A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, this act shall apply to a covered proceeding in which other law permits a judicial officer to conduct a judicial interview of a child who is the subject of the proceeding.
§ 3403.Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act - Applicability - Exceptions
Chapter 41A: Structured Settlement Protection Act of 2001 · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceApplies the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act to any covered proceeding where other law lets a judge interview the child, but excludes juvenile-code and children's-code cases, sworn child testimony, and interviews conducted by anyone other than a judicial officer.
Full Text of § 3403
B. This act shall not apply to:
1. A judicial interview conducted in a proceeding under the Oklahoma Children's Code or the Oklahoma Juvenile Code;
2. Testimony by a child; or
3. An interview conducted by a person other than a judicial officer.
Amendment History
Added by Laws 2026, c. 298,s. 3, eff. 11/1/2026.
Plain-English Summary
Section 3403 marks the act's reach. It applies to a covered proceeding whenever some other law already permits a judicial officer to conduct a judicial interview of the child at issue -- this act doesn't itself create the power to interview, it regulates how that power gets used.
Three things fall outside it: a judicial interview conducted in a proceeding under the Oklahoma Children's Code or the Oklahoma Juvenile Code, sworn testimony by a child, and an interview conducted by someone who isn't a judicial officer, such as a custody evaluator or therapist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this act give judges a new power to interview children?
No. It applies only where other law already permits a judicial officer to conduct a judicial interview in a covered proceeding -- it regulates that existing power rather than creating it.
Does this act apply to juvenile delinquency or child-welfare cases?
No. It doesn't apply to a judicial interview conducted in a proceeding under the Oklahoma Children's Code or the Oklahoma Juvenile Code.
Does this act cover a custody evaluator's interview with my child?
No. It doesn't apply to an interview conducted by a person other than a judicial officer.
Does it apply if my child is sworn in to testify?
No. Sworn testimony by a child falls outside this act, which addresses only unsworn judicial interviews.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
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