§ 15-14.1-27. Registration of child custody determination.
(a) A child custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered
in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending
to the appropriate court in this state:
(1) A letter or other document requesting registration;
(2) Two (2) 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; and
(3) Except as otherwise provided, the name and address of the person seeking registration
and any parent or person acting as a parent who has been awarded custody or visitation
in the child custody determination sought to be registered.
(b) On receipt of the documents required by subsection (a) of this section, the registering
court shall:
(1) Cause the determination to be filed as a foreign judgment, together with one copy
of any accompanying documents and information, regardless of their form; and
(2) Serve notice upon the persons named pursuant to subdivision (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 subdivision (b)(2) of this section must state that:
(1) A registered determination is enforceable as of the date of the registration in the
same manner as a determination issued by a court of this state;
(2) A hearing to contest the validity of the registered determination must be requested
within twenty (20) days after service of notice; and
(3) Failure to contest the registration will 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 must request a hearing
within twenty (20) days after service of the notice. At that hearing, the court shall
confirm the registered order unless the person contesting registration establishes
that:
(1) The issuing court did not have jurisdiction;
(2) The child custody determination sought to be registered has been vacated, stayed,
or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so; or
(3) The person contesting registration was entitled to notice, but notice was not given
in the proceedings before the court that issued the order for which registration is
sought.
(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 must be notified of the confirmation.
(f) Confirmation of a registered order, whether by operation of law or after notice and
hearing, precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could
have been asserted at the time of registration.