§1204 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Taking, trying to take, or keeping a child who has been in the United States and bringing them outside the country to block a parent's custody or visitation rights is a crime. A person convicted can be fined, jailed for up to 3 years, or both. A "child" means someone under 16. "Parental rights" means the right to have the child live with you or to visit them, whether by law, court order, or agreement. You can defend yourself if you had a valid custody or visitation order under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act that was in effect; if you were fleeing domestic violence; or if you had court-ordered custody or visitation and could not return the child because of things beyond your control, told or reasonably tried to tell the other parent within 24 hours after the visit ended, and returned the child as soon as possible. This does not override the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction (October 25, 1980).

Title 18, §1204

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever removes a child from the United States, or attempts to do so, or retains a child (who has been in the United States) outside the United States with intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.

(b)As used in this section—

(1)the term “child” means a person who has not attained the age of 16 years; and

(2)the term “parental rights”, with respect to a child, means the right to physical custody of the child—

(A)whether joint or sole (and includes visiting rights); and

(B)whether arising by operation of law, court order, or legally binding agreement of the parties.

(c)It shall be an affirmative defense under this section that—

(1)the defendant acted within the provisions of a valid court order granting the defendant legal custody or visitation rights and that order was obtained pursuant to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act and was in effect at the time of the offense;

(2)the defendant was fleeing an incidence or pattern of domestic violence; or

(3)the defendant had physical custody of the child pursuant to a court order granting legal custody or visitation rights and failed to return the child as a result of circumstances beyond the defendant’s control, and the defendant notified or made reasonable attempts to notify the other parent or lawful custodian of the child of such circumstances within 24 hours after the visitation period had expired and returned the child as soon as possible.

(d)This section does not detract from The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction, done at The Hague on October 25, 1980.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–21, § 107(1), inserted “, or attempts to do so,” before “or retains”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 108–21, § 107(2)(A), inserted “or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and

Enforcement

Act” before “and was”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 108–21, § 107(2)(B), inserted “or” after semicolon at end.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Sense of Congress Regarding Use of Procedures Under The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction Pub. L. 103–173, § 2(b), Dec. 2, 1993, 107 Stat. 1999, provided that: “It is the sense of the Congress that, inasmuch as use of the procedures under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction has resulted in the return of many children, those procedures, in circumstances in which they are applicable, should be the option of first choice for a parent who seeks the return of a child who has been removed from the parent.”

§1204 International parental kidnapping