§ 19-9-96.Assistance by law enforcement
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 § 19-9-96
Plain-English Summary
This section links police and sheriffs to the district attorney’s work under § 19-9-95. When a district attorney acting under that section asks, a law enforcement officer may take any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and to assist the district attorney with responsibilities under § 19-9-95 — locating a child, obtaining the child’s return or enforcing a custody determination.
Two limits frame the officer’s role. First, the trigger is a request from a district attorney acting under § 19-9-95; the section doesn’t give officers independent authority to step into custody disputes on a parent’s say-so. Second, the action must be lawful and reasonably necessary. The section authorizes help; it uses “may,” so it doesn’t command it.
Officers have other roles in Part 3 too. A court may grant a request for law enforcement help as additional relief under § 19-9-90, and a warrant under § 19-9-91 directs officers to take physical custody of a child. Under § 19-9-97, if the respondent doesn’t prevail, the court may charge the respondent with the direct expenses and costs the district attorney and officers incurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can police help locate my child in a custody case in Georgia?
Yes, at the request of a district attorney acting under § 19-9-95. A law enforcement officer may then take any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and assist the district attorney. A court may also order law enforcement help as additional relief under § 19-9-90, or issue a warrant under § 19-9-91.
Can I ask the police directly to enforce my out-of-state custody order?
This section doesn’t give officers that role on a parent’s request. Its authority is triggered by a request from a district attorney acting under § 19-9-95. Other routes exist: a court can order law enforcement assistance under § 19-9-90 or issue a warrant to take physical custody of a child under § 19-9-91.
What can law enforcement do to help the district attorney in a custody case?
Any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and to assist the district attorney with responsibilities under § 19-9-95. Those responsibilities include locating a child, obtaining the child’s return and enforcing a custody determination, whether through the enforcement procedures in Part 3 or another civil proceeding.
Who pays for police time spent locating a child under the UCCJEA?
Do officers have to help when a district attorney asks?
The section is permissive. It says a law enforcement officer may take lawful action reasonably necessary to help a district attorney acting under § 19-9-95. It authorizes the action rather than requiring it, and it limits officers to action that is lawful and reasonably necessary. A court warrant under § 19-9-91 is different: it directs officers to take the child.
Amendment History
Laws 2001, p. 129, § 1.