Florida runs child support as one statewide program, not as 67 separate county systems. The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) operates the Child Support Program. It opens cases, locates parents, establishes paternity, requests support orders, collects payments, and enforces unpaid support. The local offices on this page are the in-person service points for that program, stretching from Miami in the south to Marianna in the Panhandle.

That structure works in your favor. Your case number, the toll-free line, and your online account are the same whichever building you visit. A parent who moves from Jacksonville to Lakeland does not have to start over with a new agency.

How the Florida Child Support Program Is Set Up

Several parts of the Florida Statutes shape the work. Chapter 61 covers divorce, parental responsibility, and the child support guidelines in section 61.30. Chapter 409 designates DOR as the state's Title IV-D agency. That is the federal label that brings funding and collection tools for child support enforcement. Chapter 88 adopts the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which governs cases where the parents live in different states.

Florida's guidelines use an income shares model. The calculation looks at both parents' incomes, the number of children, health insurance and child care costs, and how many overnights each parent has. A judge can depart from the guideline amount, but must explain the reason in writing.

Every office in our database lists 800-622-5437 as its phone number, with one exception. The Lake City Child Support & Social Service Office in Columbia County lists 877-769-0251. Treat the phone as your first step. Staff can often answer a question about a payment or a missing document in a few minutes, which can save you a trip.

Metro and Rural Offices Across Florida

The big metro offices carry the heaviest caseloads. The Miami Child Support & Social Service Office at 601 Northwest 1st Court is in Miami-Dade County. The Ft. Lauderdale Child Support & Social Service Office at 1900 West Commercial Boulevard sits in Broward County. On the Gulf side, the Clearwater Child Support & Social Service Office at 19361 US Highway 19 North is the Pinellas County listing. Expect busier lobbies and longer phone queues in these areas, so plan your visit around that.

Rural Florida looks different. The Arcadia Child Support & Social Service Office at 10 South Desoto Avenue, the Madison Child Support & Social Service Office at 757 Southwest Range Avenue, and the Okeechobee Child Support & Social Service Office at 502 Northwest 2nd Street each sit in a small county seat. For many families nearby, that office is the closest state service building. In Hendry County, the Clewiston Child Support & Social Service Office is at 953 West Sugarland Highway. In Palm Beach County, the Belle Glade Child Support & Social Service Office at 2990 North Main Street sits near the farming communities around Lake Okeechobee.

Distance is a real factor in two corners of the state. The Marathon Child Support & Social Service Office at 2796 Overseas Highway is the Florida Keys listing in Monroe County, and the drive to the mainland can take hours. The Marianna Child Support & Social Service Office at 4230 Lafayette Street in Jackson County anchors the Panhandle, far from the clusters around Tampa Bay and Miami.

Our database holds 37 listings against 67 counties, so many counties have no office of their own. Parents there usually manage cases by phone, mail, or online, and visit the nearest listed office only when a document must be seen in person.

What a Florida Child Support Office Can Help With

Staff handle the administrative side of your case. Depending on your situation, an office visit or call can cover these tasks:

One point surprises many people. DOR attorneys represent the state's interest in the case, not either parent. They cannot act as your personal lawyer or give you private legal advice about custody or timesharing. For those questions, consider a private attorney or a legal aid organization.

What to Bring to Your Visit

A short folder of paperwork prevents repeat trips. Bring as many of these items as you have:

Missing something should not stop you from applying. Staff can start the case with what you have and tell you what to add later.

Practical Timing Tips for Florida Parents

Offices generally keep weekday business hours, and hours can differ from one building to the next. Call 800-622-5437 before you go, and ask whether you need an appointment or can walk in. Early in the week and early in the day are usually quieter in large metro offices.

Payments are normally processed through the Florida State Disbursement Unit rather than at a local counter. Employers withhold support from wages and send it to the state, and the receiving parent is paid by direct deposit or a state-issued debit card. Ask staff to confirm the current options for your case.

Enforcement tools extend well beyond wage withholding. Florida can intercept tax refunds, place liens, and seek suspension of a driver's license for serious nonpayment. Federal rules also allow passport denial when arrears are large.

Support generally continues until a child turns 18. It can run to age 19 if the child is still in high school and expected to graduate before then. Court orders can set other terms, so read your own order carefully.

The child support program in Florida 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 37 cities across Florida. They are spread across 36 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Brooksville, Miami, Madison, 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 Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida to find the nearest location.

Florida Child Support Offices by Region

North Florida offices are spread thin. The Gainesville Child Support & Social Service Office at 5719 Northwest 13th Street is the Alachua County listing. The Lake City Child Support & Social Service Office covers a largely rural stretch of Columbia County. Further west, the Crestview Child Support & Social Service Office at 2810 Richbourg Lane is in Okaloosa County. Allow extra driving time if you live in a neighboring county without its own listing.

Central and coastal Florida has a denser network. Ocala at 2701 Southwest College Road, Leesburg at 1904 Thomas Avenue, Lakeland at 115 South Missouri Avenue, Daytona Beach at 1160 North Williamson Boulevard, and Melbourne at 420 North Wickham Road each hold a listing near major corridors such as I-75, I-4, and I-95. Orange Park at 1845 Town Center Boulevard serves the Clay County side of the Jacksonville area.

Southwest Florida includes the Ft. Myers Child Support & Social Service Office at 2830 Winkler Avenue in Lee County. Inland, the Immokalee Child Support & Social Service Office at 750 South 5th Street is in Collier County, where seasonal farm work is common. Bring any pay records or employer letters you have. On the Gulf and Nature Coast, Brooksville is at 324 West Jefferson Street and Lecanto is at 595 North Lecanto Highway.

Florida Child Support Questions Answered

You can apply for services through the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program by phone at 800-622-5437, online, or in person at a local office such as the Jacksonville Child Support & Social Service Office at 921 North Davis Street. Either parent can apply, and so can a guardian or caregiver raising the child. Have identifying details for the child and both parents ready, plus any existing court order. Families who receive certain public benefits, such as cash assistance or Medicaid, are generally referred to the program as part of that process. After you apply, staff begin locating the other parent and, if needed, establishing paternity.

Florida Statutes section 61.30 sets the guidelines. The formula adds both parents' monthly incomes after allowed deductions, then finds a basic obligation from a schedule based on the number of children. Costs such as child care and health insurance are added on top, and each parent's share follows their percentage of the combined income. Overnights matter too. When a child spends 73 or more overnights a year with each parent, a shared-parenting adjustment applies. A court can depart from the result, but it must explain its reasons in writing.

In most cases, support moves through the Florida State Disbursement Unit rather than a local counter. Employers withhold the amount from wages and send it to the state, and parents who pay directly can use options such as online payment or mail. Receiving parents typically get funds by direct deposit or a state-issued debit card. Staff at the Ocala Child Support & Social Service Office at 2701 Southwest College Road can look up your payment history and explain what posted. They will usually direct you to the correct payment channel instead of accepting cash. Confirm current options by phone first.

Chapter 88 of the Florida Statutes adopts the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which lets Florida work with other states. The Department of Revenue can send a request to the other parent's state to locate that parent, establish paternity, set an order, or enforce one. Employers anywhere in the country can receive an income withholding order. A Florida order generally stays enforceable when the paying parent moves, and typically only one state keeps the authority to modify it. Share every address, employer, and relative contact you know, because good location details speed up the process considerably.

Yes, but the current order stays in force until a court or the agency changes it. Florida generally requires a substantial change in circumstances, such as a significant income shift, job loss, a change in overnights, or a child's changing needs. If your case is with the Department of Revenue, ask whether it qualifies for a review, and staff can explain the next step. Otherwise you can file a petition in circuit court, with a private lawyer or a legal aid group helping. Do not simply stop paying. Unpaid amounts keep growing as arrears, and a change usually applies only from the filing date forward.

The Department of Revenue has several enforcement tools. It can issue income withholding to an employer, intercept state and federal tax refunds, place liens, report the debt to credit bureaus, and seek suspension of a driver's license or professional license. Federal rules also allow passport denial for large arrears. A parent who ignores a court order can face contempt, and a judge can order jail in serious cases. Report missed payments by calling 800-622-5437 or visiting an office such as the Belle Glade Child Support & Social Service Office at 2990 North Main Street. Bring the dates and amounts you expected.