Rule 9-204.3.Prevention of child abduction
Last amended January 1, 2024 · Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Rule 9-204.3
Amendment History
Maryland publishes each rule’s adoption and amendment record as a bracketed “Credits” note beneath the rule, giving the date of each Rules Order and the date it took effect. It is reproduced verbatim below.
[Adopted Nov. 28, 2023, eff. Jan. 1, 2024.]
Plain-English Summary
A short rule that mostly directs the reader elsewhere, which is appropriate: the substance lives in the Maryland Child Abduction Prevention Act, and the rule's job is to say so and to fix the procedural trigger.
A petition for an abduction prevention order — including a request for an ex parte warrant for physical custody of the child — is governed by that Act. The cross reference points to the statutory factors for evaluating whether there is a credible risk of abduction, and to the temporary emergency jurisdiction provision.
The operative sentence is section (b). After notice and an opportunity for a hearing, on a petition or on the court's own motion, if the court finds a credible risk of abduction of the child, it shall enter an abduction prevention order complying with the statute. The court can raise the issue itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ask a Maryland court to prevent a child abduction?
By petition for an abduction prevention order, governed by the Maryland Child Abduction Prevention Act. The petition may include a request for an ex parte warrant for physical custody of the child.
Can the court act on its own?
Yes. The rule allows an abduction prevention order on a petition or on the court's own motion, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
What must the court find?
A credible risk of abduction of the child. If it finds one, it must enter an abduction prevention order complying with the statute.