Anyone who needs to collect or pay child support in Iowa deals with one statewide program, not 99 separate county offices. Child Support Services is part of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), which took over the work of the former Department of Human Services in 2022. Many older listings, including ours, still use the long-standing name Child Support Recovery Unit. The offices are the same ones. They open cases, locate parents, establish paternity, request support orders, and collect and enforce payments.

The listings on this page show where those offices sit. This section explains what they do, how the work differs between Des Moines and rural Iowa, and what to prepare before you call or visit.

How the Child Support Program Is Organized in Iowa

Iowa runs child support as a state-administered program with local offices. The legal framework is in the Iowa Code. Chapter 252B authorizes the Child Support Recovery Unit. Chapter 252C allows support to be set administratively, without a full court hearing, in many cases. Chapter 252D covers income withholding. Chapter 252J allows licence sanctions for serious nonpayment. Chapter 252K is Iowa's version of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which governs cases that cross state lines.

Courts still matter. A support order is usually entered by an Iowa district court judge or, in an administrative case, by a state-issued order that carries the same force. The amount follows the child support guidelines adopted by the Iowa Supreme Court. Those guidelines look at both parents' incomes and the needs of the children. The clerk of the district court in each county keeps the court file, so certified copies of orders come from the clerk, not from the child support office.

Eligibility is broad. A parent with custody, a relative or guardian raising a child, and a parent who pays support can all ask for services. You do not have to receive public assistance. Families who get certain cash or medical assistance are generally referred to the program as part of that benefit. Ask the office about any application or annual service charge that applies to your situation, because it can depend on the type of case.

Payments are normally handled through a central state processing system. Employers send withheld wages to that system, which then pays the receiving parent. For that reason, local caseworkers generally do not collect payments at the counter. Confirm the current process by phone before you drive anywhere with money or paperwork.

Child Support Offices in Iowa's Des Moines Metro

The densest cluster of offices is around the capital. Polk County has four listings spread across the metro, which is unusual in a state where most counties share an office with neighbors. The listings are:

The spread reflects where people live and work. Grimes and Urbandale serve the western suburbs along the Interstate 35/80 corridor. Pleasant Hill sits on the east side. The downtown Des Moines address is the central option for people who commute into the city.

Do not assume that any of the four will open your file. A case is usually assigned to a particular office or team, and a different location may redirect you. Call the number closest to you first and give your name and case number if you have one. The receptionist can tell you whether to come in, mail documents, or speak with a specific worker.

South of the metro, the Indianola Child Support Recovery Unit at 1807 West 2nd Avenue (515-962-5400) is the listing for Warren County. It is a short drive from the Des Moines side, but it is a separate office with its own caseload.

Eastern Iowa Offices Along the Mississippi and the Cedar Valley

Eastern Iowa has a string of offices in the river cities and the Cedar Rapids and Waterloo corridor. Each listing is the main contact for its surrounding counties, not just its own city.

Note that the Dubuque listing is a post office box. That is a mailing address, not a place to walk in. Use the phone number to ask where to deliver documents in person.

The river location creates a practical issue. Davenport, Clinton, Burlington and Dubuque all sit across the Mississippi from Illinois, and Dubuque is also close to Wisconsin. Plenty of families in these cities have one parent on each side of the state line. Those cases fall under the interstate rules in Chapter 252K. The Iowa office does not enforce Illinois law directly. It works with the other state's child support agency, which usually means more steps and more waiting than a case between two Iowa residents.

Decorah, the office for Winneshiek County in the northeast corner, serves a rural area with long drives between towns. Phone and mail contact is often the practical choice there, and the same is true in much of the eastern interior.

Western, Northern and Rural Iowa Offices

Outside the metro and the river cities, offices are spaced out so that a single location covers a wide area. The listings in these regions are:

Council Bluffs is in Pottawattamie County, directly across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. Sioux City borders both Nebraska and South Dakota. Parents in those two cities are more likely than most Iowans to have an out-of-state parent, an out-of-state employer, or both. If the paying parent works in Omaha, income withholding can still be sent to that employer, but the paperwork may go through Nebraska.

In places like Spencer, Creston and Ottumwa, the nearest office may be the only one within an hour's drive. Most routine business can be done without a visit. You can phone, mail forms, send documents, and update your address or employer information with the office that holds your case. Save an in-person visit for situations where the caseworker asks for it, such as signing paperwork or bringing original documents.

What to Bring to an Iowa Child Support Office

A caseworker can only act on information they have. Gather these items before you call or visit:

If you are applying without an order, the more you know about the other parent, the faster the office can locate them. If you already have a case number, keep it handy, since it is the quickest way for staff to find your file.

Before You Make the Trip

Phone first. Hours, appointment rules and which services are handled in person have changed in recent years, and our listings show addresses and numbers, not schedules. Ask whether you need an appointment, which documents to bring, and whether a form can be mailed instead. If you cannot afford a lawyer for a related custody or modification matter, Iowa Legal Aid offers free civil legal help to people who qualify, and the child support office can point you toward other options.

The child support program in Iowa 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 21 cities across Iowa. They are spread across 18 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Creston, Waterloo, Carroll, 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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Iowa to find the nearest location.

Practical Notes for Using Iowa Child Support Services

A few Iowa-specific habits save time. Keep your address, phone number and employer information current with the office handling your case. A missed notice is the most common reason a case stalls. If you pay or receive support, keep your own record of dates and amounts, even though the state tracks payments. When you move between counties, the case does not restart, but the office handling it may change, so ask who your contact is after a move.

Court actions are filed with the clerk of the district court in the county where the case is heard. The child support office can start enforcement or request a review, but it represents the state's interest in collecting support, not either parent personally. If you need advice about custody, visitation or your own legal rights, speak to a private attorney or a legal aid provider.

The state's offices are spread across all regions. From Webster County in the north-central interior to Winneshiek County in the northeast, location affects how you reach your office more than which services it provides.

You apply to Child Support Services, which is part of Iowa HHS. The simplest route is to call the office nearest you and ask how to start. Staff can explain whether to complete a form by mail, online, or in person. Have the other parent's name, last known address and employer ready, along with each child's birth date and Social Security number. Bring any existing court order or paternity paperwork. The sooner the office has accurate details about where the other parent lives and works, the sooner it can begin locating them and setting up support.

No. Services are open to any parent or caregiver who needs help establishing or collecting support, and also to parents who pay and want an accurate record. Families who receive certain cash or medical assistance are typically referred to the program as part of that benefit, but you can apply on your own without any assistance case. Ask the office whether a service charge applies to your type of case, since that can vary. If the money you collect goes toward repaying assistance, a caseworker can explain how that works.

Under Iowa law, support generally continues until the child turns 18. It can continue until age 19 if the child is still attending high school full time and is reasonably expected to graduate by then. The order itself or the court's later rulings may contain other terms, so read your decree carefully. Support does not stop automatically in every situation, and an unpaid balance can remain owed after the child ages out. If you think an order should end, ask the child support office or the clerk of court how to confirm it.

The state has several enforcement tools. The most common is income withholding, where an employer takes the payment from wages. Other options include intercepting tax refunds, placing liens on property, and reporting debt to credit bureaus. Under Iowa Code chapter 252J, serious nonpayment can also lead to the loss or suspension of certain licences. Federal tools such as passport denial can apply to large arrears. Tell your caseworker right away if payments stop, and give them any new employer or address details you have, because those speed up enforcement.

Yes, but only through the proper process. The program offers a review and adjustment process for eligible cases, and a parent can also ask the district court to modify an order after a significant change in circumstances, such as a job loss, a major income change or a change in the child's needs. Until a new order is entered, the old one stays in force, so keep paying what is currently ordered. Contact the office that holds your case to ask whether a review is available, and speak to an attorney if the situation is complicated.

Iowa's version of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, Iowa Code chapter 252K, covers these cases. Your Iowa office can work with the child support agency in the other parent's state to establish, enforce or modify an order. This is common in border areas such as Council Bluffs near Omaha, Davenport and Dubuque near Illinois, and Sioux City near Nebraska and South Dakota. Expect it to take longer than a case with two Iowa residents, because two agencies are involved. Give your caseworker as much information as you can about where the other parent lives and works.