How Child Support Works in Indiana

Indiana runs child support through two layers: a state agency that sets the rules and tracks the money, and county offices that do the legal work. If you need to open a case, change an order, or find out why a payment is missing, you will deal with both. This page explains how the system fits together across Indiana's 92 counties and which office to contact first.

The state agency is the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS). Its Child Support Bureau administers the Title IV-D program, the federally backed service that helps parents establish paternity, obtain orders, and collect payments. The Bureau maintains the statewide case-tracking system, so a case opened in one county can be seen and worked from another.

Local work is different. In most counties the elected prosecuting attorney runs a child support division under an agreement with DCS. That is why so many entries in our directory are titled "Child Support Prosecutor." You are visiting the prosecutor's staff, usually in or beside the county courthouse, not a separate state storefront.

These offices file the court paperwork to establish paternity, request support orders, enforce unpaid support, and ask judges to modify orders. They act for the State's interest in collecting support. Staff are not your private lawyer, and they cannot advise you on custody or parenting time.

The legal rules come from Indiana statutes and court rules. Child support law sits mainly in Title 31 of the Indiana Code. The amount of support is calculated under the Indiana Child Support Guidelines, which the Indiana Supreme Court issues. Indiana uses an income shares approach. It looks at both parents' incomes, the cost of health insurance, work-related child care, and the parenting time schedule.

Finding the Right Child Support Prosecutor in Indiana's Counties

Because the work is county-based, your first question is which county holds your case. That is usually the county where the support order was entered or where the child lives. If you are not sure, call the nearest listing, give both parents' names, and ask staff to search for the case.

Northeast Indiana listings

In the northeast, the Noble County entry is at 101 North Orange Street in Albion, phone 260-636-2736. You can browse the area on our Noble County page. The Columbia City Child Support Prosecutor serves Whitley County from 101 West Van Buren Street, phone 260-244-3000, and is covered under Whitley County. In Decatur, the office uses a mailing address of PO Box 189 and answers at 260-724-5300; see Adams County for more.

Two neighbors are worth knowing as well. Steuben County's office is at 205 South Martha Street in Angola (260-668-1000). DeKalb County's is at 220 East 7th Street in Auburn (260-925-3450). Families in this corner of the state often live in one county and work in another, so a case may involve more than one of these offices.

One caution: a listing's title does not always match the town in its address. The Noble County entry, for example, carries the name "Shelbyville Child Support Prosecutor" but sits on North Orange Street in Albion. Always confirm the address and phone number before you drive.

Central and southern Indiana listings

In central Indiana, Clinton County's office is on Courthouse Square in Frankfort (765-659-6352). Boone County's is at 212 Courthouse Square in Lebanon (765-482-3510); our Boone County page has the details. In Anderson, the Madison County prosecutor's child support staff are at 16 East 9th Street (765-641-9609), listed under Madison County.

Farther south, the Bloomington office at 120 West 7th Street (812-349-2675) serves Monroe County. Lawrence County's entry is at 918 16th Street in Bedford (812-275-4172). Greene County's uses PO Box 428 in Bloomfield (812-384-3314).

Metro and Rural Child Support Service Across Indiana

Indiana mixes large metro areas with farm counties, and service differs accordingly. Marion County, home to Indianapolis, carries the heaviest caseload in the state. Suburban and mid-sized counties such as Hendricks (Danville, 147 West Main Street, 317-745-9838) and Elkhart (301 South Main Street, 574-522-3074) also handle steady volumes. Larger offices usually have more staff, more phone capacity, and a more defined intake process.

In rural counties, a small team may handle every case. Several listings give only a post office box, including Decatur, Bloomfield, and English (PO Box 40, 812-338-3522). A box number means you should call before visiting, because walk-in hours and staffing vary. Ask whether the office takes drop-ins, wants an appointment, or prefers that you start by mail or phone.

Hearings are held in the county's circuit or superior court. Smaller counties may hear support matters on set days of the month. When you call, ask for the next hearing date and where to file, because missing a date can delay an order by weeks.

Border counties add another wrinkle. Corydon in Harrison County (1445 Gardner Lane Northwest, 812-738-3804) and Boonville in Warrick County (1 County Square, 812-897-6199) are near Kentucky, so some families there have a parent across the state line. Interstate cases follow a uniform state law, and your Indiana office can send the request to the other state's child support agency.

Payments are generally processed through the statewide payment system rather than at the county counter. Do not plan to pay cash at the prosecutor's office. Ask the staff how to set up income withholding or an approved payment method instead.

Preparing for a Visit to an Indiana Child Support Office

Calling ahead saves a trip. When you reach the office, tell staff whether you are the parent receiving support or the parent paying it, and whether an order already exists. Then gather what you can from this list:

Missing documents rarely stop the process, but they slow it. If you do not know where the other parent lives or works, say so. Locate services are part of the program, and staff can search state and federal databases.

Timing matters. In Indiana, a change to an order generally applies only from the date the request is filed, not from the date your situation changed. If you lose a job or your child's needs change, ask about modification promptly instead of waiting.

When payments stop, the enforcement tools include income withholding, interception of tax refunds, driver's license action, credit reporting, and contempt proceedings. Your county office decides which step to request based on your case. Keep your own records of every payment, because they help resolve disputes quickly.

The child support program in Indiana 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 87 cities across Indiana. They are spread across 87 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Columbia, Albion, Frankfort, 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 Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana to find the nearest location.

Indiana Child Support Office Tips by Region

Every Indiana county has access to the program, but the experience depends on where you live. In the northeast, offices in Albion, Columbia City, Decatur, Angola, and Auburn are all in small county seats. Calls are often answered by staff who know the local court well. In central Indiana, Frankfort, Lebanon, and Anderson offices sit near their courthouses, which makes it easy to file and attend a hearing on the same day.

Southern Indiana offices such as Bedford, Bloomington, and Bloomfield serve a wide mix of university, small-town, and rural households. Distances between towns can be long, so phone and mail contact is often the practical first step. Wherever you live, write down the name of the person you speak with, the date, and what was promised. If a case stalls, those notes help the next staff member pick up quickly.

The Indiana Department of Child Services oversees the program through its Child Support Bureau. The Bureau sets procedures, maintains the statewide case system, and works with the federal government on Title IV-D requirements. Day-to-day legal work is usually done by county prosecuting attorneys, who run child support divisions under agreements with DCS. For a specific case, start with the prosecutor's child support office in the county where your order was issued or where the child lives, since that office can see your file and file motions in the local court.

No. The prosecutor's child support staff represent the State's interest in establishing and collecting support, not either parent individually. They can file for paternity, request orders, and pursue enforcement, but they cannot advise you on custody, parenting time, or personal legal strategy. If you need that kind of help, you may hire a private attorney, and the prosecutor's office can still work the support side. Ask staff early how your case is being handled so you understand who is responsible for each step.

Courts apply the Indiana Child Support Guidelines, issued by the Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana uses an income shares model. The worksheet combines both parents' weekly gross incomes, adds costs such as health insurance and work-related child care, and splits the total in proportion to income. Parenting time can reduce the amount through a credit. A judge may deviate from the result when the facts justify it, but must explain why. Bring recent pay records so the office can prepare an accurate worksheet.

You must ask the court to modify the order; an informal agreement between parents does not change what is legally owed. Indiana law generally allows modification when circumstances have changed so substantially that the current terms are unreasonable. It also allows it when the order is at least twelve months old and a new guideline calculation would differ by more than twenty percent. Changes usually reach back only to the date the petition was filed, so contact your county prosecutor's office or a private attorney promptly after a job loss or income change.

Unpaid support does not simply disappear; it builds up as arrears. The county prosecutor's office can request income withholding from an employer, intercept state and federal tax refunds, report the debt to credit agencies, and seek driver's license action. The court can also hold a parent in contempt, and serious cases can lead to criminal nonsupport charges. Tell the office quickly if payments stop, and keep your own payment records. If you are the paying parent and cannot pay, ask about modification before arrears grow.

The simplest route is a paternity affidavit signed by both parents, often at the hospital when the child is born. After a short rescission period, generally sixty days, it carries legal weight. If no affidavit exists or the father disputes parentage, the county prosecutor's child support office can file a paternity case and request genetic testing through the court. Once paternity is established, the court can set support, and the same office can enforce it. Bring the child's birth certificate and any signed forms to your first call.

Yes. States follow the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which lets Indiana's program send a request to the other state's child support agency. That agency can locate the parent, enforce your Indiana order, or help establish one. Border-area offices, such as those in Corydon and Boonville, see these cases often. Start with the county office that holds your case, provide the other parent's last known address and employer, and ask for a status update every few weeks, since interstate cases can take longer to move.