Georgia Child Support Office

DCSS is Georgia's designated IV-D agency, the office that establishes, collects, and enforces child support statewide under the federal program every state is required to run. It operates a network of local offices across Georgia in addition to its statewide call center and online services.

The division's work covers the full case lifecycle: locating a noncustodial parent, establishing legal paternity when it hasn't already been established, setting a support order, and then collecting and enforcing payments once an order is active.

Georgia also offers the DCSS On the Go mobile app and an online customer portal, so most day-to-day case management — checking payment history, updating contact information, viewing case status — can be done without a call or office visit.

A parent or legal caretaker of a child can apply for Georgia child support services online through the DCSS customer portal. Families receiving TANF or Medicaid in Georgia are automatically referred for services; other families apply directly for a modest application fee.

The online application asks for identifying information for both parents and the child, along with any existing custody, divorce, or support documentation you have on hand. You can also start the process by calling the DCSS call center at 1-877-423-4746 (1-877-GADHSGO) or visiting a local office.

Once DCSS opens a case, it works to locate the other parent if needed, establish paternity, and get a support order through the courts or Georgia's administrative process before payments and enforcement can begin.

Georgia collects most support payments through income withholding: once an order is in place, the paying parent's employer sends the payment directly to the state, which processes and disburses it to the receiving parent.

DCSS offers direct deposit and a state debit card for receiving payments, and account holders can log in to the online case portal or the DCSS On the Go app to check payment history and case status at any time.

Paying parents who aren't on a standard payroll can make payments directly online, by phone, or through the DCSS-affiliated payment portal, though wage withholding remains the default once an employer is on record.

When a parent falls behind on payments, DCSS can use a range of enforcement tools: intercepting state and federal tax refunds, suspending driver's, hunting, fishing, and professional licenses, reporting arrears to credit bureaus, and placing liens on property or bank accounts.

As in every state, federal law allows the U.S. State Department to deny or revoke a passport once past-due child support exceeds $2,500.

DCSS can also refer cases for contempt action through the courts, which can carry fines or jail time for parents who persistently avoid paying despite having the ability to do so.