Full text of Utah Utah Code § 81-10-101 — Definitions for chapter., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 81-10-101. Definitions for chapter.
Effective 9/1/2025
81-10-101.
Definitions for chapter.
As used in this chapter:
| (1) | "Adult" means an individual who is at least 18 years old or is an emancipated minor child. |
| (2) |
| (a) | "Caretaking authority" means the right to live with and care for a child on a day-to-day basis. |
| (b) | "Caretaking authority" includes physical custody, parent-time, right to access, and visitation. |
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| (3) | "Child" means:
| (b) | an adult son or daughter by birth or adoption, or under the law of this state other than this chapter, who is the subject of a court order concerning custodial responsibility. |
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| (4) | "Court" means a tribunal, including an administrative agency, authorized under the law of this state other than this chapter to make, enforce, or modify a decision regarding custodial responsibility. |
| (5) |
| (a) | "Custodial responsibility" includes all powers and duties relating to caretaking authority and decision-making authority for a child. |
| (b) | "Custodial responsibility" includes physical custody, legal custody, parent-time, right to access, visitation, and authority to grant limited contact with a child. |
|
| (6) |
| (a) | "Decision-making authority" means the power to make important decisions regarding a child, including decisions regarding the child's education, religious training, health care, extracurricular activities, and travel. |
| (b) | "Decision-making authority" does not include the power to make decisions that necessarily accompany a grant of caretaking authority. |
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| (7) | "Deploying parent" means a service member who is deployed or has been notified of impending deployment and is:
| (a) | a parent of a child under the law of this state other than this chapter; or |
| (b) | an individual who has custodial responsibility for a child under the law of this state other than this chapter. |
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| (8) | "Deployment" means the movement or mobilization of a service member for more than 90 days but less than 18 months pursuant to uniformed service orders that:
| (a) | are designated as unaccompanied; |
| (b) | do not authorize dependent travel; or |
| (c) | otherwise do not permit the movement of family members to the location to which the service member is deployed. |
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| (9) | "Family care plan" means a formal written contingency plan mandated by regulation of the various departments and components of the uniformed service that requires certain service member parents of minor children to plan in advance for the smooth, rapid transfer of parental responsibilities to designees during the absence of the service member due to death, incapacity, short-term absences, long-term absences, including deployments, or noncombatant evacuation operations. |
| (10) | "Family member" means a sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, stepparent, or grandparent of a child, or an individual recognized to be in a familial relationship with a child under the law of this state other than this chapter. |
| (11) |
| (a) | "Limited contact" means the authority of a nonparent to visit a child for a limited time. |
| (b) | "Limited contact" includes authority to take the child to a place other than the residence of the child. |
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| (12) | "Nonparent" means an individual other than a deploying parent or other parent. |
| (13) | "Other parent" means an individual who, in common with a deploying parent, is:
| (a) | a parent of a child under the law of this state other than this chapter; or |
| (b) | an individual who has custodial responsibility for a child under the law of this state other than this chapter. |
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| (14) | "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. |
| (15) | "Return from deployment" means the conclusion of a service member's deployment as specified in uniformed service orders. |
| (16) | " Service member" means a member of a uniformed service. |
| (17) | "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:
| (a) | to execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or |
| (b) | to attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process. |
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| (18) | "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. |
| (19) | "Uniformed service" means:
| (a) | active and reserve components of the United States armed forces; |
| (b) | the United States Merchant Marine; |
| (c) | the commissioned corps of the United States Public Health Service; |
| (d) | the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States; or |
| (e) | the National Guard of a state. |
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Renumbered and Amended by Chapter
426, 2025 General Session
Frequently Asked Questions About Utah § 81-10-101
What does Utah Code § 81-10-101 cover?
Section 81-10-101 ("Definitions for chapter.") 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.
How do I cite Utah § 81-10-101?
A common citation format is "Utah Code § 81-10-101" (Utah). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.
Is this the official text of Utah law?
No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Utah official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Utah attorney.
How does Utah § 81-10-101 apply to my situation?
Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in Utah can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.
