How to Complete California Form FL-341: Custody, Visitation, and Filing

California Form FL-341 is the Judicial Council attachment that records the specifics of a child custody and visitation order — where the children live, who makes decisions for them, and when each parent has time with them. It does not stand alone. FL-341 is stapled or e-attached to a parent form such as the Findings and Order After Hearing (FL-340), a Judgment (FL-180 or FL-250), or a Stipulation and Order for Custody and/or Visitation (FL-355).¹ The current revision took effect January 1, 2026. Work from an up-to-date copy; older versions circulate online and clerks may reject them.

Getting and Preparing the Form

Download the fillable PDF from the California Courts website under family law forms, or ask a county courthouse clerk for a printed copy.² If you fill it out by hand, the self-help site recommends blue or black ink, printed clearly.³ California Rules of Court 2.135 does bar clerks from rejecting a handwritten form solely because the ink color isn’t blue-black or black, but blue or black still copies and scans best.⁴

The Case Caption

The top of FL-341 mirrors every other Judicial Council form. Enter the petitioner’s name, the respondent’s name, and any other parent or party, then fill in the case number the court assigned when the underlying case was filed.¹ Check the box indicating which parent form FL-341 attaches to: FL-340, FL-180, FL-250, or FL-355. A wrong case number or an unchecked attachment box can disconnect the order from the rest of your file, so match both against your existing court papers.

Items 1 Through 6: The Preliminary Sections

The first six items establish jurisdiction, notice, and protective warnings. Most are pre-checked or filled in by the court, but you should know what each one does.

Item 1 confirms the court’s authority under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (California Family Code sections 3400–3465).
Item 2 states that the responding party received proper notice.
Item 3 identifies whether the children’s habitual residence is the United States or another country.
Item 4 warns that violating the order can carry civil or criminal penalties.
Item 5 checks and attaches a separate Child Abduction Prevention Order Attachment when there’s a risk one parent will take the children out of California without permission.
Item 6 records any referral to custody mediation or counseling.

Items 1 through 4 are typically pre-checked or filled in by the judge. Item 5 applies only when abduction risk exists. Item 6 connects to California’s mandatory mediation requirement — before a judge hears a contested custody or visitation dispute, the court must set the issues for mediation.⁵

Item 7: Legal and Physical Custody

This is the section most parents focus on first. Item 7 lists each child’s name and date of birth, then assigns two types of custody for each child.¹

Legal custody is the right to make decisions about the child’s health, education, and welfare. It can go to one parent alone (sole legal custody) or to both parents together (joint legal custody). Physical custody is where the child regularly lives. One parent can have primary physical custody while the other gets visitation, or both parents can share physical custody.

Verify every child’s name and birthdate against the birth certificate. A misspelled name or wrong date can cause problems if you later need to enforce the order with a school, a doctor’s office, or law enforcement. If the court awards joint legal custody, the order will typically reference the Joint Legal Custody Attachment (FL-341(E)), which spells out how the shared decision-making actually works.¹

Item 8: Allegations of Abuse or Substance Abuse

When a case involves allegations of domestic violence or substance abuse, Item 8 requires the court to address those concerns before setting a parenting schedule. The judge may use Form FL-351 to document the reasons behind any restrictions placed on custody or visitation because of those allegations.¹ If your case doesn’t involve those allegations, skip the section.

Item 9: The Visitation Schedule

Item 9 is where the day-to-day parenting schedule takes shape. The form offers built-in options to check off — alternating weekends with a start date, specific weekdays with set times, and other arrangements you describe in writing.¹

Be precise. “Every other weekend” is vague enough to start a fight. “Alternating weekends starting March 7, 2026, from Friday at 5:00 p.m. to Sunday at 6:00 p.m.” gives both parents and any responding officer something concrete to work with. If the schedule is too complex for the space provided, attach additional pages using Form MC-025 and reference them in Item 9. The form also allows virtual visitation (video calls) alongside or instead of in-person time. When supervised visitation is required, Item 9 directs you to the Supervised Visitation Order (FL-341(A)).

Items 10 and 11: Supervised Visitation and Transportation

Item 10 formally orders supervised visitation when the court finds it necessary, cross-referencing FL-341(A) for the details. Item 11 covers the practical logistics that trip families up: who drives the children to exchanges, and where exchanges happen. Naming a neutral, public location — a school, a police station parking lot, a library — can defuse tension at drop-off and pick-up. If one parent does all the driving, say so here.

Item 12: Travel With Children

Item 12 lets the court restrict where a parent can take the children without the other parent’s written permission or a court order. The form provides checkboxes for travel outside California, outside specified counties, or outside other designated areas.¹ Many orders also require the traveling parent to share itineraries and emergency contact information before a trip.

International travel adds complications. When one parent has sole legal custody and wants to apply for the child’s passport, the U.S. State Department requires documentation of that sole custody, such as a court order granting sole custody, a birth certificate listing only one parent, or a death certificate for the other parent.⁶ When a child will travel internationally with only one parent, USAGov recommends carrying a notarized consent letter from the other parent.⁷ Some orders require the surrender of a child’s passport to the court or the other parent when no trip is planned. If abduction is a concern, Item 5’s Child Abduction Prevention Order Attachment works together with the restrictions in Item 12.

Item 13: Holiday Schedule

Holidays override the regular parenting schedule unless the order says otherwise. Item 13 is where you divide holidays — alternating Thanksgiving each year, splitting winter break at a specific date and time, assigning Mother’s Day to one parent and Father’s Day to the other. The form references the Children’s Holiday Schedule Attachment (FL-341(C)) for orders that need more room than the main form provides.¹

A common source of confusion: parents assume the regular weekend schedule still applies during a holiday period. It doesn’t, unless the order says so. Write the start and end time for each holiday block. A phrase like “Thanksgiving break” means different things to different school districts, so pin it to actual dates and clock times.

Items 14, 15, and 16: Additional Provisions, Records, and Other Terms

Item 14 covers additional custody provisions not addressed elsewhere. The form references the Additional Provisions—Physical Custody Attachment (FL-341(D)) for longer or more detailed terms, such as a right of first refusal (if one parent can’t be with the child during their time, the other parent gets first opportunity before a babysitter is called) or rules about introducing new romantic partners to the children.

Item 15 addresses access to children’s records. Both the custodial and noncustodial parent have the right to access medical, dental, and school records, and to consult with professionals providing services to the children.¹ This matters more than parents often realize. Schools and doctors’ offices sometimes refuse to share information with a noncustodial parent unless the parent can produce a court order confirming the right, and Item 15 is that document.

Item 16 is a catch-all for anything else the court wants to include that doesn’t fit neatly elsewhere.

Companion Attachment Forms

FL-341 doesn’t try to do everything by itself. It references several specialized attachments, and you may need to file one or more depending on your situation.

FL-341(A), Supervised Visitation Order, is required when the court orders supervised visitation. It details who supervises, where visits happen, and under what conditions.
FL-341(C), Children’s Holiday Schedule Attachment, gives a holiday-by-holiday breakdown when Item 13 doesn’t have enough space.
FL-341(D), Additional Provisions—Physical Custody Attachment, holds extra rules beyond the standard schedule.
FL-341(E), Joint Legal Custody Attachment, spells out how parents share decision-making under joint legal custody.

Each companion form gets referenced within the relevant item on FL-341 and filed as part of the same packet. If the judge’s order triggers one of these attachments, leaving it out means the order is incomplete.

Filing the Completed Form

FL-341 is not filed on its own. It’s attached to a parent form, most commonly the FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing.⁸ The combined packet goes to the court clerk, who routes it to the judge for signature. If this is part of an initial petition for custody, expect a filing fee in the range of $435 to $450, with an additional $60 for a request for temporary orders. If you can’t afford the fee, request a waiver using Form FW-001.⁹ When FL-341 is attached to a post-hearing order rather than an initial filing, there is generally no separate fee for the attachment itself.

Many California courts accept or require electronic filing for attorneys. Self-represented parties are typically exempt from mandatory e-filing and can still file in person, but check your county’s local rules because some courts strongly encourage all filers to use their e-filing portal.

Once the judge signs the order, serve a file-stamped copy on the other parent. Use Form FL-330 (Proof of Personal Service) if the papers are handed to the other parent directly, or Form FL-335 (Proof of Service by Mail) if sent by mail.¹⁰¹¹ File the completed proof of service with the court. If the other parent later violates the order, you’ll need that proof to show they knew the rules.

Changing the Order Later

Circumstances change. A parent relocates, a child starts school, work schedules shift. To modify an existing FL-341 custody or visitation order, file a Request for Order (FL-300) using the same case number as the original order.¹² Explain what has changed since the last order and present facts showing why the new arrangement is in the child’s best interest. The court will again require mediation if the modification is contested, and if the judge approves the change, a new FL-341 gets attached to the updated order.

1
Judicial Council of California. FL-341 Child Custody and Visitation (Parenting Time) Order Attachment
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California Courts. Child Custody and Visitation (Parenting Time) Order Attachment
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California Courts. Find and Fill Out Court Forms
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Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court 2.135 – Filing of Handwritten or Hand-Printed Forms
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California Legislative Information. California Code, Family Code – FAM 3170
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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USAGov. International Travel Documents for Children
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California Courts. Findings and Order After Hearing (FL-340)
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California Courts. Request to Waive Court Fees FW-001
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California Courts. Proof of Personal Service
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California Courts. Proof of Service by Mail (FL-335)
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California Courts. Ask for or Change a Custody and Visitation (Parenting Time) Order