§ 19-11-184.1.Request for registration

Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 7. Determination of Parentage · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026

In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 19-11-184.1 tells a person or agency how to register a Hague convention support order in Georgia, lists the six records the request must include, and limits when a Georgia tribunal may vacate the registration on its own.

Full Text of § 19-11-184.1

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this part, a party who is an individual or a support enforcement agency seeking recognition of a convention support order shall register the order in this state as provided in Part 6 of this article.

(b) Notwithstanding Code Sections 19-11-130 and subsection (a) of Code Section 19-11-161, a request for registration of a convention support order must be accompanied by:

(1) A complete text of the support order or an abstract or extract of the support order drawn up by the issuing foreign tribunal, which may be in the form recommended by the Hague Conference on Private International Law;

(2) A record stating that the support order is enforceable in the issuing country;

(3) If the respondent did not appear and was not represented in the proceedings in the issuing country, a record attesting, as appropriate, either that the respondent had proper notice of the proceedings and an opportunity to be heard or that the respondent had proper notice of the support order and an opportunity to be heard in a challenge or appeal on fact or law before a tribunal;

(4) A record showing the amount of arrears, if any, and the date the amount was calculated;

(5) A record showing a requirement for automatic adjustment of the amount of support, if any, and the information necessary to make the appropriate calculations; and

(6) If necessary, a record showing the extent to which the applicant received free legal assistance in the issuing country.

(d) A tribunal of Georgia may vacate the registration of a convention support order without the filing of a contest under Code Section 19-11-184.2 only if, acting on its own motion, the tribunal finds that recognition and enforcement of the order would be manifestly incompatible with public policy.

(e) The tribunal shall promptly notify the parties of the registration or the order vacating the registration of a convention support order.

End

Plain-English Summary

A “convention support order” is a support order from a tribunal of a country where the Hague convention is in force for the United States (§ 19-11-180). To get one recognized in Georgia, an individual or a support enforcement agency must register it, following the general registration rules in Part 6 of the article, except where this part says otherwise.

Subsection (b) replaces the usual filing requirements of § 19-11-130 and § 19-11-161(a) with a list built for international orders. The request must include: (1) the complete text of the order, or an abstract or extract drawn up by the issuing foreign tribunal, which may follow the form the Hague Conference on Private International Law recommends; (2) a record stating the order is enforceable in the issuing country; (3) if the respondent neither appeared nor was represented abroad, a record attesting that the respondent had proper notice of the proceedings and a chance to be heard, or proper notice of the order and a chance to be heard in a challenge or appeal; (4) a record of the arrears, if any, and the date they were calculated; (5) a record of any automatic adjustment of the support amount, with the information needed to do the math; and (6) if necessary, a record of how much free legal assistance the applicant received in the issuing country.

A request may seek recognition and partial enforcement of the order (subsection (c)). Subsection (d) sharply limits a tribunal’s power to undo a registration without a contest: it may vacate only on its own motion, and only if it finds that recognition and enforcement would be manifestly incompatible with public policy. Otherwise, it is up to the other party to contest under § 19-11-184.2. Either way, the tribunal shall promptly notify the parties of the registration or of the order vacating it. Records in a foreign language need a verified English translation (§ 19-11-184.8).

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents do I need to register a foreign child support order in Georgia under the Hague convention?

Subsection (b) lists six: the complete text of the order or an abstract or extract drawn up by the issuing foreign tribunal; a record that the order is enforceable in the issuing country; a record of proper notice if the respondent didn’t appear and wasn’t represented; a record of any arrears and the date they were calculated; a record of any automatic adjustment and the information needed to calculate it; and, if necessary, a record of free legal assistance received abroad.

Do the foreign documents have to be translated into English?

Yes, if they aren’t already in English. Under § 19-11-184.8, a record filed with a Georgia tribunal in a convention case must be in the original language and, if not in English, must come with an English translation verified by the translator. So you file both the original and the verified translation of each record this section requires.

Can I register only part of a foreign support order?

Yes. Subsection (c) says a request for registration of a convention support order may seek recognition and partial enforcement of the order. Section 19-11-184.4 backs this up: if a Georgia tribunal won’t recognize and enforce the whole order, it shall enforce any severable part.

Can a Georgia judge cancel the registration of a foreign support order without anyone objecting?

Only in one situation. Under subsection (d), a Georgia tribunal may vacate the registration without a contest under § 19-11-184.2 only if, acting on its own motion, it finds that recognition and enforcement would be manifestly incompatible with public policy. Any other challenge must come from a party through a timely contest. The tribunal shall promptly notify the parties of the registration or of any order vacating it.

What if the paying parent never took part in the foreign case?

Then the request must include an extra record. If the respondent neither appeared nor was represented in the issuing country, subsection (b)(3) requires a record attesting either that the respondent had proper notice of the proceedings and an opportunity to be heard, or proper notice of the order and an opportunity to be heard in a challenge or appeal. A notice failure is also a ground for refusing recognition under § 19-11-184.3(b)(9).

Amendment History

Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, and checked word for word against the Georgia Code Revision Commission’s public-domain edition and the acts that later amended it. Section headings are the Code’s official catchlines. Last verified October 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: register foreign support order georgiahague convention registration georgiaconvention support order registrationregister international child support orderabstract of foreign support order