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FAQ: Which states allow for open dependency hearings?

December 5, 2024

By Bill Raftery

State statutory provisions regarding the openness of dependency hearings attempt to strike a balance between the general public’s right to attend judicial proceedings and the sensitive nature of those proceedings with victims who may be minors. For example, dependency cases may be confidential to reduce the stigma against a child or family and protect the family's privacy. While each state varies in its nuances, states can be categorized as generally open or generally closed, originally classified in this article by the National Center for Juvenile Justice in 2010. Judges have varying degrees of authority to close generally open proceedings or vice versa. As of 2024, 29 states plus the District of Columbia generally close such proceedings while 20 states generally open them. The 50th state, Nevada, is unique in that the determination of open versus closed is based on the population of the county (NV ST 432B.430).

Changes to such laws often come up in state legislatures. For example, in 2024 Kentucky debated H.B. 805 and S.B. 354 to open some proceedings, while in 2023 Minnesota debated ending public hearings for 16- and 17-year-old juveniles in delinquency proceedings.

A list of states in each category and their applicable statutes or court rules follows.

Is your state reevaluating public hearings for dependency cases? Share your experiences with us. For more information, contact knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topics posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics and subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.

Generally Closed

  1. Alabama AL ST § 12-15-129
  2. Alaska AK ST § 47.10.070-47.10.090
  3. Arkansas AR ST § 9-27-325
  4. California CA WEL & INST § 346
  5. Delaware DE ST TI 10 § 1063
  6. District of Columbia DC R JUV Rule 53
  7. Hawaii HI ST § 571-41
  8. Idaho ID ST § 16-1613
  9. Illinois IL ST CH 705 § 405/1-5
  10. Kentucky KY ST § 610.070
  11. Louisiana LA Ch.C. Art. 661
  12. Maine ME ST T. 22 § 4007
  13. Massachusetts MA ST 119 § 38
  14. Mississippi MS ST § 43-21-203
  15. Missouri MO ST 211.171
  16. Montana None found
  17. New Hampshire NH ST § 169-C:14
  18. New Mexico NM ST § 32A-4-20
  19. North Dakota ND ST 27-20.3-13
  20. Oklahoma OK ST T. 10A § 1-4-503
  21. Pennsylvania PA ST 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 6336
  22. Rhode Island RI ST § 14-1-30
  23. South Carolina SC ST § 63-3-590
  24. South Dakota SD ST § 26-7A-36
  25. Tennessee TN R JUV P Rule 114
  26. Vermont VT ST T. 33 § 5110
  27. Virginia VA ST § 16.1-302
  28. West Virginia WV R RJP Rule 49
  29. Wisconsin WI ST 48.299
  30. Wyoming WY ST § 14-3-424

Generally Open

  1. Arizona AZ ST § 8-525 & AZ ST § 8-537 & AZ ST JUV CT Rules 41 and 312
  2. Colorado CO ST § 19-1-106
  3. Connecticut CT ST § 46b-122
  4. Florida FL ST § 39.507
  5. Georgia GA ST § 15-11-700
  6. Indiana IN ST 31-32-6-2
  7. Iowa IA ST § 232.92
  8. Kansas KS ST 38-2247
  9. Maryland MD CTS & JUD PRO § 3-810
  10. Michigan MI R SPEC P MCR 3.925
  11. Minnesota MN ST § 260C.163
  12. Nebraska NE ST § 24-1001
  13. New Jersey NJ ST 9:6-8.43
  14. New York NY FAM CT § 1043 & NY R UNIF TRIAL CTS § 205.4
  15. North Carolina NC ST § 7B-801
  16. Ohio OH ST JUV P Rule 27
  17. Oregon State ex rel. Oregonian Pub. Co. v. Deiz, 289 Or. 277, 613 P.2d 23 (1980)
  18. Texas TX FAMILY § 105.003
  19. Utah UT ST § 80-3-104
  20. Washington WA ST 13.34.115

Population Contingent

  1. Nevada NV ST 432B.430