You can complete the application by visiting one of our offices, contacting Guilford County Child Support Services and requesting an application be mailed to you, or submitting an online application.

A nonrefundable $25 application fee is required to apply for applicants who are not receiving public assistance services. You could be eligible for a reduced fee of $10. Ask about this when you apply. For more information, contact one of our offices.

Child Support Services provides the following services: location of noncustodial parents, paternity establishment for children born outside of marriage, establishment of support obligations, collection and distribution of support, and enforcement of support obligations.

The length of time depends upon the unique circumstance of each case. Some cases are more complicated and require more time. Providing additional information when requested, helps Child Support Services get a child support order more quickly. Factors contributing to the complexity of the case can include:

• Difficulty in locating the noncustodial parent
• Paternity establishment
• Multiple potential fathers
• Noncustodial parent lives in another state

No. Federal regulations do not allow the Child Support Services office to provide services for visitation or custody disputes. Child support and visitation rights are separate issues. For these issues, consult with a private attorney.

If possible, provide the following documents:

• A copy of the divorce decree, separation agreement or court order for child support
• A copy of the Affidavit of Parentage, if one has been signed
• Birth certificate(s) of the child(ren) involved
• Documents that reflect both parents' incomes (paycheck stubs, tax returns, bank statement, etc.)
• Evidence of child support payment history
• Other documents might be needed, depending on your case

Work First applicants/recipients must cooperate with Child Support Services by providing information about the noncustodial parent, unless the Work First agency determines that 'good cause' exists for noncooperation (such as the potential for emotional/physical harm to the child or caretaker.) If good cause is granted, the case is not referred to Child Support Services. Contact your Work First caseworker for information on how to make a claim of good cause.

Make sure that you keep Child Support Services informed immediately of changes to your address. If a child support check is returned to Child Support Services due to an incorrect address, it is not reissued until a new address becomes available. Call the Child Support Services Customer Service Center at 1-800-992-9457 from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or contact Guilford County Child Support Services.

Call the Child Support Services Customer Service Center at 1-800-992-9457 from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or contact Guilford County Child Support Services.

The customer service telephone number for Greensboro and High Point Child Support Services is 336-641-4227.

The Child Support Services Customer Service Center serves as the gateway for all questions from our customers. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-992-9457. This number puts you in contact with the Voice Response Unit, which is available seven (7) days per week. Information is available in English or Spanish. Have your MPI number available. A menu describes your options. Press the appropriate number to go directly to the information you want, or press '0' to speak to a customer service representative. You also can contact Child Support Services customer service representatives by regular mail or by completing the Contact Us form. This provides you with information on how to contact a representative.

No. However, as the Child Support Services agency receives more information on a noncustodial parent, its ability to locate that noncustodial parent increases.

Establishing paternity is one of the core services provided by Child Support Services. It identifies the legal father of a child, which ensures certain rights for the child and access to the father's medical information and benefits. Also, a child support order cannot be established for a child born out of wedlock unless the alleged father acknowledges paternity or is found to be the legal father by court order.

Genetic testing is a way of determining the probability that the alleged father is the child's biological father. The natural mother, alleged father, and the child have blood/tissue taken by a nurse or phlebotomist. The procedure takes place in a testing laboratory. Identification is required, and individuals being tested are photographed to verify the donors. Results from the lab can take four (4) to six (6) weeks.

Paternity can be established in the following ways:

• Voluntary acknowledgement process. Both the mother and father complete a form known as an Affidavit of Parentage; this document becomes a legal finding of paternity. If there are any doubts about who is the father of the child, neither party should sign an Affidavit of Parentage. Either parent can request genetic testing to assist in determining the father of the child. Paternity should be established through the courts once genetic testing determines the father.
• Civil or criminal paternity action. A court of law establishes the paternity of the child, and in most cases, a child support order is entered.

Yes. The Affidavit of Parentage can be signed at Guilford County Child Support Services or visit the NC Vital Records website.

The smiONE card/NCKIDSCARD is a debit card that is issued to recipients who do not have direct deposit. Child support payments are no longer mailed in check form. They are now deposited directly on the debit card. More information and frequently asked questions are available on the NC Child Support Services website.

Yes. When the natural mother and biological father sign an Affidavit of Parentage, the affidavit is filed with NC Vital Records. The father's signature on the affidavit gives permission for his name to be entered on the birth certificate for a child born in North Carolina.

Once paternity is established, an order for financial and/or medical support can be obtained either voluntarily or by court order.

Establishing support is one of the core services provided by Child Support Services. To successfully establish a support order, Child Support Services must locate the noncustodial parent, identify how much the noncustodial parent can pay, and determine the needs of the child(ren) in the case. Child Support Services must obtain a legal order that specifies the amount of financial support to be paid for the benefit of the child(ren).

Child support orders can be established in the following ways:

• A Voluntary Support Agreement (VSA) that is signed by a judge
• A civil court action, brought by the custodial parent, an organization, or the guardian of a dependent child
• A Criminal Abandonment and Non-Support court action
• A divorce order that includes child support

The amount of child support to be paid is based upon the NC Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines are used to calculate child support orders based on the ability of parents to pay and the needs of the children. The amount of child support is calculated using the worksheets contained in the guidelines.

The NCCSCC operation automatically processes all NC child support payments at a central location in accordance with the requirements of federal and state law.

Once a child support obligation is determined and a court order established, Child Support Services is responsible for enforcing the order. Appropriate enforcement actions are mandatory when the noncustodial parent is not complying with the court order.

Some remedies that Child Support Services can use to enforce a child support order are:

• Court action resulting in jail time
• Interception of tax refunds
• Consumer credit reporting:  A noncustodial parent's obligation is reported to consumer credit bureaus that track credit records. Having a child support arrearage debt on a credit record could prevent a noncustodial parent from getting a loan or a new credit card
• Passport denial/ revocation: noncustodial parents with cases that have arrearages of more than $5,000 are submitted to the U.S. Secretary of State. The U.S. Secretary of State refuses to issue a passport to these noncustodial parents and could revoke, restrict, or limit a passport that was previously issued
• Liens: A lien is a hold placed on property to ensure that child support payments are made. If noncustodial parents have arrearages equal to three (3) months of their child support obligation or $3,000 (whichever is less), Child Support Services can petition the court to place a lien on the noncustodial parent's property. The noncustodial parent can either pay his/her arrearages to have the lien removed, or the property can be sold to satisfy part or all of the debt
• Driver, professional/occupational, or wildlife license revocation: If a noncustodial parent is 90 days behind in child support payments, a judge can order revocation of his/her driver's license. Child Support Services also can refer that noncustodial parent's name to the appropriate licensing board to revoke a professional or occupational license. These licenses cannot be reissued until either the entire debt is paid, or a satisfactory payment plan is established. Examples of professional/occupational licenses include, doctor, lawyer, realtor, nurse, teacher, plumber, barber, etc.
• Levying financial institution (bank) accounts: If noncustodial parents have arrearages equal to six (6) months of their child support obligation or $1,000 (whichever is less), Child Support Services can request that a levy be placed on the noncustodial parent's financial institution accounts.

Income (or wage) withholding is an efficient and reliable means of collecting periodic child support obligations. When North Carolina (or any other state) sends a notice of wage withholding for an employee to the employer, federal and state laws require that employer to begin withholding child support from the employee's wages. Employers deduct the amount specified under the terms of the withholding notice from the employee's paycheck and forward it to the state within seven (7) business days. Income can also be withheld when a noncustodial parent has other sources of income, such as Unemployment Insurance Benefits, and Worker's Compensation.

North Carolina income withholding law permits the withholding of most kinds of income. Examples include:

• Salaries/ wages
• Unemployment Compensation
• Workers' Compensation
• Work Release
• Social Security Administration (SSA) Benefits
• Veterans benefits
• Retirement benefits

The following sources of income are exempt:

• Public Assistance (Work First)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Black Lung Benefits
• Federal Death Benefits
• Payments under the Federal Torts Claims Act
• Federal grants and fellowships
• Veteran's Educational Assistance Payments
• Refunds from incorrect payment or overpayment of federal income tax
• Travel, transportation, uniform, relocation, and other allowances for civilian employees on military posts
• ROTC subsistence allowance
• Veteran's Disability and Death Benefits

Yes. It is possible to collect past due child support from other types of assets such as tax refunds, insurance settlements, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation benefits, property, and bank accounts. Custodial parents should inform their caseworker of any assets that the noncustodial parent has.

Noncustodial parents cannot be arrested solely because child support payments are not paid. The noncustodial parent must be served with a Motion and Order to Show Cause, which allows the case to be heard before a judge. Both parents in the case can be given the opportunity to address the court about the case. After all the testimony and evidence are presented, the judge determines whether or not the noncustodial parent is in contempt of the order, and if so, what penalty will be applied.

Child support caseworkers can offer suggestions on where to seek employment, but they do not have the authority to require someone to go to work. A judge can require the noncustodial parent to seek employment and return to court at a later date.

The current month's payment is not considered delinquent until 30 days have passed and the amount that is owed equals or exceeds one month's obligation. Once the payments are past due 30 days, enforcement actions can be taken.

Income withholding might not be effective if the noncustodial parent is paid in cash. Delinquency notices are mailed to the noncustodial parent. If payments are not made, enforcement remedies can be taken.

Interstate cases are cases in which the involved parties reside in different states and a request for assistance is forwarded to the other state's child support agency.

The Child Support Enforcement office in the noncustodial parent's state of residence handles the establishment or enforcement of a child support order.

Child Support Services is required to assess a $35 nonrefundable annual fee to all cases in which a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) check has never been received, and Child Support Services services have been rendered. This fee will only be assessed after $550 in child support payments have been received on the case during each federal fiscal year (October 1-September 30).

Yes. You can obtain an authorization for direct deposit by calling or visiting one of our Child Support Services offices, or you can download the authorization form in English and Spanish.

Test results are typically received from the lab within six weeks.

Checks (including personal checks) and money orders through regular mail. Include your payment coupon with the payment and write your MPI number on the check. Child Support Services recommends that you do not send cash through the mail. Income Withholding Payments are deducted from your wages and sent to Child Support Services by your employer. Bank Draft payments are automatically deducted from your designated bank account. To schedule a bank draft payment online, go to 'Pay Child Support' on the eChild Support web site. You may also pay by credit card at the NC Child Support Payment Processing Center webpage.

Every participant in a Child Support Services case is assigned a Master Participant Index (MPI) number, a unique 10-digit identification number. Your MPI number appears on your payment coupons. If you do not have a payment coupon, call the Child Support Services Customer Service Center at 1-800-992-9457 from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or contact Guilford County Child Support Services.

For Non-Public Assistance (NPA) cases, the client's check should be mailed on the next business day after the payment was receipted. For public assistance cases in which a TANF check has been issued to the client, the child support check is mailed to the client at the end of the month.

The percentage of disposable income that is withheld cannot exceed:

• Forty percent (40%) of disposable income when you have only one support order.
• Forty-five percent (45%) of disposable income when you have multiple support orders, and you are supporting a spouse or other children.
• Fifty percent (50%) of disposable income when you have multiple support orders, and you are not supporting a spouse or other children.
• However, employers can withhold an amount more than the maximum allowed by law if you provide Child Support Services with a notarized written statement that allows a higher percentage to be withheld.

NC law does not require recipients of child support to provide an accounting of how child support is utilized. However, it is an expectation that child support is to provide housing, clothing, food, and all the essentials a child needs.

Child Support Enforcement can intercept the federal and/or state tax refund of an obligor/noncustodial parent (NCP) who owes past due child support. For federal tax intercept, the NCP must owe at least $500 in past due child support for his/her Non-Public Assistance cases or at least $150 for Public Assistance cases. For state tax intercept, the NCP must owe at least $50 for his/her Non-Public Assistance cases.

Intercepted tax refunds are used to pay child support debt that is owed to the state first and then to pay the custodial parent/client. Custodial parents/clients cannot receive tax intercept payments unless the NCP has filed taxes and is eligible for a tax refund. NCPs might not be eligible for a tax refund if they owe past due taxes or did not pay enough taxes during their employment to qualify for a refund. Any funds that remain after the NCP's child support debt is paid off are returned to the NCP.

When the obligor/noncustodial parent (NCP) files a joint tax return, some of that tax refund could be owed to his/her spouse. Child Support Service puts a hold on funds from an intercepted federal tax refund for six months to allow the spouse to file a claim for his/her share of the refund. If the NCP and spouse sign a notarized statement with both of their Social Security numbers that waives the spouse's right to file a claim, Child Support Services releases the held funds upon receipt of the affidavit.

In North Carolina, if the child has graduated or stopped attending high school at age 18, the noncustodial parent (NCP) can stop paying ongoing child support. However, the NCP is responsible for any arrearages that are still owed.

Child Support Services automatically reviews child support orders every three years if the family is receiving public assistance. Other orders being enforced through Child Support Services office can be reviewed every three years, if either parent requests a review. A review can be requested at any time if a substantial change in circumstances occurs. Child Support Services determines the present income and assets of both parents and the needs of the child(ren). If appropriate, Child Support Services then can seek to modify the order.

Other enforcement remedies include:

• Filing court action against NCPs who have not paid support as ordered
• Credit bureau reporting of all child support obligations handled by Child Support Services
• Interception of state and federal tax refunds
• Liens on real or personal property that the NCP owns
• Bank Levy
• Professional license revocation