{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-551-201","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 43-551-201","heading":"Initial child custody jurisdiction","body":"INITIAL CHILD CUSTODY JURISDICTION\n\nA. Except as otherwise provided in Section 16 of this act, a\n\ncourt of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child\n\ncustody determination only if:\n\n1. This state is the home state of the child on the date of the\n\ncommencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child\n\nwithin six (6) months before the commencement of the proceeding and\n\nthe child is absent from this state, but a parent or person acting\n\nas a parent continues to live in this state;\n\n2. A court of another state does not have jurisdiction under\n\nparagraph 1 of this subsection, or a court of the home state of the\n\nchild has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this\n\nstate is the more appropriate forum under Section 19 or 20 of this\n\nact, and:\n\na. the child and the child's parents, or the child and at\n\nleast one parent or a person acting as a parent, have\n\na significant connection with this state other than\n\nmere physical presence, and\n\nb. substantial evidence is available in this state\n\nconcerning the child's care, protection, training, and\n\npersonal relationships;\n\n3. All courts having jurisdiction under paragraph 1 or 2 of\n\nthis subsection have declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground\n\nthat a court of this state is the more appropriate forum to\n\ndetermine the custody of the child under Section 19 or 20 of this\n\nact; or\n\n4. No court of any other state would have jurisdiction under\n\nthe criteria specified in paragraph 1, 2, or 3 of this subsection.\n\nB. Subsection A of this section is the exclusive jurisdictional\n\nbasis for making a child custody determination by a court of this\n\nstate.\n\nC. Physical presence of, or personal jurisdiction over, a party\n\nor a child is not necessary or sufficient to make a child custody\n\ndetermination.","path":["OK Code","Title 43"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os43.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"dd9dde7a42509f1fa126cabfd92f36c24f7bcb65ae7bc55f23278f80e6fdadf2","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-551-112","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-551-202"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}