La. Ch. Code art. 1034.1
This is the official text of La. Ch. Code art. 1034.1, part of Louisiana’s Children's Code — governs child custody, child protection, and juvenile justice in Louisiana.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Federal Indian Child Welfare Act inquiry
Official statutory text
A. At the commencement of the hearing, the court shall inquire as to whether the petitioner or any person before the court knows or has reason to know that the child is an Indian child. If no person before the court responds affirmatively, the court may proceed, although it shall instruct each person before the court to inform the court if he subsequently discovers information indicating that the child is an Indian child.
B. In accordance with Article 1034.2, if the court finds that there is reason to know that the child is an Indian child, the court shall immediately proceed pursuant to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
C. If a tribe fails to respond to multiple requests for verification that the child is an Indian child and the court or department has sought the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in contacting the tribe, the court may make the determination that the child is not an Indian child based on the information it has available and proceed to termination in accordance with this Title.
Acts 2018, No. 296, ยง1.
B. In accordance with Article 1034.2, if the court finds that there is reason to know that the child is an Indian child, the court shall immediately proceed pursuant to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
C. If a tribe fails to respond to multiple requests for verification that the child is an Indian child and the court or department has sought the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in contacting the tribe, the court may make the determination that the child is not an Indian child based on the information it has available and proceed to termination in accordance with this Title.
Acts 2018, No. 296, ยง1.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a child custody matter in Louisiana?
See all Louisiana Child Custody lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.