Colorado § 14-13-201 Initial child-custody jurisdiction

Colorado Statutes

§ 14-13-201 — Initial child-custody jurisdiction

Colorado § 14-13-201

Title 14Domestic

Art.Uniform Child-custody Jurisdiction

This text of Colorado § 14-13-201 (Initial child-custody jurisdiction) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-13-201 (2026).

Text

(1)Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child-custody determination only if:

(a)This state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within one hundred eighty-two days before the commencement of the proceeding and the child is absent from this state but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to live in this state;

(b)A court of another state does not have jurisdiction under a provision of law adopted by that state that is in substantial conformity with paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), or a court of the home state of the child has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this state is the more appropriate f

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(1) Except as otherwise
provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial
child-custody determination only if:

(a) This state is the home state of the child on the date of the
commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within one
hundred eighty-two days before the commencement of the proceeding and the
child is absent from this state but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to
live in this state;

(b) A court of another state does not have jurisdiction under a provision of
law adopted by that state that is in substantial conformity with paragraph (a) of this
subsection (1), or a court of the home state of the child has declined to exercise
jurisdiction on the ground that this state is the more appropriate forum under a
provision of law adopted by that state that is in substantial conformity with section
14-13-207 or 14-13-208, and:

(I) The child and the child's parents, or the child and at least one parent or a
person acting as a parent, have a significant connection with this state other than
mere physical presence; and

(II) Substantial evidence is available in this state concerning the child's care,
protection, training, and personal relationships;

(c) All courts having jurisdiction under a provision of law adopted by that
state that is in substantial conformity with paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (1)
have declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that a court of this state is the
more appropriate forum to determine the custody of the child under a provision of
law adopted by that state that is in substantial conformity with section 14-13-207 or
14-13-208; or

(d) No court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria
specified in a provision of law adopted by that state that is in substantial conformity
with paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this subsection (1).

(2) Subsection (1) of this section is the exclusive jurisdictional basis for
making a child-custody determination by a court of this state.

(3) Physical presence of, or personal jurisdiction over, a party or a child is not
necessary or sufficient to make a child-custody determination.