Legal Definitions - Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act

The Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA) is a federal law that was enacted in 1980. Its purpose is to prevent child-kidnapping by a noncustodial parent and to ensure that a child-custody order rendered by a court of one state is recognized and enforced by another state.

For example, if a custody order is issued by a court in California and the noncustodial parent takes the child to New York without permission, the PKPA requires New York to recognize and enforce the California custody order.

The PKPA also provides penalties for noncustodial parents who kidnap their children. This means that if a noncustodial parent takes their child without permission, they can face legal consequences.

The PKPA works in conjunction with other laws, such as the Uniform Child CustodyJurisdiction Act and the Federal Kidnapping Act, to protect children from parental kidnapping and ensure that custody orders are respected across state lines.