2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 5.613. Transfer of nonminor dependents
(a) Purpose
This rule applies to requests to transfer the county of jurisdiction of a nonminor dependent as allowed by Welfare and Institutions Code section 375. This rule sets forth the procedures that a court is to follow when it seeks to order a transfer of a nonminor dependent and those to be followed by the court receiving the transfer. All other intercounty transfers of juveniles are subject to rules 5.610 and 5.612.
(b) Transfer-out hearing
(1) Determination of residence-special rule on intercounty transfers (§§ 17.1, 375)
(A) For purposes of this rule, the residence of a nonminor dependent who is placed in a planned permanent living arrangement may be either the county in which the court that has jurisdiction over the nonminor is located or the county in which the nonminor has resided continuously for at least one year as a nonminor dependent and the nonminor dependent has expressed his or her intent to remain.
(B) If a nonminor dependent's dependency jurisdiction has been resumed, or if transition jurisdiction has been assumed or resumed by the juvenile court that retained general jurisdiction over the nonminor under section 303, the county that the nonminor dependent is residing in may be deemed the county of residence of the nonminor dependent. The court may make this determination if the nonminor has established a continuous physical presence in the county for one year as a nonminor and has expressed his or her intent to remain in that county after the court grants the petition to resume jurisdiction. The period of continuous physical presence includes any period of continuous residence immediately before filing the petition.
(2) Verification of residence
The residence of a nonminor may be verified by declaration of a social worker or probation officer in the transferring or receiving county.
(3) Transfer to county of nonminor's residence (§ 375)
If the court is resuming dependency jurisdiction or assuming or resuming transition jurisdiction of a nonminor for whom the court has retained general jurisdiction under section 303(b) as a result of a petition filed under section 388(e), after granting the petition, the court may order the transfer of the case to the juvenile court of the county in which the nonminor is living if the nonminor establishes residency in that county as provided in (b)(1) and the court finds that the transfer is in the minor's best interest.
(4) Transfer on change in nonminor's residence (§ 375)
If a nonminor dependent under the dependency or transition jurisdiction of the court is placed in a planned permanent living arrangement in a county other than the county with jurisdiction over the nonminor, the court may, on an application for modification under rule 5.570, transfer the case to the juvenile court of the county in which the nonminor is living if the nonminor establishes residency in that county as provided in (b)(1).
(5) Conduct of hearing
(A) The request for transfer must be made on Motion for Transfer Out (form JV-548), which must include all required information.
(B) After the court determines whether a nonminor has established residency in another county as required in (b)(1), the court must consider whether transfer of the case would be in the nonminor's best interest. The court may not transfer the case unless it determines that the nonminor supports the transfer and that the transfer will protect or further the nonminor's best interest.
(C) If the transfer-out motion is granted, the sending court must set a date certain for the transfer-in hearing in the receiving court, which must be within 10 court days of the transfer-out order. The sending court must state on the record the date, time, and location of the hearing in the receiving court.
(6) Order of transfer (§ 377)
The order of transfer must be entered on Juvenile Court Transfer-Out Orders-Nonminor Dependent (form JV-552), which must include all required information and findings.
(7) Modification of form JV-552
Juvenile Court Transfer-Out Orders-Nonminor Dependent (form JV-552) may be modified as follows:
(A) Notwithstanding the mandatory use of form JV-552, the form may be modified for use by a formalized regional collaboration of courts to facilitate the efficient processing of transfer cases among those courts if the modification has been approved by the Judicial Council.
(B) The mandatory form must be used by a regional collaboration when transferring a case to a court outside the collaboration or when accepting a transfer from a court outside the collaboration.
(8) Transmittal of documents (§ 377)
The clerk of the transferring court must transmit to the clerk of the court of the receiving county no later than five court days from the date of the transfer-out order a certified copy of the entire nonminor file and, at a minimum, all documents associated with the last status review hearing held before the nonminor reached majority, including the court report and all findings and orders. The files may be transferred electronically, if possible. A certified copy of the complete case file is deemed an original.
(9) Appeal of transfer order (§ 379)
The order of transfer may be appealed by the transferring or receiving county, and notice of appeal must be filed in the transferring county, under rule 8.400. Notwithstanding the filing of a notice of appeal, the receiving county must assume jurisdiction of the case on receipt and filing of the order of transfer.
(c) Transfer-in hearing
(1) Procedure on transfer (§ 378)
On receipt and filing of a certified copy of a transfer order, the receiving court must accept jurisdiction of the case. The receiving court may not reject the case. The receiving court must notify the transferring court on receipt and filing of the certified copies of the transfer order and complete case file. The clerk of the receiving court must confirm the transfer-in hearing date scheduled by the sending court and ensure that date is on the receiving court's calendar.
(2) Conduct of hearing
At the transfer-in hearing, the court must:
(A) Advise the nonminor of the purpose and scope of the hearing; and
(B) Provide for the appointment of counsel, if appropriate.
(3) Subsequent proceedings
The proceedings in the receiving court must commence at the same phase as when the case was transferred. The court may continue the hearing for an investigation and a report to a date not to exceed 15 court days.
(4) Setting six-month review (§ 366.31)
When an order of transfer is received and filed relating to a nonminor dependent, the court must set a date for a six-month review within six months of the most recent review hearing or, if the sending court transferred the case immediately after assuming or resuming jurisdiction, within six months of the date a voluntary reentry agreement was signed.
(5) Change of circumstances or additional facts (§§ 388, 778)
If the receiving court believes that a change of circumstances or additional facts indicate that the nonminor does not reside in the receiving county, a transfer-out hearing must be held under this rule and rule 5.570. The court may direct the department of social services or the probation department to seek a modification of orders under section 388 or section 778 and under rule 5.570.
Rule 5.613 adopted effective January 1, 2017.