§ 19-11-171.Recognition of modification by another tribunal
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 6. Enforcement and Modification of Support Order After Registration · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-171
Plain-English Summary
This section looks at modification from the other direction. Suppose a Georgia tribunal issued a child support order, and a tribunal of another state later modified it after assuming jurisdiction under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. What’s left for Georgia?
Three things. First, a Georgia tribunal may enforce its original order, but only as to arrears and interest that accrued before the modification. Second, it may provide appropriate relief for violations of its order that occurred before the effective date of the modification. Third, it shall recognize the other state’s modifying order, upon registration, for the purpose of enforcement. The first two are permissions (“may”); the third is a duty (“shall”).
The practical effect is a clean handoff. The other state’s order governs support going forward, and Georgia keeps the power to deal with the past. Section 19-11-114 makes the same point from the jurisdiction side: when another state modifies a Georgia order under this article or a substantially similar law, Georgia courts shall recognize that state’s continuing, exclusive jurisdiction. To enforce the new order in Georgia, a party registers it under §§ 19-11-160 through 19-11-167. The section was last amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Georgia still collect back child support after another state modifies the order?
Yes, for the period before the change. When another state’s tribunal that assumed jurisdiction under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act modifies a Georgia child support order, a Georgia tribunal may enforce its original order only as to arrears and interest accruing before the modification.
Does Georgia have to honor another state’s modification of a Georgia child support order?
Yes, once the modifying order is registered. A Georgia tribunal shall recognize the other state’s modifying order, upon registration, for the purpose of enforcement, if that state assumed jurisdiction under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. Registration follows §§ 19-11-160 through 19-11-167.
Can a Georgia court punish violations of its child support order that happened before another state modified it?
It may. A Georgia tribunal may provide appropriate relief for violations of its order that occurred before the effective date of the modification. What relief is appropriate is left to the tribunal.
Which order controls future child support after another state modifies a Georgia order?
The other state’s modifying order. This section limits Georgia’s enforcement of its own order to arrears and interest that accrued before the modification, and requires Georgia to recognize the modifying order once registered. Under § 19-11-114, Georgia courts shall recognize the other state’s continuing, exclusive jurisdiction.
Does this apply to any modification by another state?
No. It applies when a tribunal of another state modified the Georgia child support order after assuming jurisdiction under this article — the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. A modification made without that jurisdictional basis isn’t covered by this section’s recognition rule.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.