Utah § 80-3-204 - Protective custody of a child after a petition is filed -- Grounds.

Full text of Utah Utah Code § 80-3-204 — Protective custody of a child after a petition is filed -- Grounds., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 80-3-204. Protective custody of a child after a petition is filed -- Grounds.

Effective 5/6/2026
80-3-204.  Protective custody of a child after a petition is filed -- Grounds.
(1)When an abuse, neglect, or dependency petition is filed, the juvenile court shall apply, in addressing the petition, the least restrictive means and alternatives available to accomplish a compelling state interest and to prevent irretrievable destruction of family life as described in Subsections 80-2a-201(1) and (7)(a) and Section 80-4-104.
(2)After an abuse, neglect, or dependency petition is filed, if the child who is the subject of the petition is not in protective custody, a juvenile court may order that the child be removed from the child's home or otherwise taken into protective custody if the juvenile court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that any one or more of the following circumstances exist:
(a)
(i)there is an imminent danger to the physical health or safety of the child; and
(ii)the child's physical health or safety may not be protected without removing the child from the custody of the child's parent or guardian;
(b)
(i)a parent or guardian engages in or threatens the child with unreasonable conduct that causes the child to suffer harm; and
(ii)there are no less restrictive means available by which the child's emotional health may be protected without removing the child from the custody of the child's parent or guardian;
(c)the child or another child residing in the same household has been, or is considered to be at substantial risk of being, physically abused, sexually abused, or sexually exploited, by a parent or guardian, a member of the parent's or guardian's household, or other individual known to the parent or guardian;
(d)the parent or guardian is unwilling to have physical custody of the child;
(e)the child is abandoned or left without any provision for the child's support;
(f)a parent or guardian who has been incarcerated or institutionalized has not arranged or cannot arrange for safe and appropriate care for the child;
(g)
(i)a relative or other adult custodian with whom the child is left by the parent or guardian is unwilling or unable to provide care or support for the child;
(ii)the whereabouts of the parent or guardian are unknown; and
(iii)reasonable efforts to locate the parent or guardian are unsuccessful;
(h)subject to Subsection 80-1-102(59)(b) and Sections 80-3-109 and 80-3-304, the child is in immediate need of medical care;
(i)
(i)a parent's or guardian's actions, omissions, or habitual action create an environment that poses a serious risk to the child's health or safety for which immediate remedial or preventive action is necessary; or
(ii)a parent's or guardian's action in leaving a child unattended would reasonably pose a threat to the child's health or safety;
(j)the child or another child residing in the same household has been neglected;
(k)the child's parent:
(i)intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes the death of another parent of the child;
(ii)is identified by a law enforcement agency as the primary suspect in an investigation for intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing the death of another parent of the child; or
(iii)is being prosecuted for or has been convicted of intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing the death of another parent of the child;
(l)an infant is an abandoned infant, as defined in Section 80-4-203;
(m)
(i)the parent or guardian, or an adult residing in the same household as the parent or guardian, is charged or arrested pursuant to Title 76, Chapter 18, Part 5, Clandestine Drug Labs; and
(ii)any clandestine laboratory operation was located in the residence or on the property where the child resided; or
(n)the child's welfare is otherwise endangered.
(3)
(a)For purposes of Subsection (2)(a), if a child has previously been adjudicated as abused, neglected, or dependent, and a subsequent incident of abuse, neglect, or dependency occurs involving the same substantiated abuser or under similar circumstance as the previous abuse, that fact is prima facie evidence that the child cannot safely remain in the custody of the child's parent.
(b)For purposes of Subsection (2)(c):
(i)another child residing in the same household may not be removed from the home unless that child is considered to be at substantial risk of being physically abused, sexually abused, or sexually exploited as described in Subsection (2)(c) or Subsection (3)(b)(ii); and
(ii)if a parent or guardian has received actual notice that physical abuse, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation by an individual known to the parent has occurred, and there is evidence that the parent or guardian failed to protect the child, after having received the notice, by allowing the child to be in the physical presence of the alleged abuser, that fact is prima facie evidence that the child is at substantial risk of being physically abused, sexually abused, or sexually exploited.
(4)
(a)For purposes of Subsection (2), if the division files an abuse, neglect, or dependency petition, the juvenile court shall consider the division's safety and risk assessments described in Section 80-2-403 to determine whether a child should be removed from the custody of the child's parent or guardian or should otherwise be taken into protective custody.
(b)The division shall make a diligent effort to provide the safety and risk assessments described in Section 80-2-403 to the juvenile court, guardian ad litem, and counsel for the parent or guardian, as soon as practicable before the shelter hearing described in Section 80-3-301.
(5)In the absence of one of the factors described in Subsection (2), a juvenile court may not remove a child from the parent's or guardian's custody on the basis of:
(a)educational neglect, truancy, or failure to comply with a court order to attend school;
(b)mental illness or poverty of the parent or guardian;
(c)disability, as defined in Section 57-21-2, of the parent or guardian; or
(d)the possession or use, in accordance with Title 26B, Chapter 4, Part 2, Cannabinoid Research and Medical Cannabis, of cannabis in a medicinal dosage form, a cannabis product in a medicinal dosage form, or a medical cannabis device, as those terms are defined in Section 26B-4-201.
(6)A child removed from the custody of the child's parent or guardian under this section may not be placed or kept in detention, unless the child may be admitted to detention under Chapter 6, Part 2, Custody and Detention.
(7)This section does not preclude removal of a child from the child's home without a warrant or court order under Section 80-2a-202.
(8)
(a)Except as provided in Subsection (8)(b), a juvenile court and the division may not remove a child from the custody of the child's parent or guardian on the sole or primary basis that the parent or guardian refuses to consent to:
(i)the administration of a psychotropic medication to a child;
(ii)a psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral treatment for a child; or
(iii)a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation of a child.
(b)Notwithstanding Subsection (8)(a), a juvenile court or the division may remove a child under conditions that would otherwise be prohibited under Subsection (8)(a) if failure to take an action described under Subsection (8)(a) would present a serious, imminent risk to the child's physical safety or the physical safety of others.


Amended by Chapter 362, 2026 General Session

Source: official Utah text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Utah § 80-3-204

What does Utah Code § 80-3-204 cover?

Section 80-3-204 ("Protective custody of a child after a petition is filed -- Grounds.") is part of the Utah Code, the codified statutory law of Utah. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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