, medical expenses and other approved costs may be paid separately.

First-time and experienced surrogates may receive different base-pay offers.

A first-time surrogate may commonly see base compensation around $50,000-$65,000 or more, while an experienced surrogate may see $65,000-$85,000 or more. Some current programs advertise higher figures.

Where you live can also affect what you actually keep. If required appointments involve longer drives, tolls or overnight stays, those costs should be reimbursed separately rather than reducing the value of your base compensation.

Surrogacy Laws in Pennsylvania

Gestational surrogacy is practiced and legally supported in Pennsylvania, although the state does not have one comprehensive surrogacy statute.

The current framework relies on contracts, case law and established court practices.

Several Pennsylvania appellate decisions shape that framework.

In the J.F. v. D.B. decision (2006), the Pennsylvania Superior Court considered a dispute involving a gestational carrier and concluded that she lacked standing to seek custody of the children.

The decision helped distinguish the legal role of a gestational carrier from that of a legal parent.

In the Ferguson v. McKiernan decision (2007), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court enforced an assisted-reproduction agreement involving sperm donation. Although the case did not involve gestational surrogacy, it recognized that agreements connected to assisted reproduction can have legal force.

The Pennsylvania Superior Court addressed gestational surrogacy more directly in the In re Baby S. decision (2015).

The court rejected the argument that the gestational carrier agreement violated Pennsylvania public policy and enforced the intended parents’ contractual obligations.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court revisited assisted-reproduction parentage in the Glover v. Junior decision, decided March 20, 2025.

The court recognized intent-based parentage as an additional common-law path and discussed gestational-carrier agreements as arrangements that may establish parentage through contract.

Pennsylvania parentage practice is not identical in every county.

Most counties permit pre-birth parentage orders, but filing procedures and hearing practices can depend on the county and judge.

For a prospective surrogate, this means your attorney should understand the parentage practice connected to the expected delivery location rather than treating Pennsylvania as though every county follows one statewide procedure.

Gestational Carrier Agreements in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania courts have enforced gestational carrier agreements in appropriate circumstances, but the state does not prescribe one statutory contract form, statewide waiting period or mandatory notarization procedure for every agreement.

The agreement should be completed before embryo transfer and clearly explain the legal, financial and medical terms of the arrangement. Pennsylvania case law gives these contracts substantial importance, particularly when determining the parties’ intentions and parental responsibilities.

A Pennsylvania gestational carrier agreement typically addresses:

• Base compensation and payment timing
• Additional payments and allowances
• Travel, childcare and lost wages
• Escrow funding
• Health insurance and uncovered medical expenses
• Fertility medications and embryo transfer
• Medical decision-making and informed consent
• Bed rest and pregnancy complications
• Life or disability insurance when applicable
• Communication expectations
• Delivery planning
• Parentage filings
• Confidentiality and social media
• Failed transfers or miscarriage
• Postpartum expenses and agreed contact

Separate legal representation is common and important. Your attorney should represent your interests rather than those of the intended parents or agency.

Pennsylvania’s parentage and birth-registration process also needs to be addressed before delivery. Most Pennsylvania counties permit pre-birth orders, but the filing procedure can vary.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health uses a Supplemental Report of Live Birth for Intended Parents in gestational-carrier births, and a certified court order is used to register parentage correctly.

The state’s gestational birth reporting guidance explains how hospitals report births involving intended parents and gestational carriers. This makes advance coordination between the attorneys and delivery hospital particularly important.

Insurance should also be resolved in the contract before treatment begins.

Insurance availability also differs by county. An agency or insurance professional should review your actual policy for a gestational-carrier exclusion.

If your existing plan does not cover the pregnancy, the agreement should explain how replacement or supplemental coverage will be obtained and who will pay premiums, deductibles, copays and other surrogacy-related medical costs.

Surrogacy Attorneys in Pennsylvania

There are surrogacy attorneys in Pennsylvania who handle gestational carrier agreements, parentage orders and other assisted-reproduction matters for surrogates and intended parents.

• Foster + Bloom Family Formation (National): Foster + Bloom has Pennsylvania-licensed counsel handling surrogacy agreements, assisted-reproduction matters and parentage proceedings.
• Patricia M. Hoban, LLC (Bala Cynwyd): Patricia Hoban represents gestational carriers, intended parents and donors and handles carrier agreements as well as pre- and post-birth parentage matters.
• Deborah L. Lesko, P.C. (Pittsburgh): Deborah Lesko’s practice includes family formation and assisted-reproduction matters for Pennsylvania clients.

When selecting counsel, confirm that the attorney can represent you independently and has experience with the parentage procedure likely to apply where the delivery is expected to occur.

How to Choose a Surrogacy Agency in Pennsylvania

When comparing Pennsylvania surrogacy agencies, look closely at how each program handles compensation, insurance, legal representation, screening, matching, travel and ongoing support.

Pennsylvania creates some specific issues that an agency should be prepared to address.

The state’s limited surrogacy coverage in portions of the individual insurance market, county-specific parentage practices and uneven geographic access to fertility clinics can all affect your experience.

Look closely at:

• Transparent and negotiable compensation: Ask for your base compensation separately from the estimated total package and find out which payments depend on specific circumstances.
• Pennsylvania insurance review: Your actual policy should be reviewed for a gestational-carrier exclusion before treatment begins.
• Travel reimbursement: If screening or fertility treatment requires travel, ask how mileage, tolls, lodging, childcare and lost wages are covered.
• Intended-parent screening: Ask whether the agency uses criminal background checks, FBI background checks, financial screening and psychological screening.
• Mutual matching: You should have the opportunity to decide whether you want to carry for the intended parents presented to you.
• Independent legal representation: You should have an attorney representing your interests and should be able to select qualified counsel rather than relying on the intended parents’ lawyer.
• Escrow procedures: Ask who manages escrow, when funds are deposited and how payments and reimbursements are released.
• Pennsylvania parentage coordination: The agency should work with attorneys familiar with the county where the parentage filing will occur.
• Ongoing professional and mental health support: Find out who you contact if a payment, medical, communication or postpartum issue arises.

The role of a surrogacy agency extends beyond matching.

The most useful agency services are the ones that address the medical, financial and legal issues you would otherwise have to coordinate yourself.

You do not necessarily need to work with an agency headquartered in Pennsylvania. National agencies may also work with Pennsylvania residents if they can coordinate effectively with your fertility clinic, attorney, hospital and other professionals involved in the process.

A Pennsylvania office can be convenient, but local presence alone does not tell you whether a program will handle these issues well.

Compare what each agency actually provides for a surrogate in your part of the state.

Questions to Ask a Pennsylvania Surrogacy Agency Before You Apply

The most useful questions are the ones that reveal what your compensation, protection and day-to-day experience would actually look like.

• What is my base compensation and estimated total compensation? This separates direct compensation from conditional payments and reimbursements.
• Is my base compensation negotiable? Pennsylvania-serving agencies use different compensation structures, so the answer can materially affect your offer.
• Does my health insurance cover a surrogate pregnancy? Ask who reviews the policy and what happens if it contains an exclusion.
• Who pays for replacement or supplemental insurance? You should understand this before treatment begins.
• Which travel expenses are paid separately? Ask about mileage, tolls, lodging, childcare and lost wages.
• Where would screening and embryo transfer take place? This helps you understand how much travel may be involved.
• Can routine medical monitoring happen closer to home? This can matter if you live outside southeastern Pennsylvania or the Pittsburgh area.
• Who manages escrow and when must it be funded?
• Can I choose my own Pennsylvania reproductive attorney?
• Which county will handle the parentage order? Ask whether the attorney expects a pre-birth order and whether a hearing is commonly required there.
• How are intended parents screened?
• Can I decline an intended-parent match without being penalized?
• What happens if a match ends before transfer?
• What happens financially if I need bed rest, miss work or have an unexpected pregnancy complication?

These questions make it easier to compare agencies on the details that affect your finances, medical care and legal protection rather than relying on general claims about support.

Surrogacy Agencies in Pennsylvania

Surrogacy agencies in Pennsylvania include both programs headquartered in the Commonwealth and national agencies that work with Pennsylvania residents.

• American Surrogacy (National): American Surrogacy accepts Pennsylvania surrogates and publishes state-specific information about compensation and eligibility.
• Guided Surrogacy Solutions (Pittsburgh): Guided Surrogacy Solutions is headquartered in Pittsburgh and works with gestational surrogates across Pennsylvania. Its published process includes screening, insurance review, independent legal representation and third-party escrow.
• Baby Steps Surrogacy Center (Pittsburgh): Baby Steps works with surrogates and intended parents and coordinates matching, legal preparation and referrals to fertility and mental health professionals.
• Surrogate Mother Solutions  (Philadelphia): Surrogate Mother Solutions provides matching and coordination from Philadelphia and states that surrogates in its program can set their base compensation.

Take the Next Step Toward Becoming a Surrogate in Pennsylvania

If you’re considering becoming a surrogate in Pennsylvania, the next step is to find out whether you meet a program’s eligibility requirements and what compensation may be available based on your experience, insurance and location.

A surrogacy professional can review your pregnancy history, explain the screening process and help you understand where screening and embryo transfer would occur.

You can also ask about Pennsylvania-specific insurance review, parentage preparation, travel reimbursement and independent legal representation before deciding whether a program fits you.

Pennsylvania has an established path for gestational surrogacy, but contracts, case law, county court practices and insurance details all play an unusually important role. Knowing how a program handles those details gives you a much clearer basis for deciding whether to move forward.

Connect with a surrogacy professional to check your eligibility, understand your compensation options and explore Pennsylvania surrogacy programs.