Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You can complete the application at our office at 109 Bradford Ave, Fayetteville, NC 28302 or apply online. You also may take an application from our box located at the front entrance of our office and return it to our drop box located in the same location. 

A non-refundable $25 application fee is required to apply for Non-Public Assistance services. You could be eligible for a reduced fee of $10. Ask about this when you apply. If you apply through our drop box without the application fee, a worker will contact you to inform you which amount to pay.

The Child Support program 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 in obtaining a child support order in a timely manner.

Non-lV-0 cases are managed by the county Clerk of Superior Court.

Location is one of the core services provided by Child Support. NCPs must be located to establish paternity and support and to enforce existing court orders for support. If Child Support has a record of the NCP's current address or place of employment it considers that NCP to be located.

Establishing paternity is one of the core services provided by Child Support. Paternity identifies the legal father of a child, which ensures certain rights and benefits for the child. 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 father by the court. 

Paternity can be established through:

• In North Carolina, the husband of the child's mother is presumed to be the child's father.
• Voluntary acknowledgment process: Both the mother and father complete a form known as an Affidavit of Parentage. This document becomes a legal finding of paternity. If the child is born out of wedlock either parent can request genetic testing to assist in determining the father of the child.
• 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. 

Child Support sends information to VitaI Records to add a father to the child's birth certificate. It is the responsibility of Vital Records to make this change once information has been provided. 

NCPs cannot be arrested solely because child support payments are not paid. Only a judge can issue an Order for Arrest. Traditionally this occurs in Child Support when a noncustodial parent fails to appear for court. 

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. 

Child Support 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 or her non-public assistance arrears or at least $150 for public assistance arrears. For state tax intercept, the NCP must owe at least $50 for his or her non-public assistance arrears. Intercepted federal tax refunds are used to pay child support debt that is owed to the state first and then to pay the custodia I parent. Tax intercept payments are contingent on the NC filing 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 or her spouse. Child Support (CS) puts a hold on funds from an intercepted federal tax refund for six months to allow the spouse to file a claim for his or her share of the refund. If the NCP and spouse sign a notarized Affidavit that waives the spouse' s right to file a claim, CS can release the held funds upon receipt of the affidavit.

Intergovernmental cases are those in which one involved party resides in a different state or country and a request for assistance is forwarded to the other state's Child Support agency. 

Yes, procedures for this activity are in place. Providing a certified copy of the court order and a payment history can expedite the processing of the case. If you do not have a copy of the order, it is important to provide the county and state in which the court order was obtained, the approximate date of the order and the court file number, if known. 

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

No. Federal regulations do not allow the CS 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 or review the information about the Access & Visitation Program.

If possible, provide the following documents:

• Marriage license, divorce decree, separation agreement or court order for child support
• 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.

Make sure that you keep Child Support informed immediately of changes to your address and employment. Child Support payments are not disbursed unless an address is on record.

If you apply for services or are referred to the Child Support office to establish paternity, you are asked questions about the men who could have fathered the child. It is very important to provide as much information as you can to help determine the father's identity. When more than one person could be the father of the child, each person could be required to take a genetic test. 

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.

Yes. North Carolina law mandates that all orders for child support must require either parent to provide health insurance to cover the child(ren), if coverage is available at a reasonable rate through an employer or other group coverage is available. 

Child Support (CS) automatically reviews child support orders every three years if the family is receiving public assistance. Other orders that are enforced through CS 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. CS determines the present income and assets of both parents and the needs of the child(ren). If appropriate, CS then can seek to modify the order. 

If you have a Non-Public Assistance (NPA) case, your first child support payment will be in the form of a check, unless you have requested direct deposit. That check should be mailed on the next business day after the payment was receipted. You will receive subsequent payments through the ncKIDScard (debit card) program. Payments are automatically deposited in your ncKIDScard account within two business days after the noncustodial parent's payment has been applied to your case. If you receive public assistance, the child support payment will be used to reimburse the state for the public assistance you have received. 

If you do not receive your check within 10 business days of the date of disbursement, call the Child Support Customer Service Center at 1-800-992-9457, or contact our office 910-486- 1092 to sign an Affidavit and Indemnity Bond. This document must be signed in the presence of a notary public. If the check has not been cashed, a stop payment is placed on the original check and a new check is reissued. If the check has been cashed, further research must be done. It could take two to three weeks to determine the status of the original check before a new check can be reissued.

If the payment does not include the NCP's Master Participant Index (MPl) number and court docket number, your check could be delayed, or the funds misapplied. To avoid a delay or misapplication of funds, the NCP should use the complete 16-digit number as it is listed on the coupon.

Payments are applied to all the NCP's cases. The amount of the payment that is applied to each case is determined by the amount owed as current support and the amount of past due child support owed on each case. 

You can obtain a payment history through eChild Support. Log on and select "Parents" and then "Case/Financial Info." Payment histories that show the last 12 payments are available online. To obtain a payment history for any period before the last 12 payments were made, contact our office at 910-486-1092. You can also call the Child Support Customer Service Center at 1-800-992-9457 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

No. To receive Work First Family Assistance (WFFA) payments, you are required to assign your rights to child support over to North Carolina. The child support that is collected is used to repay the state for the WFFA payments that you receive.

If you stop receiving WFFA, the child support that is collected is paid to you. If any extra money is collected, it is applied to any past due support balance that is owed to you. Once your past due support is repaid, any remaining money is applied to repay the state for the WFFA benefits that you have received.

Child Support will notify you of the overpayment and give you 30 days to repay it. If you have not repaid the overpayment after thirty days, your regular child support payments can be reduced by 10% until the overpayment is completely paid.

Payment histories are generated by our system, which is not web-based; therefore, it will not allow the user to save the file as a PDF and can only be printed. For an electronic version you can access your payment history through eChild Support.

Our office operates on a closed phone system. You cannot call a direct extension outside of the building's phone network. All phone calls to the main number are answered by a representative.

Please allow three business days for a response.

Child Support treats a request to reopen a case as a new application. To reopen a case, please complete an application. An application fee up to $25 may be required. 

Cases are assigned by the first letter of the noncustodial parent's last name. Unless there is a conflict of interest the case will remain in the assigned agent's caseload.

Mail your payments to:

NC Child Support Centralized Collections
PO Box 900006
Raleigh, NC 27675-9006

Please ensure the Noncustodial Parent's Master Participant Index (MPI) number and court docket number is written on the payment.