Child support in Washington is run by the state, not by separate county bureaus. The Division of Child Support (DCS), part of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), manages the program for every county. Our directory lists four offices where DCS services sit alongside DSHS social services: Everett, Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver. This page explains what those offices do, how service differs between the Puget Sound region and the rest of the state, and what to prepare before you visit or call.

Who Runs Child Support Services in Washington State

DCS handles the practical work of child support. Its staff locate parents, establish paternity, request or issue support orders, collect payments, and enforce orders that go unpaid. They can also review an existing order when circumstances change. You do not need to receive public assistance to use these services. Either parent, or a relative or other caregiver raising the child, may apply.

The legal framework comes from state statutes. Chapter 26.19 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) contains the child support schedule, which uses an income-shares model. Both parents' incomes are combined, the schedule sets a basic obligation for the children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to income. Chapters 74.20 and 74.20A of the RCW give DCS its authority, including the power to act through an administrative process instead of always going to court.

That administrative route matters in practice. In many cases DCS can serve a Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility on a parent. If the parent disagrees, the dispute goes to an administrative law judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings rather than a Superior Court judge. Other cases still go through the county Superior Court, especially when divorce, custody or a parenting plan is also in dispute. DCS does not decide custody or visitation. Those questions belong to the court.

Payments move through the Washington State Support Registry, which receives money from employers and other sources and forwards it to the receiving parent. Because the registry is one statewide system, a payment record looks the same whether your case was opened in Spokane or Seattle.

The Four Child Support & Social Service Offices in Our Washington Directory

Each office below uses the same naming pattern and is tied to a county seat. The addresses and phone numbers come from our database.

Call ahead before you travel. Many DCS tasks can be done by phone, by mail or through the online account DCS offers for checking payments and case details. Ask whether the office takes walk-ins, what its hours are, and whether your specific task needs an in-person visit at all.

Metro and Rural Differences Across Washington

Puget Sound: Seattle and Everett

The Seattle office serves King County, the most populous county in the state. The Everett office on North Broadway serves Snohomish County to the north. Many parents in this corridor live in one county and work in another. Because DCS is a statewide program, wage withholding and case records follow the parent, not the county line. If you are unsure which office handles your case, ask when you call and have your case number ready.

Eastern Washington: Spokane

The Spokane office on West Boone Avenue serves Spokane County, the largest county in the eastern half of the state. Spokane is also the hub for a wide area of smaller counties where no office appears in our listings. Parents there often rely on phone, mail and online services instead of driving to the city. Spokane sits close to the Idaho border, so some cases involve a parent living across the state line.

Southwest Washington: Vancouver

The Vancouver office on East Mill Plain Boulevard serves Clark County, which faces Portland, Oregon across the Columbia River. Plenty of families here live in Washington while one parent works in Oregon, or the reverse. Washington has adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which lets one state enforce another state's support order. A parent cannot avoid a Washington order simply by crossing the river.

Counties without a listed office

Washington has 39 counties, and our directory covers four. DCS serves all of them, so a resident of a county with no listing is not left out. Some tribal nations in Washington also operate their own child support programs. If a parent is a tribal member living on a reservation, ask DCS which program has authority over the case.

Getting Started in Washington: What to Bring and What Happens Next

Opening a case begins with an application, which you can start by phone, by mail or at an office. The more detail you provide about the other parent, the faster DCS can act. Gather these items before you contact the office: a photo ID, Social Security numbers for you and the child, and the child's birth certificate or acknowledgment of paternity. Add any existing court orders, and the other parent's full name, last known address and employer. Records of health insurance premiums, child care costs and past payments help too.

After the case opens, DCS tries to locate the other parent if needed and confirms paternity when it is not established. Genetic testing is available when parentage is disputed. DCS then moves toward a support order, either through the administrative process or through the court. Once an order exists, the usual next step is income withholding, which sends payments from the paying parent's employer to the state registry. Timelines vary with how quickly the other parent can be found and served, so ask your caseworker for realistic expectations.

Enforcement tools DCS can use

When support goes unpaid, DCS has several options. These include wage withholding, liens on property or bank accounts, interception of tax refunds and, in some cases, suspension of driver's, professional or recreational licenses. Enforcement works best when you report changes promptly: a new address, a new employer, or a change in who the child lives with. Keep a record of every payment you receive. Check with DCS before accepting payments outside the registry, because direct payments may not be credited the way you expect.

The child support program in Washington 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 4 cities across Washington. They are spread across 4 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Vancouver, Everett, Seattle, 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington to find the nearest location.

Practical Tips for Dealing With Child Support in Washington

Washington's statewide system rewards organization. Whether your case runs through the Seattle office in King County or a smaller county that relies on phone service, a clear paper trail helps staff find your file and act quickly.

Child support is administered by the Division of Child Support, which is part of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. DCS works in every county, so the same rules and the same payment registry apply whether you live in Seattle, Spokane or a small rural town. DCS is separate from the court system. It can open a case, locate a parent, establish paternity and enforce orders, but judges in county Superior Courts still decide custody, parenting plans and divorce questions. If your situation involves both support and parenting, you may need to work with DCS and the court at the same time.

No. Any parent or caregiver can ask DCS to open a case, whether or not the family receives public benefits. Families who receive certain DSHS cash assistance are typically referred to DCS, because part of the support collected helps repay that assistance. Families who do not receive benefits apply directly, and in most cases the collected support goes to the child's household. Ask the office handling your application whether any fees apply to your type of case, since federal and state rules can change. An open case also gives you enforcement tools, such as wage withholding, that are harder to arrange privately.

Washington follows the child support schedule in chapter 26.19 of the Revised Code of Washington. The calculation uses an income-shares approach. Both parents' net monthly incomes are combined, the schedule sets a basic obligation based on the number and ages of the children, and each parent owes a share that matches their portion of the combined income. Health insurance, child care and other special expenses are usually added and divided as well. A court can depart from the standard amount for stated reasons, and the schedule includes protections for low-income parents. A worksheet shows how the final figure was reached.

Most orders run until the child turns 18. If the child is still enrolled in high school at that point, Washington orders commonly continue until graduation, but not beyond age 19. The exact end date should be written in your order, so read it carefully. A court can order support for post-secondary education in some circumstances, but that is a separate decision and not automatic. Support for a child with a disability may also be handled differently. Unpaid support that built up before the end date is still owed, and DCS can keep collecting it after regular payments stop.

Yes, but the change must be requested and approved. It does not happen on its own. You can ask DCS to review the order, or ask the court to modify it, usually by showing a substantial change in circumstances such as job loss, a new child or a major shift in either parent's income. Changes generally apply only from the time a request is made, so waiting can leave you owing the old amount. Gather recent pay stubs, tax returns and records of new expenses before you call. If DCS is already enforcing your order, give the case number to whichever office you contact.

Every state has adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which sets rules for cases that cross state lines. DCS can refer your case to the other state's child support agency, or enforce a Washington order through income withholding sent to an out-of-state employer. This can come up in Clark County, where Vancouver sits across the Columbia River from Oregon, and in Spokane, close to Idaho. Tell your caseworker where the other parent lives and works, and keep that information current. Cases involving another country follow federal procedures and often take longer.

Policies vary by site and can change, so call first. Our database lists Everett at 425-438-4800, Seattle at 206-341-7000, Spokane at 509-363-5000 and Vancouver at 360-696-6100. Ask whether the office accepts walk-ins, what hours apply, and whether your task, such as dropping off documents, can be done by mail or online instead. These offices also host DSHS social services, so staff may direct you to the right counter. Bring a photo ID and your case number if you already have one.