South Carolina Child Support Office

South Carolina's Child Support Services Division is a state-run division of DSS, organized into four regional offices — Midlands, Pee Dee, Lowcountry, and Upstate — rather than independent county agencies, with Columbia/Midlands as the central hub.

The division locates noncustodial parents, establishes paternity, sets support orders, and collects and enforces payments once a case is active, with case management available through the Child Support Customer Service Portal.

A parent or caretaker of a child can apply for South Carolina child support services through the customer service portal or by contacting a regional office. Families already receiving TANF or Medicaid in South Carolina are typically referred for services automatically.

The application requires identifying information for both parents and the child, along with any existing custody or support paperwork. The division then works to establish paternity if needed and get a support order in place.

South Carolina collects most support through income withholding once an order is active, disbursed to the receiving parent by direct deposit or debit card.

Payments can also be made online through ExpertPay or in cash through MoneyGram, and both parents can check case status through the customer service portal.

South Carolina can intercept tax refunds, suspend licenses, and report arrears to credit bureaus when a parent falls behind on payments. The division's contact page also includes an anonymous tip option for reporting a noncustodial parent's location.

As in every state, federal law allows a passport to be denied or revoked once past-due support exceeds $2,500.