Section 3127.35. Registration of child custody determination by non-Ohio court - contest of validity

(A) Subject to sections 2101.022 and 2301.03 of the Revised Code, the clerk of a juvenile court or other court with appropriate jurisdiction may register a child custody determination issued by a court of another state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, on receipt of all of the following:

(1) A letter or other document requesting that the child custody determination be registered;

(2) Two copies, including one certified copy, of the determination sought to be registered, and a statement under penalty of perjury that, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person seeking registration, the order has not been modified;

(3) Except as otherwise provided in section 3127.23 of the Revised Code, the name and address of the person seeking registration and any parent who is designated the residential parent and legal custodian of the child or to have parenting time with respect to the child or any person acting as a parent who has been awarded custody or visitation in the child custody determination sought to be registered;

(4) An advance deposit or fee established by the court.

(B) On receipt of the documents and information required by division (A) of this section, the registering court shall do both of the following:

(1) Cause the child custody determination to be filed as a foreign judgment together with one copy of any accompanying documents and information, regardless of their form;

(2) Serve notice of the registration request on the persons named pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section, and provide them with an opportunity to contest the registration in accordance with this section.

(C) The notice required by division (B)(2) of this section shall state all of the following:

(1) That the registered child custody determination is enforceable as of the date of the registration in the same manner as a child custody determination issued by a court of this state;

(2) That a hearing to contest the validity of the registered determination must be requested within thirty days after service of notice;

(3) That failure to contest the registration shall result in confirmation of the child custody determination and preclude further contest of that determination with respect to any matter that could have been asserted.

(D) A person seeking to contest the validity of a registered order shall request a hearing within thirty days after service of the notice. At that hearing, the court shall confirm the registered order unless the person contesting registration establishes one of the following circumstances:

(1) The issuing court did not have jurisdiction under sections 3127.15 to 3127.24 of the Revised Code or a similar statute of another state.

(2) The child custody determination sought to be registered has been vacated, stayed, or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so under sections 3127.15 to 3127.24 of the Revised Code or a similar statute of another state.

(3) The person contesting registration was entitled to notice of the child custody proceeding for which registration is sought, but notice was not given in accordance with the standards of section 3127.07 of the Revised Code or a similar statute of another state.

(E) If a timely request for a hearing to contest the validity of the registration is not made, the registration is confirmed as a matter of law and the person requesting registration and all persons served in accordance with division (B)(2) of this section must be notified of the confirmation.

(F) Confirmation of a registered child custody determination, whether by operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further contest of the determination with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time of registration.

Effective Date: 04-11-2005