Child support in Mississippi runs through county offices of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS). Our directory lists thirteen of them, stretching from Gulfport on the Gulf Coast to Corinth near the Tennessee line. If you need to open a case, track down missing payments, or ask for a change to an order, the county office is usually your first stop. This page explains how the system is organised, how city and country offices differ, and what to prepare so one visit gets the job done.

How Child Support Cases Work Under Mississippi Law

The duty to support a child is set by state law, chiefly Title 43, Chapter 19 of the Mississippi Code, and by court orders. A county DHS office does not decide the amount of support. Its staff open the case, gather facts, and bring the matter before a chancery court judge, who signs the order.

Most families come to these offices for five services. Caseworkers help locate a parent who has moved or changed jobs. They help establish paternity when the parents were not married, often through genetic testing. They ask the court to set a support amount and to address health insurance. They enforce the order when payments stop. And they help request a review when income or custody arrangements change.

Mississippi's guidelines work from a percentage of the paying parent's adjusted gross income: 14 percent for one child, 20 percent for two, 22 percent for three, 24 percent for four, and 26 percent for five or more. A judge can depart from those figures when the facts justify it, but must explain the reasons in writing. Support in Mississippi generally continues until a child turns 21, unless the child marries, joins the military, or becomes self-supporting earlier.

Keep one distinction in mind. The court order controls what is owed, and DHS enforces it. If your order came from a divorce or custody case handled by a private attorney, you can still ask the county office to take over collection. The state has 82 counties, and the court that issued your order may not be in the county where you live now.

Who Runs These Offices: MDHS and the Division of Child Support Enforcement

Within MDHS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement carries out the state's child support program. Federal law, Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, requires every state to run such a program. That is why you may hear the term "IV-D case" at the counter or in a courtroom. Anyone can apply: a parent with custody, a relative raising a child, or a parent who pays support and wants payments recorded properly.

Families receiving certain public benefits, such as TANF, may be referred to the program automatically, and the state may keep part of the support it collects to repay that assistance. Other applicants should ask the office about any application or annual fees before signing up, because federal rules allow some charges.

The collection tools are broad. They include income withholding from paychecks, interception of state and federal tax refunds, reporting to credit bureaus, suspension of licenses, and contempt proceedings in court. Under federal rules, payments are routed through a state disbursement unit, so do not assume a county counter can take cash. Call the office first and ask how to make a payment or check a balance.

Metro Offices and Rural Counties: How Service Differs in Mississippi

The Jackson area has the densest cluster of offices in our listings. The Hinds County DHS office is at 4777 Medgar Evers Boulevard in Jackson, phone 601-364-7679. Across the Pearl River, the Rankin County DHS office operates from 603 Marquette Road in Brandon, phone 601-825-5591. Cases follow the court that issued the order, so a Brandon resident may still need to deal with Hinds County paperwork if an old order was filed in Jackson. Ask which court holds your file.

On the Gulf Coast, the Harrison County DHS office is at 10260 Larkin Smith Drive in Gulfport, phone 228-897-5790. Jackson County DHS is at 5343 Jefferson Avenue in Moss Point, phone 228-769-3444. Jackson County here is the coastal county, not the city of Jackson, which lies in Hinds County. People mix these up when searching online, and it can send them to the wrong office.

The Delta looks different. The Coahoma County DHS office is at 236 Sharkey Avenue in Clarksdale, phone 662-624-3008. Distances between towns are long and public transit is limited, so a phone call before you drive is worth the few minutes. In the northeast hills you will find Alcorn County DHS in Corinth (2690 South Harper Road, 662-286-7738), Lee County DHS in Tupelo (220 South Industrial Road, 662-841-2749), Oktibbeha County DHS in Starkville (106 Felix Long Street, 662-324-9637), and Grenada County DHS (1241 Fairground Road, 662-226-1990).

Rural offices tend to be small. Jefferson Davis County DHS (1185 Frontage Road, Prentiss, 601-792-4206), Clarke County DHS (29 Harris Avenue, Quitman, 601-776-3529), and Walthall County DHS (901 Union Road, Tylertown, 601-876-3238) are examples. Staff may be out at court or in the field when you call, so leave a clear message with your name, case number, and a number where you can be reached.

Forrest County DHS lists PO Box 16209 in Hattiesburg and the phone number 601-554-4354. A post office box is a mailing address, not a place to walk in, so call to confirm where to go in person before you drive there. If your county is not in our listings, contact MDHS and ask which office handles your case.

What to Bring to a Mississippi County DHS Child Support Office

Arrive prepared and a caseworker can usually start your file much faster. Missing details slow things down, especially when the other parent must be located. Gather as much of the following as you can:

If you do not have everything, go anyway or call. Staff can tell you which items are essential for your type of case. You do not need a Social Security number to begin; a name and a home or work location can be enough to start a search.

Call before you go. Ask whether the office takes walk-ins, what hours it keeps, and whether a caseworker will be available. Court schedules can pull staff away from the office, particularly in smaller counties.

Finally, a county office can start the process but cannot promise a result on a fixed timeline. Locating a parent, serving papers, and getting onto a chancery court docket all take time. Follow up regularly, keep your contact details current, and keep copies of everything you hand over.

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

Cities with the highest concentration include Brandon, Quitman, Tylertown, 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi to find the nearest location.

Tips for Using Mississippi's County DHS Child Support Offices

Every office in our listings, from Lee County in Tupelo to Forrest County in Hattiesburg, works from the same state program. Rules and forms are largely consistent, but local routines are not. Some offices take walk-ins, others prefer appointments, and hours can shift around court days. A short phone call saves a wasted trip, especially if you are driving in from another county.

Keep your own records. Write down your case number, the name of each caseworker you speak with, and the date of every call. Save pay stubs, bank statements, and payment receipts. If a balance looks wrong, a paper trail lets the office correct it faster.

Tell the office promptly when your address, phone number, or employer changes. Missed mail is one of the most common reasons a hearing notice goes unanswered, and a judge may rule without you in the room. Chancery courts in Mississippi take missed child support hearings seriously.

Be careful with anyone who contacts you demanding immediate payment by gift card or payment app. Confirm balances and payment instructions by calling the county office number in our listing or the state agency directly. Our listings are a starting point, so verify hours and addresses with the office before you go.

Child Support Offices in Mississippi: Frequently Asked Questions

Start by contacting your county DHS office, using the phone number in our listing, and ask how to apply for Division of Child Support Enforcement services. You can usually apply in person or ask for an application, and a caseworker will explain which documents they need. Be ready with identifying details for yourself, your child, and the other parent, plus any existing court orders. Custodial parents and caregivers can apply, and a parent who pays support can also ask the program to record payments. Ask about any fees at the outset, and write down your case number once it is assigned.

Mississippi guidelines start with a percentage of the paying parent's adjusted gross income: 14 percent for one child, 20 percent for two, 22 percent for three, 24 percent for four, and 26 percent for five or more. These figures are presumed correct, but a chancery court judge can adjust them when the facts call for it, such as unusual medical costs or very high or low income. The judge must state the reasons for any departure. Adjusted gross income is not simply your paycheck. It follows a statutory definition that covers many income sources, so bring thorough income records.

In Mississippi, support generally continues until the child turns 21, unlike many states that stop at 18. It can end earlier if the child marries, enters the military, or becomes self-supporting, and a court may need to confirm that emancipation. Do not stop paying on your own because you think the child qualifies. Unpaid amounts keep building until a judge changes the order, and arrears can still be collected afterward. If you believe your obligation has ended, file a request with the court or ask your county DHS office how to start that process.

Possibly, but the order does not change automatically. You must ask the court to modify it, and you generally need to show a material change in circumstances that was not anticipated when the order was made, such as job loss or serious illness. Modifications typically apply only from the date a request is filed, not backward, so waiting costs you. Contact your county DHS office promptly to ask about a review, or speak with a family law attorney. Keep paying what you can in the meantime, because partial payments reduce arrears and show good faith.

The state has several enforcement tools. Employers can be ordered to withhold support from paychecks, and tax refunds can be intercepted. Missed payments can be reported to credit bureaus, and certain licenses may be suspended. If a parent refuses to pay despite having the means, the case can go before a chancery court judge on a contempt charge, which can carry penalties including jail. Call your county DHS office, give your case number, and share any new employer or address information you have, since a current location speeds up every one of these steps.

There are two main routes. Both parents can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, often at the hospital after the birth or later through the Mississippi State Department of Health, which legally names the father. If paternity is disputed or the father is unknown, a county DHS caseworker can arrange genetic testing and ask a court to rule. Once paternity is established, the court can set support and address health insurance. Establishing paternity also matters for inheritance and benefits, not just payments. Ask your county office which path fits your situation before you sign anything.