How Child Support Offices in Maryland Are Organised

Child support in Maryland is a state program delivered through local offices. The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), through its Child Support Administration, sets policy, runs the statewide computer systems and oversees payment processing. Casework happens closer to home. In most counties, the child support office sits inside the local Department of Social Services (DSS). Our directory lists 20 of these offices in 19 cities, from Cumberland in the west to Salisbury and Snow Hill on the Eastern Shore.

This page explains which body does what, how offices differ between metro and rural areas, and what to prepare before you go. Knowing whether your problem belongs with the local office, the circuit court or the state payment system can save you weeks.

The legal framework is in the Family Law Article of the Maryland Code. Maryland uses the income shares model for its child support guidelines. The idea is simple: estimate what two parents together would spend on a child if they lived in one household, then divide that cost according to each parent's share of combined income. The court then adds items such as work-related child care and the child's health insurance premium.

Support generally runs until the child turns 18. If the child is still in high school at 18, it can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.

What a Maryland Child Support Office Does, and What It Does Not

A local office works for the State of Maryland, not for either parent. Staff open and manage your case, but they are not your private attorney. They can help with these tasks:

Only a court can set or change the amount. In Maryland that means the circuit court for the county, where a judge or a family magistrate hears the case. The office prepares the paperwork and presents the State's request. You still need to attend your hearing, answer notices and bring honest income records.

You do not need public benefits to apply. Any parent or caregiver with a child in their care can ask for services. Families who receive Temporary Cash Assistance are referred to the program and are expected to cooperate in identifying the other parent. If fees apply to your case, the staff member who opens it should explain them. Ask before you sign.

When payments stop, the office has several enforcement tools. Maryland can withhold support from wages, intercept state and federal tax refunds, place liens, report arrears to credit bureaus and ask the court to find a parent in contempt. Which tool applies depends on the case, so ask your caseworker what has already been tried.

Central Maryland: Baltimore, Columbia, Annapolis and Frederick

The central corridor holds the largest share of Maryland families and the busiest caseloads. The Baltimore Department of Social Services at 1910 North Broadway (443-378-4600) is listed under Baltimore County in our database, which shows two listings for Baltimore. South of the city, the Annapolis Department of Social Services at 80 Annapolis Street (410-269-4500) covers Anne Arundel County. In Howard County, the Columbia office is at 7121 Columbia Gateway Drive (410-872-8700).

The Frederick Department of Social Services, at 100 East All Saints Street (301-600-4555), serves Frederick County, where many parents commute toward Washington or Baltimore. North of Baltimore, the Bel Air office at 2 South Bond Street (410-836-4700) covers Harford County. The Westminster office at 1232 Tech Court (410-386-3300) covers Carroll County.

Metro offices see high volume. Expect phone queues and book an appointment where one is offered. Routine tasks such as checking payment history or updating an address can often be handled by phone or through the state's online account. Save in-person visits for document-heavy matters like opening a case or signing paternity forms. If you work shifts, ask which hours are quietest.

Not every central jurisdiction appears in our listings. If you live in Montgomery County or Prince George's County and cannot find an office here, confirm the correct location with the Child Support Administration before you travel.

Southern Maryland, the Eastern Shore and the Mountains

Rural offices work differently. Staffs are smaller, and one office often serves an entire county with long drives between towns. In Southern Maryland you will find offices in La Plata (200 Kent Avenue, 301-392-6400) for Charles County, Prince Frederick (200 Duke Street, 443-550-6900) for Calvert County, and Lexington Park (21775 Great Mills Road, 240-895-7000) for St. Mary's County.

The Eastern Shore has the longest list. Cambridge (627 Race Street, 410-901-4100) serves Dorchester County. Easton (301 Bay Street, 410-770-4848) serves Talbot County, Denton (207 South 3rd Street, 410-819-4500) serves Caroline County, and Elkton (170 East Main Street, 410-996-0100) serves Cecil County. Salisbury (201 Baptist Street, 410-713-3900) serves Wicomico County, Snow Hill (410-677-6800) serves Worcester County, and Chestertown (410-810-7600) serves Kent County. Shore parents who work across the Chesapeake Bay often prefer phone and mail contact to a long drive.

Snow Hill and Chestertown are listed with post office box addresses (PO Box 39 and PO Box 670). Those are mailing addresses. Call before you visit to confirm the street location and public hours.

In the west, Hagerstown (122 North Potomac Street, 240-420-2100) serves Washington County, Cumberland (1 Frederick Street, 301-784-7000) serves Allegany County, and Oakland (12578 Garrett Highway, 301-533-3000) serves Garrett County. Mountain weather can close roads in winter. Check conditions before driving to Oakland, and ask whether your appointment can be held by phone.

What to Bring to a Maryland Child Support Office

A prepared applicant gets a case opened faster. Gather as much of the following as you can before you call or visit:

Do not delay because some details are missing. Staff can search state and federal databases for an employer or address, but they need a name and whatever identifying information you have.

Timing matters in Maryland. A court can generally change a support amount only from the date a request is filed, not from the date your situation changed. If you lose a job, see a major change in custody or receive a raise that alters the picture, ask the office or the court clerk how to file promptly. Meanwhile, keep paying what the order requires, because unpaid support is still owed as arrears.

For the visit itself, arrive early on a weekday morning and bring copies rather than originals when possible. Write down your case number and your caseworker's name. Report changes of address, employer or phone number quickly, since returned mail can delay a hearing notice. If you need an interpreter or a disability accommodation, request it when you book.

The child support program in Arizona is administered by the state's child support enforcement agency, which operates through a network of county-level offices that handle case intake, order establishment, payment processing, and enforcement across the state under the authority of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act.

Child Support Offices locations are available in 15 cities across Arizona. They are spread across 13 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Holbrook, Tucson, Globe, which serve as regional hubs for child support case processing and interstate enforcement coordination for cases involving parents in multiple states.

Non-custodial parents in Arizona who are current on their support obligation and experiencing a significant change in income — such as job loss or medical disability — may be eligible to request a formal modification review through the state child support agency without having to hire an attorney.

Child Support Offices by Counties

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Custodial parents in Arizona who receive public assistance are automatically enrolled in child support services as a condition of TANF or Medicaid eligibility. Parents not receiving public assistance can still apply for child support services voluntarily and typically receive the same level of enforcement assistance at little or no cost.

Browse Child Support Offices by county across Arizona to find the nearest location.

Using the Maryland Child Support System Day to Day

Two parts of the Maryland system are often confused. The local DSS office manages your case: locating parents, filing requests with the court and starting enforcement. Payments, however, move through a centralized state payment system rather than through your county office. If a payment looks missing, staff can check the record. Do not hand cash to the other parent or mail it directly if your order requires payment through the state, because those payments may not be credited to your case.

Most parents receive support by direct deposit or a debit card. Ask your caseworker which option is set up on your account. Keep copies of your order, your case number and any notices, since you will need them whenever you call.

Free help exists for the court side of the process. Maryland Court Help Centers, run by the judiciary, offer free assistance with forms and procedure, and Maryland Legal Aid serves income-eligible residents. Parents in Allegany County and other rural areas face long drives to offices and courthouses, so ask about phone options when you book.

Phone numbers, hours and street locations change. Use the details in our listings as a starting point and confirm by phone before you travel.

Child Support Questions Maryland Parents Ask

No. You can apply through the child support office at your local Department of Social Services without hiring an attorney. Keep in mind that the office represents the State of Maryland, not you or the other parent, so it cannot give you personal legal advice. If your case involves a contested custody question, domestic violence concerns or complicated finances, you may want your own lawyer. Maryland Court Help Centers offer free procedural help, and Maryland Legal Aid assists income-eligible families. Ask about these resources at the courthouse or when you call your local office.

Maryland follows the income shares model set out in the Family Law Article. The court starts with both parents' monthly incomes, combines them and consults a schedule of basic obligations based on the number of children. Each parent pays a share matching their percentage of the combined income. The court then adds work-related child care and the cost of the child's health insurance. If the child spends more than 35 percent of overnights with each parent, a shared custody formula applies, which usually changes the result. A judge may depart from the guidelines but must state the reasons.

In most cases, support ends when the child turns 18. If the child is still attending high school at 18, the obligation can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. Some orders have different terms, so read yours closely and ask the court if a special circumstance, such as a child's disability, applies. When the end date nears, ask your caseworker how to confirm it in the records. Unpaid support from earlier years, called arrears, remains owed after the child ages out, and enforcement can continue until the balance is paid in full.

You can still apply at a Maryland office. Child support agencies in every state cooperate under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which Maryland has adopted. Your local office can send the case to the other state's agency to locate the parent, establish an order or enforce an existing one. Income withholding can reach an out-of-state employer. Expect the process to take longer, because two agencies and sometimes two courts are involved. Keep the other parent's last known address, employer and family contacts in your records, and respond quickly to requests from either agency.

You can ask the court to modify the order, but you must show a material change in circumstances, such as job loss or a significant drop in income. Maryland courts generally apply a change only from the date the request is filed, so file quickly rather than waiting. Contact your local child support office or the circuit court clerk to ask about the right process. Until a judge changes the order, the existing amount stays due, and unpaid balances build up as arrears. Pay what you can, keep proof of your job search or reduced income, and attend every hearing.

Call your local office and give your case number, the date of the last payment and any new employer or address you know of. Staff can review the payment record and begin enforcement, which may include wage withholding, tax refund intercepts, liens and referral for a contempt hearing in circuit court. If the order requires payment through the state, ask whether the money was received before assuming a default. Keep your own records of anything paid directly, though payments made outside the system may not be credited. Prompt reporting helps the office act sooner.