Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 39.803 (2025)
Identity or location of parent unknown after filing of termination of parental rights petition; special procedures.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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39.803 Identity or location of parent unknown after filing of termination of parental rights petition; special procedures.—
(1) If the identity or location of a parent is unknown and a petition for termination of parental rights is filed, the court shall conduct under oath the following inquiry of the parent who is available, or, if no parent is available, of any relative, caregiver, or legal custodian of the child who is present at the hearing and likely to have the information:
(a) Whether the mother of the child was married at the probable time of conception of the child or at the time of birth of the child.
(b) Whether the mother was cohabiting with a male at the probable time of conception of the child.
(c) Whether the mother has received payments or promises of support with respect to the child or because of her pregnancy from a man who claims to be the father.
(d) Whether the mother has named any man as the father on the birth certificate of the child or in connection with applying for or receiving public assistance.
(e) Whether any man has acknowledged or claimed paternity of the child in a jurisdiction in which the mother resided at the time of or since conception of the child, or in which the child has resided or resides.
(f) Whether a man is named on the birth certificate of the child pursuant to s. 382.013(2).
(g) Whether a man has been determined by a court order to be the father of the child.
(h) Whether a man has been determined to be the father of the child by the Department of Revenue as provided in s. 409.256.
(2) The information required in subsection (1) may be supplied to the court or the department in the form of a sworn affidavit by a person having personal knowledge of the facts.
(3) If the inquiry under subsection (1) identifies any person as a parent or prospective parent, the court shall require notice of the hearing to be provided to that person.
(4) If the inquiry under subsection (1) fails to identify any person as a parent or prospective parent, the court shall so find and may proceed without further notice.
(5) If the inquiry under subsection (1) identifies a parent or prospective parent, and that person’s location is unknown, the court shall direct the petitioner to conduct a diligent search for that person before scheduling an adjudicatory hearing regarding the petition for termination of parental rights to the child unless the court finds that the best interest of the child requires proceeding without actual notice to the person whose location is unknown.
(6) The diligent search required by subsection (5) must include, at a minimum, inquiries of all known relatives of the parent or prospective parent, inquiries of all offices of program areas of the department likely to have information about the parent or prospective parent, inquiries of other state and federal agencies likely to have information about the parent or prospective parent, inquiries of appropriate utility and postal providers, a thorough search of at least one electronic database specifically designed for locating persons, a search of the Florida Putative Father Registry, and inquiries of appropriate law enforcement agencies. Pursuant to s. 453 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. s. 653(c)(4), the department, as the state agency administering Titles IV-B and IV-E of the act, shall be provided access to the federal and state parent locator service for diligent search activities.
(7) Any agency contacted by petitioner with a request for information pursuant to subsection (6) shall release the requested information to the petitioner without the necessity of a subpoena or court order.
(8) If the inquiry and diligent search identifies a prospective parent, that person must be given the opportunity to become a party to the proceedings by completing a sworn affidavit of parenthood and filing it with the court or the department. A prospective parent who files a sworn affidavit of parenthood while the child is a dependent child but no later than at the time of or before the adjudicatory hearing in the termination of parental rights proceeding for the child shall be considered a parent for all purposes under this section.
(9) If the diligent search under subsection (5) fails to identify and locate a prospective parent, the court shall so find and may proceed without further notice.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 9
cases, 2004–2019 · leading case: T.L.D. v. Dep't of Child. & Fam. Servs., 883 So. 2d 910 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004).
T.L.D. v. Dep't of Child. & Fam. Servs., 883 So. 2d 910 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004). “L.D. Reversed and remanded. STRINGER and DAVIS, JJ.”
A.S., the Father v. Dep't of Child. & Families, J.A., & Guardian Ad Litem Prog., 162 So. 3d 335 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015). “Section 39.803, Florida Statutes (2014), prescribes the inquiry the trial court must make when the identity or location of a parent is unknown and a petition for termination of parental rights has been filed.”
Dept. of Child. & Families v. JJE, 953 So. 2d 659 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). “If a party to a proceeding for termination of parental rights is known but his or her whereabouts are not, section 39.803(5) Florida Statues (2006), requires a court to direct the petitioner to conduct a diligent search to locate the party, unless it would be in the best…”
K.R.L. v. Dep't of Child. & Fam. Servs., 83 So. 3d 936 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012). “§ 39.803(2), Fla. Stat. (2010). Arguing that proposition, the trial court agreed *939 with DCF that the mother “knowingly-failed to prevent” the injuries.”
L.J. v. A.S., 25 So. 3d 1284 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010). “(2009) (stating that all proceedings seeking to terminate parental rights may be initiated by "any other person who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed of them and believes that they are true”), and § 39.803(5) (providing that in a proceeding for termination of the…”
Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juv. Procedure, 894 So. 2d 875 (Fla. 2005). “505 to clarify that service is only required for parties whose identities are known, in conformance with section 39.803(1) and (4), Florida Statutes (2004).”
D.n., the Mother v. Dept. of Child. & Families (Fla. 4th DCA 2019). “Egregious conduct is defined as “abuse, abandonment, neglect, or any other conduct that is deplorable, flagrant, or outrageous by a normal standard of conduct” and “may include an act or omission that occurred only once but was of such intensity, magnitude, or severity as to…”
Lj v. As, 25 So. 3d 1284 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010). “(2009) (stating that all proceedings seeking to terminate parental rights may be initiated by "any other person who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed of them and believes that they are true"), and § 39.803(5) (providing that in a proceeding for termination of the…”
DM v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 31 So. 3d 945 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010). “Mother asserts that the trial court failed to comply with section 39.803, Florida Statutes (2009), and the Department of Children and Families [“DCF”] failed to offer competent proof to support the trial court’s findings.”
— 39.803(1) — 1 case
Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juv. Procedure, 894 So. 2d 875 (Fla. 2005). “505 to clarify that service is only required for parties whose identities are known, in conformance with section 39.803(1) and (4), Florida Statutes (2004).”
— 39.803(2) — 2 cases
K.R.L. v. Dep't of Child. & Fam. Servs., 83 So. 3d 936 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012). “§ 39.803(2), Fla. Stat. (2010). Arguing that proposition, the trial court agreed *939 with DCF that the mother “knowingly-failed to prevent” the injuries.”
D.n., the Mother v. Dept. of Child. & Families (Fla. 4th DCA 2019). “Egregious conduct is defined as “abuse, abandonment, neglect, or any other conduct that is deplorable, flagrant, or outrageous by a normal standard of conduct” and “may include an act or omission that occurred only once but was of such intensity, magnitude, or severity as to…”
— 39.803(4) — 1 case
T.L.D. v. Dep't of Child. & Fam. Servs., 883 So. 2d 910 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004). “L.D. Reversed and remanded. STRINGER and DAVIS, JJ.”
— 39.803(5) — 3 cases
L.J. v. A.S., 25 So. 3d 1284 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010). “(2009) (stating that all proceedings seeking to terminate parental rights may be initiated by "any other person who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed of them and believes that they are true”), and § 39.803(5) (providing that in a proceeding for termination of the…”
Dept. of Child. & Families v. JJE, 953 So. 2d 659 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). “If a party to a proceeding for termination of parental rights is known but his or her whereabouts are not, section 39.803(5) Florida Statues (2006), requires a court to direct the petitioner to conduct a diligent search to locate the party, unless it would be in the best…”
Lj v. As, 25 So. 3d 1284 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010). “(2009) (stating that all proceedings seeking to terminate parental rights may be initiated by "any other person who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed of them and believes that they are true"), and § 39.803(5) (providing that in a proceeding for termination of the…”
— 39.803(6) — 1 case
Dept. of Child. & Families v. JJE, 953 So. 2d 659 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). “If a party to a proceeding for termination of parental rights is known but his or her whereabouts are not, section 39.803(5) Florida Statues (2006), requires a court to direct the petitioner to conduct a diligent search to locate the party, unless it would be in the best…”
— 39.803(8) — 1 case
A.S., the Father v. Dep't of Child. & Families, J.A., & Guardian Ad Litem Prog., 162 So. 3d 335 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015). “Section 39.803, Florida Statutes (2014), prescribes the inquiry the trial court must make when the identity or location of a parent is unknown and a petition for termination of parental rights has been filed.”
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