Child support in Utah is run by one statewide agency rather than by each county. The Office of Recovery Services, usually called ORS, sits inside the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and carries out the state's federal child support program. Our directory lists three offices tied to that system, in Ogden, Salt Lake City and Springville. This page explains what those offices do, how they differ from the courts, and how to get your case moving without wasting a trip.

How the Utah Office of Recovery Services Runs Child Support

ORS is Utah's "IV-D" agency, a name taken from Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act. Every state must run such a program. It lets a parent ask for help locating the other parent, establishing paternity, setting a support order, collecting payments and enforcing the order. Utah's rules for calculating support are in the Utah Child Support Act, Title 78B, Chapter 12 of the Utah Code.

Utah uses an income shares model. Both parents' incomes are considered together, a base obligation is taken from a schedule, and each parent pays a share in proportion to income. Work-related child care and health insurance costs for the children are generally handled on top of the base amount.

You are not required to use ORS. A parent can file directly in district court, with or without a lawyer. ORS opens a case when either parent applies for services. It can also open one when a family receives certain public assistance, because the state may then pursue support from the other parent. Some cases also arrive by referral from a court.

In many cases ORS can establish or change an order through an administrative process instead of a courtroom. That means the order may come from the agency, not a judge. Either parent can object and ask for a hearing. If you disagree with a figure, read every notice you receive and note the deadline for responding, because missing it can let the order take effect without your input.

When payments stop, ORS has several enforcement tools under state and federal law. The most common is income withholding, where an employer takes the payment directly from wages and sends it to the state. Other tools include intercepting state and federal tax refunds, placing liens on property, levying bank accounts, reporting past-due amounts to credit agencies, and asking for suspension of licenses. Those steps usually escalate, so keeping the agency informed about the other parent's employer matters a great deal.

The Three Child Support Offices Listed for Utah

Our database has three offices, one each in Weber, Salt Lake and Utah counties. All three carry the same kind of name, "Child Support & Social Service Office," which suggests child support is offered alongside other state human services at these sites. Confirm by phone which services are available at the counter before you drive.

Ogden Child Support & Social Service Office is at 2540 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. It serves Weber County, where Ogden is the county seat. Court matters for Weber County families go to the Second District Court. Parents in Ogden, Roy, Riverdale and the surrounding area usually think of this site first, though many tasks can be completed without a visit.

Salt Lake City Child Support & Social Service Office is at 515 East 100 South in Salt Lake City. It sits in Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. Family court cases there are heard in the Third District Court. Because the county is so large, this office handles a heavy volume, and arriving prepared with your documents saves real time.

Provo Child Support & Social Service Office is at 150 East Center Street in Springville. Despite the Provo name, the address is in Springville, in Utah County, south of Provo. Utah County cases are heard in the Fourth District Court. If you search a map for "Provo," you may head to the wrong city, so use the Springville street address.

All three listings show the same phone number, 801-536-8500. That points to a shared central line instead of separate local desks. Call it first, ask whether your task needs an in-person visit, and ask which location can handle it.

Wasatch Front Metro Areas Versus Rural Utah

Weber, Salt Lake and Utah counties lie along the I-15 corridor, where most of Utah's population lives. That is why our listings cluster there. A parent in Ogden, Salt Lake City or Springville can reach an office within a short drive, and public transit along the Wasatch Front serves the Salt Lake and Ogden sites reasonably well.

Utah is also a large, sparsely populated state. Families in places like Cache, Washington, Uintah or San Juan counties may live hours from the nearest listed office. For them, the practical answer is to treat the central phone line, mail and online account tools as the main way to deal with ORS. Court hearings, when needed, happen in the district court serving your county. ORS may serve some areas through other arrangements that are not in our database, so ask when you call.

Metro and rural cases follow the same law and the same guidelines. The difference is access. Metro parents can often resolve a document problem face to face. Rural parents should plan for longer response times, send copies instead of originals, and keep a log of every call and mailing.

What to Bring and When to Go in Utah

Most visits go faster when you arrive with paperwork in hand. Bring as many of these as you can:

Go on a weekday during normal business hours, and call 801-536-8500 first to confirm hours and whether you need an appointment. Mid-week mornings tend to be calmer than Mondays or lunchtime.

After your case is open, keep ORS updated. Report a new address, a job change, a child's change in living arrangement, or a change in health insurance coverage. If your circumstances shift significantly, either parent can ask for a review of the order. Do not simply stop paying or accept less informally, because a court or ORS order stays in force until it is formally changed.

The child support program in Utah 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 3 cities across Utah. They are spread across 3 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Springville, Ogden, Salt Lake, 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 Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah to find the nearest location.

Using Child Support Services in Ogden, Salt Lake City and Springville

Utah's child support system works the same way statewide, but your daily experience depends on where you live. In Ogden, the office on Washington Boulevard serves a county whose court cases go through the Second District. In Salt Lake City, the office on East 100 South sits in the middle of the state's largest population center and works alongside the Third District. In Springville, the office on East Center Street serves Utah County families whose cases belong in the Fourth District, which sits in Provo.

Before you go anywhere, gather your documents and call 801-536-8500. That one number appears on all three listings, so it is the quickest way to learn which site can help. Ask for your case number if you already have a case, and write down the name of each person you speak with. If you only need to update an address or employer, you may not need to travel at all.

If you want to see offices in a specific county, you can browse Salt Lake County or Weber County pages for local details. The questions below cover the issues Utah parents ask about most often.

Child Support in Utah: Frequently Asked Questions

The Office of Recovery Services, known as ORS, runs Utah's child support program. It is part of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. ORS can help locate a parent, establish paternity, set or change an order, collect payments and enforce unpaid support. Utah's guideline rules are found in the Utah Child Support Act, Title 78B, Chapter 12 of the Utah Code. You can also go through a district court without ORS, but many parents choose the agency because it handles collection and enforcement for them.

Not always. Start by calling 801-536-8500, the number shown for the Ogden, Salt Lake City and Springville offices in our directory. The staff can tell you whether you can apply by phone, online or by mail, or whether you should come in with documents. If you do visit, bring photo ID, your children's birth certificates, any court orders, and what you know about the other parent. Calling first also lets you confirm hours and avoid a wasted trip.

In Utah, support generally continues until a child turns 18, or until the child graduates from high school during the normal and expected year of graduation, whichever is later. Orders can end sooner or run differently in special situations, such as when a child is emancipated or has disabilities. Always read the wording of your own order, because it controls. Unpaid support that built up earlier does not disappear when the child reaches the end date, and collection of the past-due balance can continue.

If you have an ORS case, contact the agency and report the missed payments, along with any new employer or address you know. ORS can use income withholding, tax refund intercepts, liens, bank levies, credit reporting and license actions, depending on the situation. If you do not have an ORS case, you can ask the district court to enforce the order. Keep your own record of what was due and what was received, since it helps resolve disputes about the balance.

Yes. Marriage is not required, but legal parentage must be established first. In Utah, unmarried parents can sign a voluntary declaration of paternity, often at the hospital when the child is born. If the father disputes parentage or no declaration exists, ORS or a court can arrange genetic testing and establish paternity through a legal process. Once parentage is settled, the same support guidelines apply as for divorced parents. Bring any signed paperwork and the child's birth certificate when you apply.

Our directory lists the Ogden office for Weber County, the Salt Lake City office for Salt Lake County, and the Springville office, named Provo Child Support & Social Service Office, for Utah County. Court cases usually go to the Second District for Weber, the Third District for Salt Lake and the Fourth District for Utah County. ORS handles many tasks by phone, so you may not be tied to the nearest office. Call 801-536-8500 to confirm where to go.