{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-620.060","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 620.060","heading":"Emergency custody orders.","body":"(1) The court for the county where the child ordinarily resides or will reside or the\ncounty where the child is present may issue an ex parte emergency custody order\nwhen it appears to the court that removal is in the best interest of the child and that\nthere are reasonable grounds to believe, as supported by affidavit or by recorded\nsworn testimony, that one (1) or more of the following conditions exist and that the\nparents or other person exercising custodial control or supervision are unable or\nunwilling to protect the child:\n(a) The child is in danger of imminent death or serious physical injury or is being\nsexually abused;\n(b) The parent has repeatedly inflicted or allowed to be inflicted by other than\naccidental means physical injury or emotional injury. T his condition shall not\ninclude reasonable and ordinary discipline recognized in the community\nwhere the child lives, as long as reasonable and ordinary discipline does not\nresult in abuse or neglect as defined in KRS 600.020(1); or\n(c) The child is in imm ediate danger due to the parent's failure or refusal to\nprovide for the safety or needs of the child.\n(2) Custody may be placed with a relative taking into account the wishes of the\ncustodial parent and child or any other appropriate person or agency inclu ding the\ncabinet.\n(3) An emergency custody order shall be effective no longer than seventy -two (72)\nhours, exclusive of weekends and holidays, unless there is a temporary removal\nhearing with oral or other notice to the county attorney and the parent or ot her\nperson exercising custodial control or supervision of the child, to determine if the\nchild should be held for a longer period. The seventy-two (72) hour period also may\nbe extended or delayed upon the waiver or request of the child's parent or other\nperson exercising custodial control or supervision.\n(4) Any person authorized to serve process shall serve the parent or other person\nexercising custodial control or supervision with a copy of the emergency custody\norder. If such person cannot be found, the sheriff shall make a good faith effort to\nnotify the nearest known relative, neighbor, or other person familiar with the child.\n(5) Within seventy -two (72) hours of the taking of a child into custody without the\nconsent of his parent or other person exerci sing custodial control or supervision, a\npetition shall be filed pursuant to this chapter.\n(6) Nothing herein shall preclude the issuance of arrest warrants pursuant to the Rules\nof Criminal Procedure.","path":["KRS Chapter 620"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=48053","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:08Z","sha256":"0208f63323314c3b6fc1654030b84614d5ffd32c1e615405b0c19510613cd32f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-620.055","next":"us-ky/krs-620.070"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}