Every parent in the United States can use a government child support program, but the office that handles your case depends on where you live and where the other parent lives. This page explains how those offices are organized, what they do, and how to find the right one. Our database lists 1,303 child support offices, from the Albany County Child Support Enforcement Unit in New York to the Alturas office in Modoc County, California. Browse the state pages to find an office near you, then use the sections below to prepare before you call or visit.

Who Runs Child Support Offices Across the United States

Child support in the United States is a partnership between Washington and the states. It was created under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act in 1975. The federal Office of Child Support Services, part of the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services, sets national rules and helps fund state programs. It also operates tools such as the Federal Parent Locator Service. It does not open individual cases for the public. For that, you deal with a state or local office.

Each state decides how to organize its program. Florida runs its program through the Department of Revenue. Georgia uses the state Division of Child Support Services, the name that appears on our Albany listing in Dougherty County. California has a state Department of Child Support Services that works through local child support agencies. Indiana, Michigan, and Arkansas rely on county prosecutors or similar officials for some of the work. Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, and North Carolina lean heavily on county agencies supervised by the state. New York hands daily work to local social services districts, such as the one in Albany County.

The names on our listings reflect this patchwork. You will find a Child Support Prosecutor in Albion, Noble County, Indiana, and a Child Support Recovery Unit in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa. There is a Human Services Department in Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma, and Norman County Social Services in Ada, Minnesota. Despite the labels, these offices all belong to the same national system. A case opened in one state can be enforced in another.

What a Child Support Office Can Do for You

Services are open to any parent or caretaker, regardless of income. You do not need to have received public benefits. Most offices handle the following:

  • Locating a parent using employment, tax, and licensing records.
  • Establishing paternity through voluntary acknowledgment or genetic testing.
  • Requesting a court or administrative order for child support.
  • Adding medical support, such as health insurance, to an order.
  • Collecting payments through income withholding and other enforcement tools.
  • Reviewing an existing order when circumstances change.
  • Working with other states when the parents live apart.

Payments normally flow through a State Disbursement Unit, which every state operates. The unit records each payment, so both parents have a reliable history. Ask your caseworker how you will receive funds. Most states offer direct deposit or a debit card, so you do not have to wait for a paper check.

How Rules, Fees, and Formulas Differ Between States

Federal law sets the framework, but states control the details. Those details can change what you pay or receive, so check your own state before you assume anything.

Formulas are the biggest difference. Most states use an income shares model, which estimates what both parents would spend on the child and splits it in proportion to income. Wisconsin instead applies a percentage of the paying parent's income. Two identical families could see different amounts in different states. Parenting time, childcare costs, and health insurance premiums also affect the result.

Fees vary too. Federal rules cap the application fee for parents who have not received public assistance at $25, and states may waive it or pay it themselves. Some states add an annual fee once a case collects above a set amount, and some charge for extras like certified records. Ask what applies to you and request the answer in writing.

End dates differ. Support usually runs until a child turns 18, but states handle high school graduation differently, and some extend support to 19 or 21 in certain situations. Your existing order controls, so read it for the exact terminating event.

Access also varies. Some offices take walk-ins, while others work by phone, mail, or online portal. In Texas, the Attorney General runs the program, so the Abilene office in Taylor County is part of a statewide system. Several county offices, including Akron in Washington County, Colorado, and Baker in Fallon County, Montana, list a PO box. A mailing address is not always a place you can visit, so call first.

Choosing the Right State Page in the United States

Place names repeat across the country, and that causes real confusion. Albany is a good example. Our database includes the Albany County Child Support Enforcement Unit at 162 Washington Avenue in New York (888-208-4485). It also includes the Albany Division of Child Support Services at 200 West Oglethorpe Boulevard in Dougherty County, Georgia (229-430-4364), and the Albany DCS Office at 118 Southeast 2nd Avenue in Linn County, Oregon (541-967-2028). Three offices share a city name, and each belongs to a different state program. Always confirm the state and county before you drive anywhere.

As a rule, the right office is tied to where the child lives or where the order was issued. If you have no order yet, apply in the state where you and the child live. That state can forward the case if the other parent lives elsewhere. If a case is already open, stay with that office until you are told to move it.

In states where counties do the work, the county matters more than the city. Our largest collections of listings are in Child Support Offices in Indiana and Child Support Offices in Michigan. Many of those listings are small-town prosecutor or social services offices. The same is true of Alabama, Minnesota, and North Carolina. If you live on the West Coast or in the Northeast, start with Child Support Offices in California or Child Support Offices in New York. Look for the office serving your county, then confirm hours and phone numbers.

What to Bring and Mistakes to Avoid in the United States

Documents that save you a second trip

Caseworkers can only act on information they have. Bring a photo ID and Social Security numbers, or at least the numbers, for you and the child. Bring the child's birth certificate and any court orders, paternity papers, or divorce decrees. Gather what you know about the other parent: full name, birth date, last address, phone number, employer, and Social Security number if you have it. Photos and the names of relatives or friends can help locate someone who has moved. Records of past payments, such as bank statements or receipts, help establish what is owed. Pay stubs and proof of health insurance or childcare costs support an accurate amount.

Common mistakes

The most frequent mistake is paying or accepting money directly without records. If payments do not go through the office or leave a paper trail, the official record may show nothing paid. Keep receipts and notes if you ever make a direct payment, and tell your caseworker.

A second mistake is stopping payment because circumstances changed. An order stays in force until a judge changes it, and unpaid amounts keep building. Courts generally cannot erase past-due support, so file for a review as soon as your income, job, or custody arrangement changes.

A third mistake is letting your contact information go stale. Missed notices can lead to default orders or delayed payments. Update your address, phone, and employer whenever they change.

Finally, do not skip the phone call. Offices change hours, move, and reorganize. A short call can confirm that the listing is current, tell you what to bring, and spare you a wasted trip. If you cannot reach anyone, check your state agency's website for the current contact process.

Child Support Offices by State
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Child Support Offices in the United States: Reading the Listing Counts

Our database shows the largest concentrations of listings in Indiana (92), Michigan (90), Alabama (86), Minnesota (83), and North Carolina (77). California, New York, Colorado, Georgia, and Wisconsin follow. A high count does not mean more support is owed there. It mostly reflects how a state is organized. Where counties or prosecutors run local offices, as in Child Support Offices in Minnesota, you will see many small listings. Where a state agency centralizes the work, as Child Support Offices in Georgia shows, counts tend to be lower. Many listings in small towns use PO box addresses, so call ahead before you travel to any office.

Usually the cost is small or nothing. Federal rules cap the application fee for parents who have not received public assistance at $25, and many states waive it or pay it themselves. Parents receiving certain public benefits, such as TANF, generally pay no application fee. Some states also charge an annual fee when a case collects above a set amount in a year, and some charge for extras like certified records. Fees and waivers change, so ask the office or check your state agency's website before you apply. Private collection companies are a separate matter, and they often charge much more than a government office does.

A court or, in some states, an administrative agency sets the amount using that state's guidelines. Most states use an income shares model, which estimates what both parents would spend on the child if the family lived together and splits that cost in proportion to income. Wisconsin uses a percentage of the paying parent's income, and a few other states use variations. Guidelines also account for health insurance, childcare, and the number of overnights each parent has. The child support office gathers financial information and proposes a figure, but a judge or hearing officer makes the final order. You can usually ask for a copy of the calculation worksheet.

Every state has adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which sets the rules for cases where parents live in different states. You open a case with the office in your state, and it sends the case to the other parent's state. That state can locate the parent, establish an order, and send withholding orders to an out-of-state employer. A state that issued an order generally keeps authority to change it as long as one parent or the child still lives there. Expect more steps and longer timelines than in a single-state case. Keep copies of every document and ask for a contact name in each state.

Timelines vary widely by state, county, and how easy the other parent is to find. A case with an existing court order and a known employer can begin income withholding within weeks. A new case that needs a parent located, paternity testing, and a hearing may take several months. Delays often come from missing addresses, unserved papers, or unanswered mail. You can speed things up by giving the other parent's full name, birth date, last known address, and employer at your first contact. Ask for your case number right away, and request updates in writing if the case seems stalled or a hearing date keeps moving.

Yes, but you must ask. Most states allow a review when income changes significantly, a parent loses a job, parenting time shifts, or medical needs change. Federal rules give you the right to request a review, and states must notify parents of that right at least every three years. Courts generally cannot lower past-due support retroactively, so changes typically take effect only from the date you file. Filing promptly matters. Until a judge approves a new amount, the existing order stays in force and arrears keep building. An informal agreement with the other parent does not change what is legally owed.

The office can use enforcement tools without you hiring a lawyer. Common steps include income withholding orders sent to the employer, intercepting federal and state tax refunds, and reporting arrears to credit bureaus. Offices can also suspend driver's, professional, or recreational licenses and place liens on property. For large debts, the federal government can deny or revoke a passport. In serious cases the office can ask a court for a contempt hearing, which can lead to fines or jail. Report missed payments to your caseworker quickly. Share any new address or employer you learn about, since that information often unlocks enforcement.

No. You can open and manage a case through the office on your own. The attorneys there represent the state's interest in establishing and enforcing support, not you or the other parent personally, so they cannot give you private legal advice. If your situation involves a custody dispute, domestic violence concerns, or complicated property issues, consider a family law attorney or a legal aid office. If safety is a concern, tell the caseworker at the start. Offices can take steps to protect your address and contact details, including flagging a case in the system for family violence.