How Child Support Services Work Across Montana

Child support in Montana runs through one statewide program, not 56 separate county systems. The Child Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) operates the program under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act and the child support provisions of Title 40 of the Montana Code Annotated. Local offices carry that work into communities from Libby to Plentywood and from Dillon to Baker. This page explains how the system is laid out, what differs between Billings and a county seat on the Hi-Line, and how to prepare before you call or visit.

Our database lists 31 offices, and each carries the name pattern “[Town] Child Support & Social Service Office.” That shared name suggests child support is handled alongside other DPHHS social services in many towns rather than in a standalone storefront. Hours, walk-in policies and the staff on site vary by location, so phone first.

Who the program serves and what it does

CSSD works with custodial parents, non-custodial parents, and caretakers such as grandparents raising a child. You do not need to receive public assistance to ask for help. Staff can assist with the following:

You can also skip the state program. A private attorney, or a filing with the District Court in your county, is another route, and some families settle support in a divorce or parenting plan. The state program is often the practical choice when the other parent is hard to find, lives out of state, or has missed payments, because the division has enforcement tools that private parties lack.

Billings, Bozeman, Butte and the Hi-Line: How Montana Offices Differ by Region

Montana is the fourth-largest state by area, with just over one million people. Offices are spread thin, and your experience depends heavily on where you live. A parent in a river-valley city may walk into an office the same day. A parent in a northeastern farming town may rely on phone calls, mail and a long drive for anything in person.

Larger city and valley offices

The Billings Child Support & Social Service Office at 1500 Poly Drive (406-655-5500) serves Yellowstone County, home to the state's largest city. The Bozeman Child Support & Social Service Office at 220 West Lamme Street (406-585-9984) covers Gallatin County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The Butte Child Support & Social Service Office at 17 West Galena Street (406-497-6600) is in Silver Bow County. The Helena office at 2024 9th Avenue (406-444-2030) sits in the state capital, and the Missoula office is at 1610 South 3rd Street West (406-329-7910). Street addresses like these make in-person visits realistic, though calling ahead still saves a wasted trip.

Small-town and reservation-area offices

Many listings in eastern and northern Montana give only a PO Box. The Baker Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 1017, 406-778-3846) serves Fallon County near the North Dakota line. Browning (PO Box 588, 406-338-5171), Chester (PO Box 459, 406-759-5603) and Harlowton (PO Box 4920, 406-632-4895) follow the same pattern. A PO Box is for mail, not a place to walk in. Call to learn the physical location, the days staff are present, and whether you need an appointment.

Rosebud County has two listings: the Colstrip Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 750, 406-748-3622) and the Forsyth Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 241, 406-356-7918). If your case involves this county, ask which office holds your file so you contact the right people. Our records show the Glasgow Child Support & Social Service Office in Valley County with a mailing address of PO Box 9 but no phone number, so confirm contact details with DPHHS before traveling.

Montana has seven reservations, and some tribal governments run their own child support programs. If you live near Browning, Polson or Hardin, ask early whether the state or a tribal program should handle your case. Filing in the wrong place costs weeks.

What to Bring to a Montana Child Support Office

Good paperwork speeds up everything that follows. Staff can only locate and enforce what they can identify, so gather as much as you can before you call:

Bring copies rather than originals unless staff ask otherwise. If you do not know something about the other parent, say so. Staff can search for much of it, but a vehicle description, a hometown or the name of a relative sometimes helps.

Calling ahead and keeping a record

Use the phone numbers listed for each office, and write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they told you. Child support cases can last years, and a simple log helps if your file moves between offices or staff. Ask how you will receive notices, because missing a mailed deadline is a common problem in rural areas where mail is slow.

Montana Rules That Shape Support Orders

Montana sets support amounts using the Montana Child Support Guidelines, adopted in the Administrative Rules of Montana (Title 37, chapter 62). The guidelines consider the income of both parents, the number of children, parenting time and health insurance costs. Judges and administrative decision-makers start from the guideline figure and depart from it only with stated reasons. Because a formula drives the result, accurate income information on your side matters more than any argument about fairness.

Orders are not permanent. If a parent loses a job, income changes substantially, or the parenting schedule changes, either parent can ask for a review. Keep paying the current order while the request is pending, because changes generally apply only going forward and unpaid amounts remain owed.

When a parent does not pay, enforcement tools can include income withholding through the employer, interception of tax refunds, and other collection steps allowed by Montana law. Withholding is the most common and the most reliable, since payment comes out before the paycheck reaches the parent. If you receive support and the amounts look wrong, ask the local office to check the payment history before assuming a mistake.

Your best first step is simple: choose the office nearest you from the list on this page, call, and ask how to open a case or check an existing one. If that office does not handle your county, it can point you to the one that does.

The child support program in Montana 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 31 cities across Montana. They are spread across 30 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Baker, Helena, Chester, 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 Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana to find the nearest location.

Making the Most of Your Local Montana Office

Montana's offices are scattered across long distances, so planning matters more here than in a compact state. The Havre Child Support & Social Service Office at 232 1st Street West serves Hill County on the Hi-Line, and the Lewistown Child Support & Social Service Office at 312 Birch Street covers Fergus County in central Montana. In the southwest, the Dillon Child Support & Social Service Office at 2 South Pacific Street serves Beaverhead County. The Big Timber Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 239, 406-932-5267) covers Sweet Grass County, and the Butte office serves Silver Bow County.

Winter changes the calculation. Snow and ice on US-2, I-90 and the mountain passes can turn a short errand into a day's drive, so use the phone and mail whenever you can. Libby, Livingston, Hamilton and Polson are all smaller communities where staff may not be in the office every day, which is another reason to call before leaving home.

Keep every notice you receive, answer deadlines promptly, and update the office whenever your address, phone number or employer changes. Most delays in child support cases come from missing contact information, not from the law itself.

Montana Child Support Questions Answered

Contact the Child Support Services Division of DPHHS through the local office nearest you, such as the Billings office at 406-655-5500 or the Missoula office at 406-329-7910. Ask how to apply and what the intake process involves. Have the other parent's name, last known address, employer and any court orders ready, along with your child's birth certificate. Staff will open a case, try to locate the other parent if needed, and explain the next steps, which may include establishing paternity or requesting a support order.

Our database lists two offices in Rosebud County: the Colstrip Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 750, 406-748-3622) and the Forsyth Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 241, 406-356-7918). Because both use PO Box mailing addresses, call first to find out which one holds your file, where staff meet clients, and which days they are available. If you already have a case number, have it handy so the person answering can find your record quickly and tell you whether to go to Colstrip or Forsyth.

Montana uses the Montana Child Support Guidelines, found in the Administrative Rules of Montana, Title 37, chapter 62. The calculation looks at both parents' income, the number of children, how parenting time is divided, and costs such as health insurance for the child. The result is a presumptive amount, and a decision-maker can depart from it only with a stated reason. Accurate, documented income figures from both sides are the most important input, so bring pay stubs, tax records and any proof of other income to your appointment.

Many rural cases are handled mostly by phone and mail. The Baker Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 1017, 406-778-3846) serves Fallon County, and the Glasgow Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 9) serves Valley County, although our records show no phone number for Glasgow. Call, explain that you live a distance away, and ask which steps can be completed remotely. Keep copies of everything you mail, and ask how the office will send notices so you do not miss a deadline.

Yes, either parent can ask for a review when circumstances change substantially, such as a job loss, a large income change, or a new parenting schedule. Contact your local office, for example Bozeman at 406-585-9984 or Butte at 406-497-6600, and ask how to request a review. Continue paying the current amount in the meantime. Changes generally apply only from the time of the request forward, so unpaid support from earlier months usually remains owed, and waiting to ask can cost you money.

They can. Montana has seven reservations, and some tribal governments operate their own child support programs. The Browning Child Support & Social Service Office (PO Box 588, 406-338-5171) is in Glacier County, and the Polson Child Support & Social Service Office (830 Shoreline Drive, 406-883-3828) is in Lake County. Which program should handle your case may depend on where the parents and child live and whether tribal membership is involved. Ask the local office to explain the options before you file, so you avoid duplicate paperwork or delays.