Code of Alabama
Ala. Code § 12-15-114 (2026)
Original Jurisdiction - Juvenile.
✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
(a) A juvenile court shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction of juvenile court proceedings in which a child is alleged to have committed a delinquent act, to be dependent, or to be in need of supervision. A dependency action shall not include a custody dispute between parents. Juvenile cases before the juvenile court shall be initiated through the juvenile court intake office pursuant to this chapter.
(b) A juvenile court shall not have jurisdiction over any delinquent act committed by an individual before his or her 18th birthday for which a petition has not been filed before the individual reaches 21 years of age, except when the delinquent act is an offense having no statute of limitation as provided in Section 15-3-5.
(c) A juvenile court shall also exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over each of the following:
(1) Proceedings pursuant to the Interstate Compact on Juveniles and the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children pursuant to Chapter 2 of Title 44.
(2) Proceedings for termination of parental rights.
(Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §5-108; Acts 1990, No. 90-674, p. 1304, §4; §12-15-30; amended and renumbered by Act 2008-277, p. 441, §3; Act 2014-350, p. 1299, §1.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 97
cases (18 in the last 5 years), 2010–2026 · leading case: Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014).
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “3 1121462 A majority of the Court of Civil Appeals held that, under § 12-15-114, the juvenile court lacked jurisdiction over a termination-of-parental-rights claim except insofar as that claim arises out of a proceeding involving an allegation that the child as to whom parental…”
W.B.B. v. H.M.S., 141 So. 3d 1062 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013). “Code 1975, which was amended and renumbered as § 12-15-114 upon enactment of the AJJA, specifically provided: “The [juvenile] court shall .”
G.H. v. Cleburne Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 62 So. 3d 540 (Ala. Civ. App. 2010). “Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-114(a). [5] However, a "dependency action shall not include a custody dispute between parents.”
T.K. v. M.G., 82 So. 3d 1 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). “The court explained that under the AJJA, which was effective starting January 1, 2009, a dependency action did not include a custody dispute between parents, see § 12-15-114, Ala.Code 1975, and that the juvenile court’s continuing jurisdiction over custody matters applies only…”
C.O. v. Jefferson Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 206 So. 3d 621 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “Section 12-15-114(a), Ala.Code 1975, a part of the AJJA, vests the juvenile courts with exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings in which a child is.”
Ex Parte L.E.O., 61 So. 3d 1042 (Ala. 2010). “We now blur, indeed largely remove, the line between true dependency cases, which fall within the limited, exclusive jurisdiction of the juvenile court and which are governed by the statutory dependency scheme, see Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-114 (formerly § 12-15-30), and mere…”
M.B. v. M.M.T., 148 So. 3d 728 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014). “The father’s petition also failed to invoke the dependency jurisdiction of the juvenile court as established in § 12-15-114, Ala. Code 1975, also a part of the AJJA.”
K.C. v. R.L.P., 67 So. 3d 94 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). “, those judgments remain valid and enforceable nothwithstanding [Ala.Code 1975, §§ 12-15-114 and 12-15-117].”
A.H. v. B.C., 178 So. 3d 853 (Ala. 2015). “2014), in which this Court held that a juvenile court may exercise jurisdiction under § 12-15-114, Ala.Code 1975, of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act, § 12-15-101 et seq.”
Winford v. Winford, 139 So. 3d 179 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013). ““A juvenile court shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction of juvenile court proceedings in which a child is alleged to have committed a delinquent act, to be dependent, or to be in need of supervision.”
B.R.G. v. G.L.M., 57 So. 3d 137 (Ala. Civ. App. 2010). “See § 12-15-114(a) (“A juvenile court shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction of juvenile court proceedings in which a child is alleged .”
S.N.W. v. M.D.F.H., 127 So. 3d 1225 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013). “*1229 We agree that § 12-15-114 bestows upon juvenile courts exclusive original jurisdiction of termination-of-parental-rights proceedings arising out of dependency proceedings, but we do not agree that juvenile courts lack jurisdiction to adjudicate petitions to terminate…”
— Ala. Code § 12-15-114(a) — 76 cases
G.H. v. Cleburne Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 62 So. 3d 540 (Ala. Civ. App. 2010). “Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-114(a). [5] However, a "dependency action shall not include a custody dispute between parents.”
T.K. v. M.G., 82 So. 3d 1 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). “The court explained that under the AJJA, which was effective starting January 1, 2009, a dependency action did not include a custody dispute between parents, see § 12-15-114, Ala.Code 1975, and that the juvenile court’s continuing jurisdiction over custody matters applies only…”
C.O. v. Jefferson Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 206 So. 3d 621 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “Section 12-15-114(a), Ala.Code 1975, a part of the AJJA, vests the juvenile courts with exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings in which a child is.”
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “3 1121462 A majority of the Court of Civil Appeals held that, under § 12-15-114, the juvenile court lacked jurisdiction over a termination-of-parental-rights claim except insofar as that claim arises out of a proceeding involving an allegation that the child as to whom parental…”
M.B. v. M.M.T., 148 So. 3d 728 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014). “The father’s petition also failed to invoke the dependency jurisdiction of the juvenile court as established in § 12-15-114, Ala. Code 1975, also a part of the AJJA.”
— Ala. Code § 12-15-114(b) — 2 cases
A.H. v. B.C., 178 So. 3d 850 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013).
M.A.M. v. State, 177 So. 3d 222 (Ala. Crim. App. 2015).
— Ala. Code § 12-15-114(c) — 5 cases
W.B.B. v. H.M.S., 141 So. 3d 1062 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013). “Code 1975, which was amended and renumbered as § 12-15-114 upon enactment of the AJJA, specifically provided: “The [juvenile] court shall .”
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “3 1121462 A majority of the Court of Civil Appeals held that, under § 12-15-114, the juvenile court lacked jurisdiction over a termination-of-parental-rights claim except insofar as that claim arises out of a proceeding involving an allegation that the child as to whom parental…”
A.H. v. B.C., 178 So. 3d 853 (Ala. 2015). “2014), in which this Court held that a juvenile court may exercise jurisdiction under § 12-15-114, Ala.Code 1975, of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act, § 12-15-101 et seq.”
R.W.R. v. R.M., 144 So. 3d 384 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014).
C.M.L. v. B.E.L., 160 So. 3d 775 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014).
— Ala. Code § 12-15-114(c)(2) — 7 cases
J.K. v. Jefferson Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 114 So. 3d 835 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012).
A.H. v. B.C., 178 So. 3d 850 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013).
Ra'Drecia Reynolds v. Barry Adereti (Ala. Civ. App. 2025).
T.J.R.-L. v. B.M. (Appeal from Randolph Circuit Court: JU-23-15.02). (Ala. Civ. App. 2025).
N.S. v. B.K.M. & S.M. (Ala. Civ. App. 2025).
— Ala. Code § 12-15-114(e)(2) — 1 case
J.K. v. Jefferson Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources, 114 So. 3d 835 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012).
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