NC General Statutes

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201 (2026)

Initial child-custody jurisdiction

✓ current as of July 2026

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(a) Except as otherwise provided in G.S. 50A-204, a court of this State has jurisdiction to make an initial child-custody determination only if:

(1) This State is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within six months before the commencement of the proceeding, and the child is absent from this State but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to live in this State;

(2) A court of another state does not have jurisdiction under subdivision (1), or a court of the home state of the child has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this State is the more appropriate forum under G.S. 50A-207 or G.S. 50A-208, and:

a. The child and the child's parents, or the child and at least one parent or a person acting as a parent, have a significant connection with this State other than mere physical presence; and

b. Substantial evidence is available in this State concerning the child's care, protection, training, and personal relationships;

(3) All courts having jurisdiction under subdivision (1) or (2) have declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that a court of this State is the more appropriate forum to determine the custody of the child under G.S. 50A-207 or G.S. 50A-208; or

(4) No court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria specified in subdivision (1), (2), or (3).

(b) Subsection (a) is the exclusive jurisdictional basis for making a child-custody determination by a court of this State.

(c) Physical presence of, or personal jurisdiction over, a party or a child is not necessary or sufficient to make a child-custody determination. (1979, c. 110, s. 1; 1999-223, s. 3.)

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 117 cases (32 in the last 5 years), 2000–2026 · leading case: In re: J.H., 780 S.E.2d 228 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015).

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In re: J.H., 780 S.E.2d 228 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 15× “§ 50A-201(a)(1) A North Carolina court has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201(a)(1) if North Carolina was the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within six months…”

In Re H.L.A.D., 646 S.E.2d 425 (N.C. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 14× “We note that the definition of a "child-custody proceeding" under the UCCJEA specifically includes a proceeding for neglect, abuse, dependency or termination of parental rights.”

In re N.T.U., 760 S.E.2d 49 (N.C. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 18× “§ 7B-1101, the trial court must have jurisdiction to make a child-custody determination under the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201 or N.C. Gen. Stat.”

Foley v. Foley, 576 S.E.2d 383 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 15× “Accordingly, because the record is devoid of evidence from which it may be ascertained whether or not the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction, we must vacate the order filed 18 December 2001 and remand this case to the trial court to determine whether it had subject…”

In Re T.J.D.W., 642 S.E.2d 471 (N.C. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 17× “A trial court is statutorily required to find and conclude that it possesses jurisdiction to make a child custody determination under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”), N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 50A-201, 50A-203, and 50A-204, before exercising…”

In Re K.u.-s.g., 702 S.E.2d 103 (N.C. Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 15× “Jurisdiction under UCCJEA Section 201 The first provision of the UCCJEA, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201, “addresses the jurisdictional requirements for initial child-custody determinations.”

In Re: A.l.l., R.j.m., R.a.m., A.o.z., D.A.M., 802 S.E.2d 598 (N.C. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 12× “§ 50A-201 ; (2) exclusive, continuing jurisdiction, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-202 ; (3) jurisdiction to modify determination, N.”

In re E.X.J., 662 S.E.2d 24 (N.C. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 15× “With respect to the bases for jurisdiction set forth in N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201 and N.C. Gen.Stat.”

In re J.B., 595 S.E.2d 794 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 16× “COA03-808 are vacated, and the cases are remanded for the trial court to make specific findings of fact to support its conclusion of law that it possessed subject matter jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (“UCCJA”) as outlined in N.C. Gen. Stat. §…”

In re: T.G., 781 S.E.2d 93 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 16× “N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201(a) provides in relevant part: Except as otherwise provided in G.”

In re N.R.M., 598 S.E.2d 147 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 9× “The UCCJEA provisions referenced above include N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 50A-201, 50A-203, and 50A-204.”

Hammond v. Hammond, 708 S.E.2d 74 (N.C. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 27× “N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201 (2009). In the instant case, the trial court concluded subject matter jurisdiction was proper on the basis that North Carolina “was and is the ‘home state’ ” of the Hammond’s children under the UCCJEA.”

Show all 117 citing cases →

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(1) — 3 cases

Foley v. Foley, 576 S.E.2d 383 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003). “Accordingly, because the record is devoid of evidence from which it may be ascertained whether or not the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction, we must vacate the order filed 18 December 2001 and remand this case to the trial court to determine whether it had subject…”

In re J.B., 595 S.E.2d 794 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004). “COA03-808 are vacated, and the cases are remanded for the trial court to make specific findings of fact to support its conclusion of law that it possessed subject matter jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (“UCCJA”) as outlined in N.C. Gen. Stat. §…”

In Re Jb, 595 S.E.2d 794 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a) — 25 cases

In Re T.J.D.W., 642 S.E.2d 471 (N.C. Ct. App. 2007). “A trial court is statutorily required to find and conclude that it possesses jurisdiction to make a child custody determination under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”), N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 50A-201, 50A-203, and 50A-204, before exercising…”

Hammond v. Hammond, 708 S.E.2d 74 (N.C. Ct. App. 2011). “N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201 (2009). In the instant case, the trial court concluded subject matter jurisdiction was proper on the basis that North Carolina “was and is the ‘home state’ ” of the Hammond’s children under the UCCJEA.”

In re M.G., 653 S.E.2d 581 (N.C. Ct. App. 2007).

In re M.B., 635 S.E.2d 8 (N.C. Ct. App. 2006).

In re N.T.U., 760 S.E.2d 49 (N.C. Ct. App. 2014). “§ 7B-1101, the trial court must have jurisdiction to make a child-custody determination under the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201 or N.C. Gen. Stat.”

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(1) — 54 cases

In re: J.H., 780 S.E.2d 228 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015). “§ 50A-201(a)(1) A North Carolina court has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201(a)(1) if North Carolina was the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within six months…”

In Re: A.l.l., R.j.m., R.a.m., A.o.z., D.A.M., 802 S.E.2d 598 (N.C. Ct. App. 2017). “§ 50A-201 ; (2) exclusive, continuing jurisdiction, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-202 ; (3) jurisdiction to modify determination, N.”

In re E.X.J., 662 S.E.2d 24 (N.C. Ct. App. 2008). “With respect to the bases for jurisdiction set forth in N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201 and N.C. Gen.Stat.”

In re: T.G., 781 S.E.2d 93 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015). “N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201(a) provides in relevant part: Except as otherwise provided in G.”

Quevedo-Woolf v. Overholser, 820 S.E.2d 817 (N.C. Ct. App. 2018).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(2) — 33 cases

In re: T.R., 792 S.E.2d 197 (N.C. Ct. App. 2016).

In re: T.G., 781 S.E.2d 93 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015). “N.C. Gen.Stat. § 50A-201(a) provides in relevant part: Except as otherwise provided in G.”

State v. Harwood, 777 S.E.2d 116 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015).

Chick v. Chick, 596 S.E.2d 303 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(2)(a) — 6 cases

In re M.R.J. (N.C. 2021).

Sulier v. Veneskey (N.C. Ct. App. 2022).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(2)(b) — 7 cases

In re M.R.J. (N.C. 2021).

Sulier v. Veneskey (N.C. Ct. App. 2022).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(3) — 7 cases

Sulier v. Veneskey (N.C. Ct. App. 2022).

Palmer v. Cline, 825 S.E.2d 279 (N.C. Ct. App. 2019).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(4) — 8 cases

State v. Harwood, 777 S.E.2d 116 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015).

Sulier v. Veneskey (N.C. Ct. App. 2022).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(a)(l) — 12 cases

In Re K.u.-s.g., 702 S.E.2d 103 (N.C. Ct. App. 2010). “Jurisdiction under UCCJEA Section 201 The first provision of the UCCJEA, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201, “addresses the jurisdictional requirements for initial child-custody determinations.”

In re N.R.M., 598 S.E.2d 147 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004). “The UCCJEA provisions referenced above include N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 50A-201, 50A-203, and 50A-204.”

In Re Humphrey, 577 S.E.2d 421 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(b) — 3 cases

Bohannan v. McManaway, 705 S.E.2d 1 (N.C. Ct. App. 2010).

Bonomo v. Shabat (N.C. Ct. App. 2026).

— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50A-201(c) — 3 cases

In Re Poole, 568 S.E.2d 200 (N.C. Ct. App. 2002).

In Re F.S.T.Y. (N.C. 2020).

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