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Idaho House Bill 524: Child Custody Interference Penalties and Remedies
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 7:59 AM
In one sentence
This bill updates Idaho laws to define penalties for child custody interference, sets specific response times for police reports, and allows courts to order extra visitation time to make up for denied parenting time.
What it does
- Defines child custody interference as intentionally taking or keeping a minor without lawful authority from someone with custody rights.
- Sets fines that increase based on the number of offenses, ranging from $100 for a first offense to up to $5,000 and one year in prison for five or more offenses.
- Requires law enforcement officers to verify a child's location, check their safety, and file a written report within four hours of receiving an interference report.
- Allows courts to order additional periods of physical custody or visitation to compensate parents who were denied court-ordered time due to interference or unsubstantiated investigations.
- Permits courts to charge the person accused of interference with reasonable expenses incurred by the lawful custodian in finding the child.
Who it affects
- Parents, guardians, or others with legal custody, joint custody, visitation rights, or equal parental rights.
- Law enforcement officers responding to reports of missing children or custody interference.
- Courts handling family law cases involving denied visitation or child safety checks.
- People accused of taking a child away from their lawful custodian.
Limits and unknowns
- The bill does not specify how courts will handle disputes if the parent denied visitation cannot agree on dates within the two-year window.
- It is unclear if this law applies retroactively to cases that happened before July 1, 2026.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Child Custody Interference
- The act of intentionally taking, enticing away, keeping, or withholding a minor child without legal authority when someone else has custody rights.
- Affirmative Defense
- A reason that can excuse the behavior if proven true, such as protecting the child from imminent physical harm, fleeing from harm to oneself, having consent, or returning the child within four hours of an authorized visit ending.
- Graduated Penalty Structure
- A system where punishments get stricter for each time a person repeats an offense, starting with small fines and increasing to larger fines and jail time after multiple offenses.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Child custody interference
Official activity
Bill history
- H Jud