How Child Support Offices Work Across Nevada

Nevada runs its child support program through a mix of state and county offices. The state's Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, known as DWSS, oversees the federally funded program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Day-to-day casework happens in local offices, and in some counties the district attorney handles it. This page lists eleven of those offices, from Las Vegas to Lovelock, so you can find the one that serves your county.

Every office does the same core work. Staff help locate a parent, establish legal parentage, ask a court to set a support order, collect payments and enforce orders that go unpaid. The attorneys in the program represent the state, not either parent. You keep your own rights, and you may hire a private family law attorney if you want advice about your personal situation.

The Carson City listing at 1470 East College Parkway is the Division of Welfare & Supportive Services itself, reachable at 775-684-0704. The division is part of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. Start there if you have a question about statewide policy or cannot tell which local office holds your file. The state capital is also covered by Carson City County, which is an independent city rather than part of a larger county.

Payments on program cases are generally routed through a central state payment unit instead of being handed from one parent to the other. That creates a record of what was paid and when. If a dispute about unpaid balances comes up later, that record is the document a caseworker and a judge will look at first.

Las Vegas, Reno and Rural Nevada: How the Offices Differ

Southern Nevada and Clark County

The Clark County District Attorney Family Support Division is at 1900 East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, phone 702-671-9200. It handles cases for Clark County, which holds most of the state's population. That means a very large caseload and a system built around phone contact, mail and scheduled appointments rather than quick walk-ins. Have your case number and the other parent's full name ready before you call, and expect to be asked for both.

Northern Nevada: Reno and Carson City

Reno Child Support Enforcement is at 300 East 2nd Street, phone 775-448-5150, and serves Washoe County. Court matters in Washoe County go through the Second Judicial District Court. Northern Nevada parents often live in one county and work in another, which affects where an order is filed and where wages are withheld. Tell your caseworker about both locations, because the answer changes which office and which employer receive the paperwork.

From Carson City, the Douglas County seat of Minden and the Lyon County seat of Yerington are both within a reasonable drive. Families in those areas sometimes deal with the state division and a local office on the same case.

Rural Nevada and the Combined Offices

Outside the two metro areas, most listings use the name Child Support & Social Service Office. You will find them in Elko at 540 Court Street, Fallon at 485 West B Street, Hawthorne at PO Box 1210, Minden at PO Box 1240, Tonopah at 101 Radar Road and Yerington at 205 West Goldfield Avenue. Pahrump has Child Support Enforcement at 1840 Pahrump Valley Boulevard. The Lovelock listing is the Pershing County District Attorney at 400 Main Street, which indicates that the county prosecutor's staff is involved there.

Nye County has two offices: Pahrump at 775-482-8106 and Tonopah at 775-482-8117. Nye is among the largest counties in the lower 48 states by land area. Pahrump lies in the south and Tonopah is farther north, so choose the one closer to where you live. Hawthorne in Mineral County, Fallon in Churchill County and Elko in Elko County each serve a wide area with a small staff, so plan your contact carefully.

Two of the listings give a post office box instead of a street address, Hawthorne and Minden. Call first to get the physical location and hours before you drive. Do the same anywhere you are traveling a long distance, since rural offices may have limited hours or staff who are out on other duties.

Nevada Child Support Rules That Affect Your Case

Nevada sets support with a percentage-of-income formula in its administrative code. The basic obligation is a share of the paying parent's gross monthly income: 16 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, 29 percent for three and 31 percent for four, with an added 2 percent for each child beyond four. The code also sets presumptive maximum amounts that rise with the number of children. A judge may depart from the formula when written findings show it would be unfair, for example when a child has unusual medical needs.

Support generally continues until a child turns 18, or until graduation or age 19 if the child is still enrolled in high school. Unpaid balances do not disappear when the child ages out. They remain a debt that can be collected through the same tools used for current support.

Orders can be reviewed. State law lets a parent ask for a review every three years, and a change of 20 percent or more in the amount due counts as changed circumstances. A new job with a higher salary or a long layoff might qualify. A single slow month usually does not. Until a judge signs a new order, the old amount stays due, so do not reduce payments on your own.

When parents were never married, legal parentage must be established before support can be ordered. In Nevada that can happen through a voluntary declaration of paternity or through genetic testing and a court order. A caseworker can start that process once you open a case.

If a parent falls behind, the program has several enforcement tools:

Preparing for Your Visit to a Nevada Child Support Office

A short, organized visit saves weeks. Bring what you have, and write down what you do not. A caseworker can often track down missing details, but only if you give them a starting point. Useful items include:

Call before you go. Smaller offices may close at midday or have limited hours, and a few handle several programs at once. Ask whether your business can be done by phone, mail or email. Write down your caseworker's name and your case number after the first conversation, since you will need both.

Start with the office serving the county where the child lives. If the other parent lives in another state, the Nevada office can work with that state's agency under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, so you do not need to travel. Report any new address or employer promptly, because wrong information is the most common reason that notices and withholding orders fail to arrive.

The child support program in Nevada 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 11 cities across Nevada. They are spread across 10 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Lovelock, Tonopah, Minden, 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 Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada to find the nearest location.

Making a Trip to a Rural Nevada Office Count

Nevada is large, and the distances between county seats are real. A parent in Tonopah may drive a long way to reach any other office in the state, so phone calls and mail matter more there than they do in Las Vegas. Call ahead, confirm the hours and ask whether your case needs an in-person visit at all.

The offices in Elko, Fallon, Hawthorne, Minden, Tonopah and Yerington share a name: Child Support & Social Service Office. One building serves both child support and other social service needs, so staff may be handling several programs at once. An appointment is usually better than a walk-in at midday.

The Elko office at 540 Court Street, phone 775-738-3474, covers Elko County in the northeast. The Fallon office at 485 West B Street, phone 775-423-8423, serves Churchill County. Hawthorne and Minden list post office boxes, so ask for a street address before you set out.

Keep a folder with copies of every order, a log of payments and the name of your caseworker. Report a new address or job promptly so notices and income withholding reach the right place.

Contact the local office that serves the county where the child lives. If you are unsure which one that is, call the Division of Welfare & Supportive Services in Carson City at 775-684-0704. You will complete an application and give identifying information about yourself, the child and the other parent, along with any existing orders. Families receiving certain public assistance are usually referred to the program automatically. Ask the office about any fees, since they can differ by case type. After your case opens, keep the case number handy and report changes in address or employment promptly.

A court sets the amount, and Nevada's guideline starts from the paying parent's gross monthly income. The administrative code applies 16 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, 29 percent for three and 31 percent for four, adding 2 percent for each additional child. Presumptive maximum amounts vary with the number of children, and judges can depart from the formula when written findings show it would be unfair, such as when a child has high medical needs. Health insurance and child care are usually addressed in the order as well. A caseworker can explain the figures but cannot promise what a judge will decide.

Under Nevada law, a support obligation generally runs until the child turns 18. If the child is still enrolled in high school at 18, support continues until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. The ending age does not erase unpaid balances. Arrears stay owed and can still be collected through wage withholding and tax refund interception. Do not simply stop paying when your child turns 18. Check your order and ask the office to confirm the closing date so your account is updated correctly and no payments are taken after the obligation ends.

Yes. Either parent may request a review of an order every three years, and a change of 20 percent or more in the amount due is treated as changed circumstances under state law. Examples include a major shift in income, a new custody schedule or the loss of a job. Ask your local office whether your case qualifies for review through the program, or file a motion with the court yourself. Gather pay stubs, tax returns and proof of expenses. Until a judge signs a modified order, the current amount remains due and unpaid balances keep growing.

Nevada offices can use several enforcement tools. These include income withholding sent to the employer, interception of tax refunds, liens on property, reporting arrears to credit bureaus and suspension of driver's or professional licenses. If the parent lives out of state, the office can refer the case to that state's agency under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. A court can also hold a parent in contempt after a hearing. Report missed payments to your caseworker with dates and amounts, and pass along any new employer, address or bank details you learn about.

Nye County has two listings. Pahrump Child Support Enforcement is at 1840 Pahrump Valley Boulevard, phone 775-482-8106. The Tonopah Child Support & Social Service Office is at 101 Radar Road, phone 775-482-8117. Pahrump is in the south of the county and Tonopah is farther north, and the drive between them is long, so call the one nearer your home first. Ask whether the office can handle your paperwork by phone or mail. If your case was opened elsewhere, a caseworker can tell you where it sits and how to reach that office.