As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Abandoned” means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision.
2. “Child” means an individual who has not attained eighteen years of age.
3. “Child-custody determination” means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. The term includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. The term does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual.
4. “Child-custody proceeding” means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical \n Tue Dec 09 22:00:03 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 598B (16, 0) §598B.102, UNIFORM CHILD-CUSTODY JURISDICTION AND ENFORCEMENT 2\n\ncustody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. The term includes a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. The term does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under article III.
5. “Commencement” means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding.
6. “Court” means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child-custody determination.
7. “Home state” means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child-custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six months of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period.
8. “Initial determination” means the first child-custody determination concerning a particular child.
9. “Issuing court” means the court that makes a child-custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this chapter.
10. “Issuing state” means the state in which a child-custody determination is made.
11. “Modification” means a child-custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination.
12. “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, or government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity.
13. “Person acting as a parent” means a person, other than a parent, to whom both of the following apply:
a. The person has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year immediately before the commencement of a child-custody proceeding.
b. The person has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state.
14. “Physical custody” means the physical care and supervision of a child.
15. “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
16. “Tribe” means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.
17. “Warrant” means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child. 99 Acts, ch 103, §2 Referred to in §236.4, 236.5 \n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
32
cases (
9 in the last 5 years), 2001–2026 · leading case:
In the interest of E.D., 812 N.W.2d 712 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
In the interest of E.D., 812 N.W.2d 712 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
· cites it 12× “Iowa Code § 598B.102(3), (4). The parties do not dispute the applicability of the UCCJEA to the instant proceedings.”
L.N.S. v. S.W.S., 854 N.W.2d 699 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013).
· cites it 5× “§ 598B.102. “Modification” therefore encompasses the district court’s determination that Linda’s rights were cut off with the termination of the child’s father’s rights, as the finding “changed, replaced or superseded” Linda’s Georgia order.”
Bartsch v. Bartsch, 636 N.W.2d 3 (Iowa 2001).
· cites it 4× “2d 126, 129 (1992); see also Iowa Code § 598B.102(4) (Supp.1999) (new Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) applies specifically to domestic-abuse protection orders).”
White v. Harper, 807 N.W.2d 289 (Iowa Ct. App. 2011).
· cites it 6× “This is a modification as defined in Iowa Code section 598B.102(11). 6 White seeks to change, replace, or supersede the Tennessee order.”
In Re Guardianship of Deal-Burch, 759 N.W.2d 341 (Iowa Ct. App. 2008).
· cites it 6× “8 Iowa Code § 598B.102(4). Neither party nor the district court has addressed the provisions of this act.”
In the Interest of J.M., 832 N.W.2d 713 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013).
· cites it 4× “See Iowa Code § 598B.102(7). As previously articulated, the court cannot predicate a final child custody determination on temporary emergency jurisdiction alone.”
Stauffer v. Temperle, 794 N.W.2d 317 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010).
· cites it 4× “” 4 Iowa Code § 598B.102(3). But, to invoke exclusive, continuing jurisdiction, there must have been an “initial” child-custody determination previously made.”
In re the Marriage of Del Real (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
· cites it 9× “” Iowa Code § 598B.102(15). The UCCJEA further provides that “[a] court of this state shall treat a foreign country as if it were a state of the United States for the purpose of applying this article and article II.”
In the Interest of A.R., B.R., A.M., & R.T., Minor Child., S.R., Mother, S.R., Father (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
· cites it 8× “2012) (citing Iowa Code §§ 598B.102(5), .201(1)). Here, the children’s home state is Iowa because it is the last state the children lived in for at least six months, the children were in Iowa when the proceedings were commenced, and their temporary absence to travel to other…”
In the Matter of the Guardianship of A.B. & B.B., Minor Child., A.B., Father, appellant/cross-appellee, J.K., Guardian, appellee/cross-appellant. (Iowa Ct. App. 2016).
· cites it 4× “9 In its March 2015 order rejecting Aaron’s request to dismiss the 2010 protection order, the Colorado court acknowledged the protection order excluding the father’s contact with 9 § 1738A(b)(3) (defining “custody determination” as “a judgment, decree, or other order of a court…”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(11) — 1 case
White v. Harper, 807 N.W.2d 289 (Iowa Ct. App. 2011).
“This is a modification as defined in Iowa Code section 598B.102(11). 6 White seeks to change, replace, or supersede the Tennessee order.”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(13) — 3 cases
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(13)(a) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(15) — 2 cases
In re the Marriage of Del Real (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
“” Iowa Code § 598B.102(15). The UCCJEA further provides that “[a] court of this state shall treat a foreign country as if it were a state of the United States for the purpose of applying this article and article II.”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(2) — 2 cases
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(3) — 9 cases
L.N.S. v. S.W.S., 854 N.W.2d 699 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013).
“§ 598B.102. “Modification” therefore encompasses the district court’s determination that Linda’s rights were cut off with the termination of the child’s father’s rights, as the finding “changed, replaced or superseded” Linda’s Georgia order.”
In the interest of E.D., 812 N.W.2d 712 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
“Iowa Code § 598B.102(3), (4). The parties do not dispute the applicability of the UCCJEA to the instant proceedings.”
Stauffer v. Temperle, 794 N.W.2d 317 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010).
“” 4 Iowa Code § 598B.102(3). But, to invoke exclusive, continuing jurisdiction, there must have been an “initial” child-custody determination previously made.”
In the Matter of the Guardianship of A.B. & B.B., Minor Child., A.B., Father, appellant/cross-appellee, J.K., Guardian, appellee/cross-appellant. (Iowa Ct. App. 2016).
“9 In its March 2015 order rejecting Aaron’s request to dismiss the 2010 protection order, the Colorado court acknowledged the protection order excluding the father’s contact with 9 § 1738A(b)(3) (defining “custody determination” as “a judgment, decree, or other order of a court…”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(4) — 9 cases
Bartsch v. Bartsch, 636 N.W.2d 3 (Iowa 2001).
“2d 126, 129 (1992); see also Iowa Code § 598B.102(4) (Supp.1999) (new Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) applies specifically to domestic-abuse protection orders).”
In Re Guardianship of Deal-Burch, 759 N.W.2d 341 (Iowa Ct. App. 2008).
“8 Iowa Code § 598B.102(4). Neither party nor the district court has addressed the provisions of this act.”
In re the Marriage of Del Real (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
“” Iowa Code § 598B.102(15). The UCCJEA further provides that “[a] court of this state shall treat a foreign country as if it were a state of the United States for the purpose of applying this article and article II.”
In the Matter of the Guardianship of A.B. & B.B., Minor Child., A.B., Father, appellant/cross-appellee, J.K., Guardian, appellee/cross-appellant. (Iowa Ct. App. 2016).
“9 In its March 2015 order rejecting Aaron’s request to dismiss the 2010 protection order, the Colorado court acknowledged the protection order excluding the father’s contact with 9 § 1738A(b)(3) (defining “custody determination” as “a judgment, decree, or other order of a court…”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(5) — 4 cases
In the interest of E.D., 812 N.W.2d 712 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
“Iowa Code § 598B.102(3), (4). The parties do not dispute the applicability of the UCCJEA to the instant proceedings.”
In the Interest of A.R., B.R., A.M., & R.T., Minor Child., S.R., Mother, S.R., Father (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
“2012) (citing Iowa Code §§ 598B.102(5), .201(1)). Here, the children’s home state is Iowa because it is the last state the children lived in for at least six months, the children were in Iowa when the proceedings were commenced, and their temporary absence to travel to other…”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(7) — 23 cases
In the interest of E.D., 812 N.W.2d 712 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
“Iowa Code § 598B.102(3), (4). The parties do not dispute the applicability of the UCCJEA to the instant proceedings.”
In the Interest of J.M., 832 N.W.2d 713 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013).
“See Iowa Code § 598B.102(7). As previously articulated, the court cannot predicate a final child custody determination on temporary emergency jurisdiction alone.”
L.N.S. v. S.W.S., 854 N.W.2d 699 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013).
“§ 598B.102. “Modification” therefore encompasses the district court’s determination that Linda’s rights were cut off with the termination of the child’s father’s rights, as the finding “changed, replaced or superseded” Linda’s Georgia order.”
White v. Harper, 807 N.W.2d 289 (Iowa Ct. App. 2011).
“This is a modification as defined in Iowa Code section 598B.102(11). 6 White seeks to change, replace, or supersede the Tennessee order.”
In Re Guardianship of Deal-Burch, 759 N.W.2d 341 (Iowa Ct. App. 2008).
“8 Iowa Code § 598B.102(4). Neither party nor the district court has addressed the provisions of this act.”
— Iowa Code § 598B.102(8) — 5 cases
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