§ 19-9-93.Full faith and credit to orders of other states
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 § 19-9-93
Plain-English Summary
Most of Part 3 deals with Georgia enforcing another state’s custody determination. This section covers a different link in the chain: an order from another state that itself enforces a custody determination. If a court in one state has already issued an order enforcing a custody determination, and that order is consistent with the Act, Georgia must give it full faith and credit.
Full faith and credit means Georgia treats the enforcement order as binding rather than deciding the enforcement question over again. That keeps a parent from shopping for a different answer by moving the dispute to Georgia after losing an enforcement fight elsewhere.
There is one exception. Georgia need not honor the enforcement order if it has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so under Part 2 of the Act. And the duty applies only to orders “consistent with this article,” so an enforcement order issued outside the Act’s framework doesn’t qualify. Sections 19-9-83 and 19-9-86 state the parallel duties to enforce the underlying custody determinations themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Georgia have to honor another state’s order enforcing a custody decree?
Yes, if the order is consistent with the UCCJEA. A Georgia court shall accord full faith and credit to an order issued by another state that enforces a child custody determination, unless that order has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court with jurisdiction to do so under Part 2 of the Act.
Can I relitigate a custody enforcement order in Georgia after losing in another state?
Generally no. Georgia must give full faith and credit to another state’s enforcement order that is consistent with the Act. The exception is an order that has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so under Part 2 of the Act.
What does full faith and credit mean for custody orders?
It means Georgia treats the other state’s enforcement order as binding, the way it would treat one of its own judgments, instead of deciding the issue fresh. This section applies that duty to orders that enforce a child custody determination, as long as they are consistent with the Act and haven’t been vacated, stayed or modified.
When can Georgia refuse to honor an out-of-state custody enforcement order?
When the order has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court having jurisdiction under Part 2 of the Act, or when the order isn’t consistent with the Act. Outside those situations, the section says a Georgia court shall accord the order full faith and credit.
Is this section about custody orders or enforcement orders?
Enforcement orders. It covers an order from another state that enforces a child custody determination made by a court of another state, such as an order directing a parent to return a child under an existing decree. Georgia’s duty to enforce the underlying custody determinations themselves appears in §§ 19-9-83 and 19-9-86.
Amendment History
Laws 2001, p. 129, § 1.