Court Jurisdiction and Venue for Adoption Petitions - District of Columbia

Jurisdiction

Citation: Ann. Code § 16-301

The Superior Court of the District of Columbia has jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions and decrees of adoption of any adult or child.

Jurisdiction shall be conferred when any of the following circumstances exist:

• The petitioner is a legal resident of the District of Columbia.
• The petitioner has actually resided in the District for at least 1 year prior to the filing of the petition.
• The child to be adopted is in the legal care, custody, or control of the mayor or a child-placing agency licensed under the laws of the District.

Venue

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.