{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/anti-social-behaviour-act-2003/section-26A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/anti-social-behaviour-act-2003/section-26A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/38",
  "legislation_title": "Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/anti-social-behaviour-act-2003",
  "path": "section/26A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "26A",
  "heading": "Parenting orders in respect of anti-social behaviour: local authorities",
  "text": "(1) A local authority may apply for a parenting order in respect of a parent of a child or young person if—\n(a) the local authority has reason to believe that the child or young person has engaged in anti-social behaviour, and\n(b) the child or young person resides, or appears to reside, in the local authority's area.\nAn application for such an order may be made to a magistrates' court or, where section 26C so allows, to the county court .\n(2) If such an application is made, the court may make a parenting order in respect of a parent of the child or young person if it is satisfied—\n(a) that the child or young person has engaged in anti-social behaviour, and\n(b) that making the order would be desirable in the interests of preventing the child or young person from engaging in further anti-social behaviour.\n(3) A parenting order is an order which requires the parent—\n(a) to comply, for a period not exceeding twelve months, with such requirements as are specified in the order, and\n(b) subject to subsection (4), to attend, for a concurrent period not exceeding three months, such counselling or guidance programme as may be specified in directions given by the responsible officer.\n(4) A parenting order under this section may, but need not, include a requirement mentioned in subsection (3)(b) in any case where a parenting order under this section or any other enactment has been made in respect of the parent on a previous occasion.\n(5) A counselling or guidance programme which a parent is required to attend by virtue of subsection (3)(b) may be or include a residential course but only if the court is satisfied that the following two conditions are fulfilled.\n(6) The first condition is that the attendance of the parent at a residential course is likely to be more effective than his attendance at a non-residential course in preventing the child or young person from engaging in further anti-social behaviour.\n(7) The second condition is that any interference with family life which is likely to result from the attendance of the parent at a residential course is proportionate in all the circumstances.\n(8) A person is eligible to be the responsible officer in relation to a parenting order under this section only if he is—\n(a) an officer of the local authority which applied for the order, or\n(b) a person nominated by that authority or by a person or body requested by the authority to make a nomination.\nA person may not be nominated under paragraph (b) without his consent.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 26A-26C inserted (1.8.2007 for E.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 24, 53(1); S.I. 2007/1614, art. 3(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in ss. 26A-28 substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 52; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/38/section/26A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:54.206021+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}