(1) A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the law of this state to enforce a registered child custody determination made by a court of another state.
822.36.Enforcement of registered determination.
Ch. 822: Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 822.36 lets a Wisconsin court grant any relief ordinarily available under state law to enforce a registered out-of-state custody determination, while barring the court from modifying that determination except through chapter 822’s own jurisdiction-to-modify rules.
Full Text of Section 822.36
(2) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce, but may not modify, except in accordance with subch. II, a registered child custody determination of a court of another state.
Plain-English Summary
Section 822.36 supplies the enforcement power that follows registration under section 822.35. Subsection (1) lets a Wisconsin court grant any relief normally available under Wisconsin law to enforce a registered custody determination made by a court in another state, giving the court the full range of its usual enforcement tools once the determination is registered.
Subsection (2) pairs that power with a limit: the court must recognize and enforce the registered determination, but it may not modify it except in accordance with subchapter II, meaning the jurisdiction-to-modify rules in sections 822.21 through 822.28. Registration supports enforcement; it does not, by itself, give Wisconsin authority to change the terms of another state’s custody determination. That authority still depends on Wisconsin independently qualifying under the modification rules, the same rules section 822.33’s general duty to enforce and section 822.35’s registration process both connect back to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a Wisconsin court do to enforce a registered out-of-state custody determination?
Section 822.36(1) lets it grant any relief normally available under Wisconsin law to enforce the registered determination.
Can a Wisconsin court change the terms of a registered custody determination while enforcing it?
No, except in accordance with subchapter II’s jurisdiction-to-modify rules. Section 822.36(2) bars modification outside that framework.
Does registering a custody order automatically give Wisconsin the power to modify it?
No. Registration under section 822.35 supports enforcement; modification authority still depends on Wisconsin independently qualifying under the rules in sections 822.21 through 822.28.
What has to happen before a Wisconsin court can use the enforcement tools in section 822.36?
The determination must first be registered under section 822.35, which sets the filing and notice process that section 822.36’s enforcement power builds on.
Is Wisconsin required to enforce a registered determination, or is that optional?
Required. Section 822.36(2) says the court shall recognize and enforce a registered determination, subject only to the limit on modifying it.
Amendment History
History: 2005 a. 130.
Source & verification. Section text and official notes are
reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, published by the
Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau). Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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