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Oklahoma · Snapshot open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14

Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 43-551-102: Definitions

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. OK Code
  2. Title 43

DEFINITIONS

In this act:

1. "Abandoned" means left without provision for reasonable and

necessary care or supervision;

2. "Child" means an individual who has not attained eighteen

(18) 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 custody, or visitation with respect to a child is

an issue. The term includes a proceeding for divorce, 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 3 of this act;

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 (6)

consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child

custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six (6) months

of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth

with the parent or person acting as a parent. A period of temporary

absence of the parent or person acting as a parent 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 act;

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, government, including any governmental subdivision,

agency, instrumentality, or public corporation, or any other legal

or commercial entity;

13. "Person acting as a parent" means a person, other than a

parent, who:

a. has physical custody of the child or has had physical

custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months,

including any temporary absence, within one (1) year

immediately before the commencement of a child custody

proceeding, and

b. 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; and

17. "Warrant" means an order issued by a court authorizing law

enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.

Collected 2026-09-14T18:32:36Z. Source file · JSON

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