Most parents pay child support as ordered. But, when parents do not meet their obligations, child support offices enforce the support orders on full-service cases.
If you cannot pay your child support, contact your county child support worker right away to ask about modifying your order, setting up a payment agreement or other options to avoid enforcement actions.
Cases must meet certain criteria before the child support office takes enforcement action. Generally, child support policy allows enough time for you to get proper notice with options to pay the past due amount, called arrears, or to set up a payment agreement.
Some enforcement actions take time, and not all actions are appropriate for every case. The child support office and the county attorney review the case and the likelihood of success before taking some actions.
Actions may include:
- License suspension: Driver's, occupational, recreational
- Intercept income and property tax refunds and lottery winnings
- Report unpaid balances to credit bureaus
- Passport holds
- Contempt of Court proceedings for nonpayment of support
- Judgment entry
- Levy bank accounts
- Student grant holds
- Work with other states to collect
For more information on enforcement remedies, contact your assigned worker, or go to the Minnesot​a Department of Human Services website