Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§663 Use of Federal Parent Locator Service in connection with enforcement or determination of child custody in cases of parental kidnaping of child
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES › Part Part D— - Child Support and Establishment of Paternity › § 663
Summary
The Secretary must make deals with every State so the Federal Parent Locator Service can be used to find a parent or child. States can use the service when they need to locate someone to enforce laws about taking or holding a child illegally, or to make or enforce a court order about custody or visitation. A designated State agency will send requests from approved people under rules the Secretary sets. Only the most recent home address and job location can be given, and the same privacy and disclosure rules that apply to the Parent Locator Service must be followed. Definitions: "custody or visitation determination" means any court order about a child’s custody or visits. "Authorized person" means state agents or lawyers who enforce custody orders, courts or their agents, and federal or state agents or lawyers who investigate or prosecute illegal taking of a child. The Secretary must also provide the service, free of charge, to the President’s designated Central Authority and to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for these same locating purposes.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §663
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with every State under which the services of the Federal Parent Locator Service established under section 653 of this title shall be made available to each State for the purpose of determining the whereabouts of any parent or child when such information is to be used to locate such parent or child for the purpose of—
(1)enforcing any State or Federal law with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child; or
(2)making or enforcing a child custody or visitation determination.
(b)An agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall provide that the State agency described in section 654 of this title will, under procedures prescribed by the Secretary in regulations, receive and transmit to the Secretary requests from authorized persons for information as to (or useful in determining) the whereabouts of any parent or child when such information is to be used to locate such parent or child for the purpose of—
(1)enforcing any State or Federal law with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child; or
(2)making or enforcing a child custody or visitation determination.
(c)Information authorized to be provided by the Secretary under subsection (a), (b), (e), or (f) shall be subject to the same conditions with respect to disclosure as information authorized to be provided under section 653 of this title, and a request for information by the Secretary under this section shall be considered to be a request for information under section 653 of this title which is authorized to be provided under such section. Only information as to the most recent address and place of employment of any parent or child shall be provided under this section.
(d)For purposes of this section—
(1)the term “custody or visitation determination” means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the custody or visitation of a child, and includes permanent and temporary orders, and initial orders and modification;
(2)the term “authorized person” means—
(A)any agent or attorney of any State having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority under the law of such State to enforce a child custody or visitation determination;
(B)any court having jurisdiction to make or enforce such a child custody or visitation determination, or any agent of such court; and
(C)any agent or attorney of the United States, or of a State having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority to investigate, enforce, or bring a prosecution with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child.
(e)The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the Central Authority designated by the President in accordance with section 9006 of title 22, under which the services of the Federal Parent Locator Service established under section 653 of this title shall be made available to such Central Authority upon its request for the purpose of locating any parent or child on behalf of an applicant to such Central Authority within the meaning of section 9002(1) of title 22. The Federal Parent Locator Service shall charge no fees for services requested pursuant to this subsection.
(f)The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the Attorney General of the United States, under which the services of the Federal Parent Locator Service established under section 653 of this title shall be made available to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention upon its request to locate any parent or child on behalf of such Office for the purpose of—
(1)enforcing any State or Federal law with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child, or
(2)making or enforcing a child custody or visitation determination.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1997—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(1)(A), (5), in introductory provisions, substituted “every State” for “any State which is able and willing to do so,” and “each State” for “such State” and struck out “noncustodial” before “parent”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(1)(B), inserted “or visitation” after “custody”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(5), struck out “noncustodial” before “parent or child when” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(2), inserted “or visitation” after “custody”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(5), struck out “noncustodial” before “parent”. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(3)(A), inserted “or visitation” before “determination”. Subsec. (d)(2)(A), (B). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(3)(B), inserted “or visitation” after “custody”. Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 105–33, § 5534(b)(4), inserted “or visitation” after “custody”. 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–193, §§ 316(e)(1), 395(d)(1)(G), inserted “Federal” before “Parent Locator Service” and substituted “noncustodial parent” for “absent parent”. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 104–193, § 395(d)(1)(G), substituted “noncustodial parent” for “absent parent”. Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 104–193, § 316(e)(1), inserted “Federal” before “Parent Locator Service” wherever appearing. 1994—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–432, § 214(b), substituted “subsection (a), (b), (e), or (f)” for “subsection (a), (b), or (e)”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 103–432, § 214(a), added subsec. (f). 1988—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–300, § 11(1), substituted “under subsection (a)” for “under this section”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–300, § 11(2), substituted “under subsection (a), (b), or (e)” for “under this section”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100–300, § 11(3), added subsec. (e).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1997 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–33 effective as if included in the enactment of title III of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104–193, see section 5557 of Pub. L. 105–33, set out as a note under section 608 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1996 AmendmentFor
Effective Date
of amendment by Pub. L. 104–193, see section 395(a)–(c) of Pub. L. 104–193, set out as a note under section 654 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1994 Amendment Pub. L. 103–432, title II, § 214(c), Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4461, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1995.”
Effective Date
Pub. L. 96–611, § 9(d), Dec. 28, 1980, 94 Stat. 3573, provided that: “No agreement entered into under section 463 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 663] shall become effective before the date on which section 1738A of title 28, United States Code (as added by this title [probably should be “as added by section 8(a) of this Act”]) becomes effective.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 663
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73