Tex. Codes » Family Code · TITLE 5. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP · SUBTITLE B. SUITS AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP · CHAPTER 153. CONSERVATORSHIP, POSSESSION, AND ACCESS
Texas Codes

Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503 (2026)

Abduction Prevention Measures

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 153.503. ABDUCTION PREVENTION MEASURES. If the court finds that it is necessary under Section 153.501 to take measures to protect a child from international abduction by a parent of the child, the court may take any of the following actions:

(1) appoint a person other than the parent of the child who presents a risk of abducting the child as the sole managing conservator of the child;

(2) require supervised visitation of the parent by a visitation center or independent organization until the court finds under Section 153.501 that supervised visitation is no longer necessary;

(3) enjoin the parent or any person acting on the parent's behalf from:

(A) disrupting or removing the child from the school or child-care facility in which the child is enrolled; or

(B) approaching the child at any location other than a site designated for supervised visitation;

(4) order passport and travel controls, including controls that:

(A) prohibit the parent and any person acting on the parent's behalf from removing the child from this state or the United States;

(B) require the parent to surrender any passport issued in the child's name, including any passport issued in the name of both the parent and the child; and

(C) prohibit the parent from applying on behalf of the child for a new or replacement passport or international travel visa;

(5) require the parent to provide:

(A) to the United States Department of State's Office of Children's Issues and the relevant foreign consulate or embassy:

(i) written notice of the court-ordered passport and travel restrictions for the child; and

(ii) a properly authenticated copy of the court order detailing the restrictions and documentation of the parent's agreement to the restrictions; and

(B) to the court proof of receipt of the written notice required by Paragraph (A)(i) by the United States Department of State's Office of Children's Issues and the relevant foreign consulate or embassy;

(6) order the parent to execute a bond or deposit security in an amount sufficient to offset the cost of recovering the child if the child is abducted by the parent to a foreign country;

(7) authorize the appropriate law enforcement agencies to take measures to prevent the abduction of the child by the parent; or

(8) include in the court's order provisions:

(A) identifying the United States as the country of habitual residence of the child;

(B) defining the basis for the court's exercise of jurisdiction; and

(C) stating that a party's violation of the order may subject the party to a civil penalty or criminal penalty or to both civil and criminal penalties.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 612, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003.

SUBCHAPTER J. RIGHTS OF SIBLINGS


Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2007–2026 · leading case: In Re Sigmar, 270 S.W.3d 289 (Tex. App. 2008).
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In Re Sigmar, 270 S.W.3d 289 (Tex. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “Compare Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.503 (“the court may take any of the following actions”) (emphasis added) with Unif.”
Sylvia Yolanda Arredondo v. Antonio A. Betancourt, Jr., 383 S.W.3d 730 (Tex. App. 2012). “See Tex. Fam.Code § 153.503 (listing abduction-prevention measures the trial court may take based upon certain findings); see also Tex.”
Prabhakar Gopalan v. Andrea Marsh (Tex. App. 2025). · cites it 3× “” See Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503. We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by combining this statutory language as it did.”
in Re Axel Michael Sigmar (Tex. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “Compare TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 153.503 (“the court may take any of the In re Sigmar Page 27 following actions”) (emphasis added) with UNIF.”
Chia-Ying Persephone Chen v. Marc A. Hernandez (Tex. App. 2012). · cites it 2× “, see Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 153.503 (4)(A); that Chen shall surrender any passport issued in the name of K.”
in the Interest of I.R.B., a Child (Tex. App. 2019). “Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 153.503 . Imposition of such prevention measures requires the court to consider certain abduction risk factors found in section 153.”
Claudia Susana Martinez Jardon v. Gerd Pfister (Tex. App. 2019). “See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 153.503. The $400,000 bond in this case is founded on the risk of international abduction by Mother and is intended to offset the cost of retrieving A.”
Dmintry Nikolenko v. Luiza Nikolenko (Tex. App. 2022). “TEX. FAM. CODE § 153.503(2) (“If the court finds that it is necessary under Section 153.”
In Re Cristina Gallegos Ortega v. the State of Texas (2026). “aro Olvera further requested the trial court to: (1) appoint both parents as joint managing conservators for the child; (2) appoint Alfaro Olvera as the conservator with the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child in Mexico; (3) determine whether it was…”
Jonathan Scott Micklethwait v. Marina Karitznova Micklethwait (Tex. App. 2007). “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 153.503 (West Supp.”
Jonathan Scott Micklethwait v. Marina Karitznova Micklethwait (Tex. App. 2007). “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 153.503 (West Supp.”
Chia-Ying Persephone Chen v. Marc A. Hernandez (Tex. App. 2012). “503(4)(B), (C); that Chen shall provide to the appropriate authorities a properly authenticated copy of the order and her agreement to it and provide to the trial court proof of receipt by the authorities, see id.”
— Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503(2) — 3 cases
In Re Sigmar, 270 S.W.3d 289 (Tex. App. 2008). “Compare Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.503 (“the court may take any of the following actions”) (emphasis added) with Unif.”
Dmintry Nikolenko v. Luiza Nikolenko (Tex. App. 2022). “TEX. FAM. CODE § 153.503(2) (“If the court finds that it is necessary under Section 153.”
in Re Axel Michael Sigmar (Tex. App. 2008). “Compare TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 153.503 (“the court may take any of the In re Sigmar Page 27 following actions”) (emphasis added) with UNIF.”
— Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503(4)(A) — 1 case
Chia-Ying Persephone Chen v. Marc A. Hernandez (Tex. App. 2012). “, see Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 153.503 (4)(A); that Chen shall surrender any passport issued in the name of K.”
— Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503(6) — 1 case
Prabhakar Gopalan v. Andrea Marsh (Tex. App. 2025). “” See Tex. Fam. Code § 153.503. We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by combining this statutory language as it did.”
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