§ 19-9-86.Granting relief and enforcing registered custody determinations
Chapter 9. Child Custody Proceedings · Article 3. Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act · Part 3. Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Foreign Decrees · Last amended 2001 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-9-86
Plain-English Summary
This short section sets out what registration buys. Once another state’s custody determination is registered in Georgia under § 19-9-85, a Georgia court may grant any relief normally available under Georgia law to enforce it. That means the same tools a Georgia judge would use to enforce a Georgia order are on the table.
The second half draws a firm line. A Georgia court must recognize and enforce the registered order, but it may not modify it except in accordance with Part 2 of the Act. Part 2 holds the jurisdiction rules, and § 19-9-63 controls when a Georgia court can change another state’s custody order. Apart from a temporary emergency order under § 19-9-64, Georgia must have jurisdiction to make an initial determination under § 19-9-61(a)(1) or (2) (the home-state and significant-connection rules), and either the other state’s court must decide that it no longer has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction or that Georgia would be a more convenient forum, or a court must find that the child, the parents and any person acting as a parent no longer live in the other state.
So a parent who registers an order in Georgia gets the order enforced, and the other parent can’t use registration as a back door to relitigate custody here. A parent who wants changes has to meet the Part 2 tests first. Section 19-9-83 states the general duty to recognize and enforce out-of-state orders, and the expedited enforcement procedure follows in §§ 19-9-88 through 19-9-90.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Georgia court change a custody order from another state after it’s registered?
Not just because it was registered. A Georgia court must recognize and enforce a registered out-of-state custody order and may not modify it except in accordance with Part 2 of the Act. Apart from a temporary emergency order under § 19-9-64, § 19-9-63 lets Georgia modify another state’s order only if Georgia has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under § 19-9-61(a)(1) or (2) and either the other state’s court decides it no longer has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction or that Georgia would be a more convenient forum, or a court finds that the child, the parents and any person acting as a parent no longer live there.
What can a Georgia court do to enforce a registered custody order?
It may grant any relief normally available under Georgia law to enforce a registered order from another state. In other words, the out-of-state order is enforced with the same remedies a Georgia court would use for its own orders. The expedited enforcement procedure in §§ 19-9-88 through 19-9-90, including an order letting the petitioner take immediate physical custody, is also available.
If I move to Georgia with my child, can I ask a Georgia judge to redo our custody order?
Moving alone isn’t enough. A Georgia court must enforce the other state’s order and may change it only as Part 2 of the Act allows. Section 19-9-63 requires that Georgia have jurisdiction to make an initial determination under § 19-9-61(a)(1) or (2) — for example, as the child’s home state — and that the original state’s court decide it no longer has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction or that Georgia would be a more convenient forum, or that a court find that the child, the parents and any person acting as a parent no longer live in that state.
Does Georgia have to enforce another state’s custody order even if the judge disagrees with it?
Yes. This section says a Georgia court shall recognize and enforce a registered custody determination of another state, and § 19-9-83 sets the same duty for other states’ orders made in substantial conformity with the Act. Disagreement with the outcome isn’t grounds to refuse. In registration and expedited enforcement, the defenses are limited to the jurisdiction, notice and vacated-or-modified grounds listed in §§ 19-9-85, 19-9-88 and 19-9-90.
Is registering a custody order the same as filing a new custody case in Georgia?
No. Registration under § 19-9-85 files the other state’s order in Georgia as a foreign judgment so it can be enforced here. It doesn’t open a new custody case or invite the court to decide custody again. This section bars a Georgia court from modifying a registered order except as Part 2 of the Act allows.
Amendment History
Laws 2001, p. 129, § 1.