Child Support Offices in Idaho: Who Runs Them and What They Do

Idaho runs its child support program through the state, not through individual cities or counties. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare administers Child Support Services under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act. The local offices on this page are where that statewide program meets families face to face.

Our database lists 14 offices, and each one is named a "Child Support & Social Service Office." The shared name tells you something useful. Child support staff work in the same state buildings as other Health and Welfare services, so you may share a lobby with people applying for other kinds of help.

What the program does is fairly narrow. Staff can help locate a parent, establish paternity, ask a court to set a support order, record payments, and enforce an order that is not being paid. They can also help you request a review of an existing order. They are not your private lawyer, and they cannot advise you on custody or parenting time, which a judge decides separately.

Either parent can apply, and so can a relative or other caretaker raising a child. You do not need to be on public assistance to ask for help, although families who receive certain kinds of assistance are generally expected to work with the program.

When a parent falls behind, Idaho has several enforcement tools. They include income withholding through an employer, tax refund interception, liens and license suspension. Federal rules also allow passport denial for large unpaid balances. The local office is your point of contact, but many of these steps happen through the courts or statewide systems rather than at a counter.

The Treasure Valley, Payette and Eastern Idaho: Where Offices Cluster

The Treasure Valley has the densest cluster of offices. The Boise office sits at 1720 North Westgate Drive and serves the capital in Ada County. Its listed phone number is 208-334-2479. West of Boise, Canyon County has two offices: Caldwell at 3402 Franklin Road and Nampa at 823 Park Centre Way. The Nampa line is 208-455-7000, and the Caldwell listing carries the toll-free number 800-356-9868.

Two offices in one county is unusual for Idaho. Canyon County residents should ask which office handles their case before driving across the county. Farther northwest, the Payette office at 515 North 16th Street serves Payette County at the Oregon border. Its number is 208-642-6411. Parents there often deal with an ex-partner who lives across the state line, which brings interstate rules into play.

Eastern Idaho has a different rhythm. Idaho Falls, in Bonneville County, has an office at 150 Shoup Avenue. Rexburg, in Madison County, is at 333 Walker Drive. Blackfoot, in Bingham County, lists only a mailing address, PO Box 129. Preston, in Franklin County, is at 223 North State Street, close to the Utah line, and can be reached at 208-852-0634. Twin Falls serves the Magic Valley from 601 Pole Line Road.

Our database shows no phone number for Rexburg or Blackfoot. If you live in either area, start with the statewide toll-free number, 800-356-9868. It appears on the Caldwell, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls listings. Ask to be routed to your local office, and confirm the details before you plan a trip.

North Idaho and the Palouse: Five Offices Across Mountain Country

North of the Salmon River, Idaho observes Pacific Time, while the rest of the state uses Mountain Time. That affects when you call. An afternoon call from Boise to an office in Lewiston or Kellogg reaches a clock that is an hour earlier. Check local hours with the office, because they are not part of our listings.

Five listings serve the northern half of the state. Kellogg, at 35 Wildcat Way in Shoshone County, covers the Silver Valley and can be reached at 208-784-1352. Ponderay, at 207 Larkspur Street in Bonner County, sits next to Sandpoint and answers at 208-265-4523. Lewiston, in Nez Perce County, uses PO Box B and lists 208-799-4360. Moscow, home of the University of Idaho in Latah County, is at 1350 Troy Road, phone 208-882-0670. Grangeville, in Idaho County, lists PO Box 548 and 208-983-2522.

Distance is the real challenge here. Idaho County is among the largest in the state by area, and winter driving on US-95 can slow any trip. For many families in these counties, phone and mail work better than a walk-in visit. Ask whether forms and documents can be mailed back rather than assuming you must appear in person.

Three listings, Blackfoot, Grangeville and Lewiston, give only a post office box. Those are mailing addresses, so do not enter them into a map app and expect a front door. Call first if you need the street address of the office.

Border cities add another layer. Moscow is a few minutes from Pullman, Washington, and Lewiston sits across the river from Clarkston. A parent working in one state and living in the other is common here, and it affects how income withholding is directed.

What to Bring Before You Contact an Idaho Office

A little preparation shortens the process. When you call or visit, have as much of the following as you can find:

You can still open a case if some of this is missing. Staff can often help find a parent or an employer, but only if you share what you know. Even a former workplace or a relative's name can help.

If you are the parent who owes support, bring proof of income and records of every payment you have made. Payments are credited most reliably when they go through the official channel named in your order. Paying the other parent directly may not count toward a court-ordered balance, so keep records and ask the office how your payments are being posted.

Courts, not the child support office, decide custody and parenting time. If your problem is a parenting dispute, you will need your county's court or a private attorney. Idaho's courts also offer self-help resources for people without a lawyer.

The child support program in Idaho 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 14 cities across Idaho. They are spread across 13 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Grangeville, 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho to find the nearest location.

Idaho Rules That Shape Every Child Support Case

Idaho courts calculate support using statewide guidelines set through the Idaho Supreme Court's rules, built on an income shares model. The formula starts with both parents' incomes and the number of children. It then adjusts for items such as health insurance and childcare. Because the method is statewide, a parent in Kellogg and a parent in Twin Falls follow the same steps, even though their local offices differ.

Judges in the magistrate division of each county's district court usually enter the orders. Department of Health and Welfare staff then handle collection and recordkeeping. Family support obligations are covered in Idaho Code Title 32, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act appears in Idaho Code Title 7, Chapter 10.

Idaho has 44 counties, and our database covers 13 of them. A missing county does not mean a missing service. It usually means a nearby listed office handles your case, so confirm by phone. Only a court can change an order, so keep paying the current amount until a judge approves a new one.

Keep every notice you receive. Letters from the program often carry deadlines, and a missed hearing can lead to a default order. If your address, job or phone number changes, tell the office promptly so notices and withholding reach the right place.

Questions About Child Support in Idaho

Contact the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Child Support Services program by phone or through your nearest office, and ask for an application. You will give identifying details about yourself, your child and the other parent, plus any court orders you already have. The more complete the information, especially the other parent's address, employer and Social Security number, the faster staff can locate them and request an order. Our listings include the toll-free number 800-356-9868 and local lines such as 208-334-2479 in Boise. Ask about any application fee or service charge when you call, since policies can change.

A missing listing does not mean you are without service. Start with the statewide number, 800-356-9868, and ask which office covers your county. In northern Idaho that could mean Ponderay or Kellogg, in the southwest Boise, Nampa or Caldwell, and in the east Idaho Falls or Rexburg. Staff can handle much of a case by phone and mail, so living far from an office is rarely a barrier to opening one. Write down the name of the person you speak with and the date of each call.

Our listings do not include hours or appointment rules, so call before you go. Blackfoot, Grangeville and Lewiston show only a post office box, which means mail goes there but you cannot assume a public counter at that address. Remember the time zone split as well. Lewiston, Moscow, Grangeville, Kellogg and Ponderay are in Pacific Time, while Boise, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls use Mountain Time. A quick call can confirm whether you need an appointment and which documents to bring.

Every state follows the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which Idaho adopted in Idaho Code Title 7, Chapter 10. Your Idaho office can send the case to the other state's child support agency, and an employer in another state can be sent an income withholding notice directly. This comes up often near the borders, including Payette beside Oregon, Preston beside Utah, and Moscow and Lewiston beside Washington. Give staff the best address and employer you have for the other parent, since location is usually the slowest part of an interstate case.

In general, support runs until a child turns 18, or until 19 if the child is still attending high school. A court can order support to continue longer for a child with a disability. Unpaid support does not disappear when the child grows up, so an overdue balance can still be collected afterward. Before you stop paying or stop expecting payments, read your order closely and ask the office or the court to confirm the end date. Stopping on your own can leave you with a balance you did not expect.

The program can use income withholding, tax refund interception, liens on property and suspension of licenses. For large unpaid balances, federal rules also allow passport denial. A court can order a hearing if a parent ignores an order. Contact your local office as soon as payments stop, and bring your own records of what was due and what arrived. Early reports let staff act while the other parent's employer and address are still current. If your income has dropped, ask about reviewing the order rather than simply falling behind.