§ 19-11-131.Nondisclosure of identifying information when health, safety, or liberty at risk; disclosure of information in the interest of justice
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 3. Civil Provisions · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-131
Plain-English Summary
Interstate support petitions ask for addresses and other identifying details (§ 19-11-130). For a parent fleeing abuse, handing that information to the other side can be dangerous. This section builds in protection.
The trigger is a sworn allegation. If a party alleges in an affidavit or in a pleading under oath that disclosing specific identifying information would jeopardize the health, safety or liberty of a party or a child, that information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the other party or the public. The statute says “must,” and it doesn’t make the seal wait for a hearing. The allegation itself does the work.
The seal isn’t necessarily permanent. After a hearing in which the tribunal considers the health, safety or liberty of the party or child, the tribunal may order disclosure of information it determines to be in the interest of justice. That is a discretionary call made only after a hearing.
The protection runs through the act. Section 19-11-130 makes the petition’s information requirements yield to an order under this section, and § 19-11-161(a)(5) does the same for the obligee’s name and address in a request to register an out-of-state order. The section was last amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my address secret from my ex in an interstate child support case?
Yes, if you make the required sworn allegation. If you allege in an affidavit or a pleading under oath that disclosing specific identifying information would jeopardize the health, safety or liberty of a party or child, the information must be sealed. It may not be disclosed to the other party or the public unless a tribunal later orders disclosure after a hearing.
Do I need a judge’s order before my information is sealed?
Under this section, no. The section says the information “must be sealed” once a party makes the allegation in an affidavit or a pleading under oath. A hearing comes into play only if someone seeks disclosure; the tribunal may then order disclosure of information it determines to be in the interest of justice.
Can the other parent ever get my sealed information?
Possibly. After a hearing in which the tribunal takes into consideration the health, safety or liberty of the party or child, the tribunal may order disclosure of information it determines to be in the interest of justice. The word is “may,” so disclosure depends on the tribunal’s judgment after weighing the safety concerns.
What do I have to say to get my information sealed?
You must allege, in an affidavit or a pleading under oath, that the health, safety or liberty of a party or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of specific identifying information. The allegation must be sworn, and it must concern specific identifying information, such as a residential address.
Does this protect my child’s information too?
Yes. The section protects specific identifying information whose disclosure would jeopardize the health, safety or liberty of a party or a child. An interstate petition must list each child’s residential address and other details under § 19-11-130, and those details can be sealed on the required sworn allegation.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.