Art. 2786.Registration of Support Orders For Modification
Book V. Summary and Executory Proceedings · Title II. Executory Proceedings · Chapter 7. Making Judgments of Other Louisiana Courts Executory · Last amended 1999 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2786 lets a party to a Louisiana support order register that order in another Louisiana court for modification, once all parties have moved out of the parish that issued it, by transmitting a certified copy and a verified statement or approved support form to the new court's clerk, who dockets the matter, stamps the registration, and notifies both the obligor and the original court.
A. A support order rendered by a court of this state may be registered for modification in another court of this state if all parties to the order are no longer domiciled in the parish of the rendering court.
B. A party to a support order seeking to register the support order pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall transmit to the clerk of the registering court all of the following:
(2)A verified statement of support or a federally approved URESA or UIFSA form, signed by a party to the support order, indicating all of the following:
(a)The name and street address of the obligee.
(b)The name, last known place of residence, and post office or street address of the obligor.
(c)A list of all the jurisdictions in which the order is registered.
C. Upon receipt of these documents, the clerk of court shall:
(1)Treat the documents as if they were a petition seeking relief relative to a family law matter by assigning a docket number and, if applicable, designate a division to which the matter is allotted.
(2)Register the support order by stamping or making a notation thereof on the certified copy of the support order in substantially the following form: "REGISTERED FOR MODIFICATION by the Clerk of the [District, Family, or Juvenile] Court in and for the Parish of [name of parish] on [date]."
(3)
(a)Send a copy of the registered support order, by certified or registered mail, to the obligor at the address provided in the verified statement of support, or
(b)Issue service of process as permitted by law and notice of registration in lieu of citation, which shall be served by ordinary process.
(4)Issue notice of the registration to the rendering court or, if the support order has been previously registered and confirmed for modification in another court of this state, to the last registering court.
D. The filing of a support order in compliance with the provisions hereof constitutes registration of the support order for modification, and if subsequently confirmed, shall divest the rendering court, or if registered in another court for modification, the court of last registration, of jurisdiction to modify the support order.
Article 2786 addresses a common family-law reality: a support order gets issued in one parish, but everyone involved eventually moves elsewhere. Rather than requiring a fresh modification action in the original parish, Article 2786 lets the order be registered for modification in another Louisiana court once all parties to the order are no longer domiciled in the parish of the rendering court.
Registering takes a specific package of documents to the registering court's clerk: a certified copy of the support order, and either a verified statement of support or a federally approved URESA or UIFSA form (uniform interstate support forms recognized for this purpose) signed by a party to the order. That statement or form has to give the obligee's name and street address, the obligor's name and last known residence or mailing address, and a list of every jurisdiction where the order is already registered.
Once the clerk receives these documents, several things happen. The clerk opens the matter as if it were a new family-law petition, assigning a docket number and, where applicable, a division. The clerk registers the order by placing a dated notation on the certified copy identifying it as registered for modification by that court. The clerk then gets a copy to the obligor, either by certified or registered mail to the address given in the verified statement, or through formal service of process with notice of registration standing in for a citation. Finally, the clerk notifies the rendering court, or the most recent registering court if the order was already registered and confirmed elsewhere, that this new registration has occurred.
Filing in compliance with these steps is what constitutes registration. It does not, by itself, transfer authority to modify the order -- that happens only once the registration is confirmed, the subject of Article 2788, at which point the rendering court, or the prior registering court, loses jurisdiction to modify the order going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a Louisiana support order be registered for modification in a different parish?
Only once all parties to the support order are no longer domiciled in the parish of the court that originally rendered it.
What documents do I need to register a support order for modification?
A certified copy of the support order, plus a verified statement of support or an approved URESA or UIFSA form giving the obligee's and obligor's names and addresses and listing every jurisdiction where the order is registered.
How does the obligor find out the order was registered?
The clerk sends a copy to the obligor by certified or registered mail to the address in the verified statement, or through formal service of process with notice of registration in place of a citation.
Does registering the order transfer the power to modify it right away?
No. Registration alone does not shift modification jurisdiction. That happens only once the registration is confirmed under Article 2788, which divests the rendering court, or the prior registering court, of that authority.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:registering a Louisiana support order for modificationArticle 2786 Louisianachanging parish jurisdiction for child support orderverified statement of support LouisianaURESA UIFSA form Louisiana registration