§ 26-10E-4 — Venue

(a) A petition for adoption shall be filed in the probate court in any of the following counties:
(1) The county in which the adoptee is born, resides, or has a legal domicile.
(2) The county in which a petitioner resides or is in military service.
(3) The county in which an office of any agency or institution operating under the laws of this state having guardianship or custody of an adoptee is located.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a petition for adoption may be filed in the probate court in another county if all of the following apply:
(1) The petitioner shows good cause on the record as to why the probate court selected should exercise venue over the adoption case.
(2) No party objects to the probate court selected within 30 days of service of the petition.
(3) The probate court selected determines in writing that it is in the best interest of the adoptee for the probate court to exercise venue over the adoption case.

Legislative History

(Act 2023-92, §1; Act 2025-407, §1.)