There is no single public child support list of outstanding arrears that names everyone in the country who owes back support. Unpaid child support is tracked in state enforcement agency records and in a linked federal database called the Federal Case Registry, both of which are largely confidential. A minority of states do publish limited “most wanted” lists, but those are reserved for extreme cases. If you want to know what is owed on your own case, the place to start is your state child support enforcement agency.
Where Unpaid Child Support Is Actually Recorded
Arrears live in two connected systems. At the state level, each child support enforcement agency keeps detailed payment records for every case it handles, including the current balance, payment history, and any active enforcement actions. At the federal level, the Federal Case Registry (FCR) collects key data on child support orders from every state. The FCR is part of the Federal Parent Locator Service, a computer-matching system that cross-references records from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Defense, and other federal databases to help locate parents who owe support.1Administration for Children and Families. Essentials for Attorneys in Child Enforcement
Both systems are run under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. State agencies handle day-to-day operations; they answer to the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), which was known as the Office of Child Support Enforcement until it changed its name in 2023.2Federal Register. Name Change From Office of Child Support Enforcement to Office of Child Support Services Neither system is a public directory. They are enforcement tools, not lookup tools for outsiders.
How to Check the Arrears on Your Own Case
You can get the arrears balance on your case by contacting your state child support enforcement agency directly. Many states run online portals where either parent can log in to see the payment history, the current balance, and any pending enforcement actions. You will usually need your case number or Social Security number to sign in.
What you can see is limited to your own case. Federal privacy rules restrict what agencies can share. The Privacy Act of 1974 keeps federal agencies from disclosing personal records without consent, subject to exceptions for law enforcement and the interagency data sharing that enforcement requires.3U.S. Department of Justice. Overview of the Privacy Act – 2020 Edition – Disclosures to Third Parties As a party to the case, you are entitled to your own records. You will not be given detailed financial information about the other parent.
State “Most Wanted” and Evader Lists
Some states do publish names and photographs of parents with the worst arrears records. These public evader or “most wanted” lists are the closest thing to a public arrears list, and they are narrowly targeted. Criteria vary by state, but a listing typically requires that the parent owe a substantial amount in arrears, have an active arrest warrant, have made no recent payments, and that the custodial parent consent to publishing case information. These lists function as a last-resort tool when other enforcement methods have not worked. They are not a general registry of everyone behind on payments.
What You Cannot Learn From Public Sources
If you are trying to find out whether a specific person other than yourself owes back child support, public records will rarely answer the question. Case files in family court are often sealed or restricted, and the state and federal arrears databases are closed to the public. The evader lists are the exception, and only for parents who meet each state’s specific criteria.
Credit reports can sometimes reflect a child support debt, because federal law requires states to report arrears to consumer credit agencies. But a credit report is not available to the general public; you can only obtain someone else’s credit information with authorization or a lawful purpose.
Disputing a Balance You Think Is Wrong
Once you have looked at the balance on your case, you may see numbers that do not match your records. You have the right to dispute an arrears balance. Contact your state child support agency and provide documentation: payment receipts, bank statements showing payments made directly to the other parent, or evidence of employer withholding that was not credited to your account.
Each state has its own procedures and timelines. The agency reviews its records against your evidence, and if it confirms an error it must correct the balance. Common mistakes include payments credited to the wrong case, duplicate entries, and payroll deductions that never posted. If the agency denies your dispute, you can request a hearing or file a motion in the court that issued the original order. A family law attorney can help at that stage, especially where documentary evidence has to be presented on a specific timeline.
Why the Balance Cannot Simply Be Reduced or Erased
Understanding why an arrears balance sticks around is often the reason people go looking for the list in the first place. Federal law, often called the Bradley Amendment after its 1986 sponsor, requires every state to treat each missed child support installment as a judgment by operation of law the moment it comes due. It carries the same force as any other court judgment and can be enforced through liens, bank levies, and other collection tools without the other parent going back to court.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures to Improve Effectiveness of Child Support Enforcement
The same law blocks retroactive modification. No state can go back and reduce or forgive arrears that already accrued. The one narrow exception: if you filed a petition to modify the support order, a court may adjust the amount going forward from the date you filed. Anything that came due before you asked for a change is locked in.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures to Improve Effectiveness of Child Support Enforcement
Interest can make the balance grow on its own. About two-thirds of states charge interest on unpaid child support. Rates range from around 4% to 12% per year, some tied to fluctuating benchmarks like Treasury yields or the prime rate, and several states compound interest so you end up paying interest on previously accrued interest. Not every state charges it, and some only charge it on arrears reduced to a money judgment, so the rules depend on where your case sits.
Bankruptcy is not an escape hatch. Federal bankruptcy law classifies child support and other domestic support obligations as non-dischargeable, so they survive both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 523 – Exceptions to Discharge The automatic stay that normally freezes collection during a bankruptcy does not apply to child support. Wage garnishment, tax refund interception, and other collection can continue throughout the case.
Parents sometimes argue that the other parent waited too long to collect, or that a private handshake agreement should override the court order. Courts almost universally reject those arguments. Child support belongs to the child, and private deals between parents cannot waive the child’s right to be supported. An informal agreement is not a substitute for a formal modification. If both parents want to change the amount, that agreement has to be put before a judge or the child support agency and incorporated into a modified order.
If the Balance Is More Than You Can Pay
Because arrears cannot be reduced retroactively, the most important thing you can do when your finances change is contact the child support agency right away. Either parent can request a review whenever there is a substantial change in circumstances, such as job loss, a serious medical condition, or incarceration. Most states also allow a routine review at least every three years.6Administration for Children and Families. Changing a Child Support Order
The catch: any modification takes effect only from the date you file the request, not from the date your income changed. Lose your job in January, file in June, and you owe the full original amount for those five months.6Administration for Children and Families. Changing a Child Support Order Support orders do not adjust automatically, even during incarceration. If you are incarcerated for more than 180 days, some states start a review on their own or notify both parents of the right to request one, but do not count on it happening without prompting.
For old debt, ask about state debt compromise programs. At least 36 states and the District of Columbia offer some form of arrears reduction for parents who commit to consistent payments.7Administration for Children and Families. State Child Support Agencies with Debt Compromise Policies These programs generally target state-owed debt, which built up when the government reimbursed itself for public benefits paid to the family. They cannot reduce arrears owed directly to the other parent without that parent’s consent. Some programs forgive debt in stages over several years of consistent payments; others accept a discounted lump-sum payoff. Eligibility often requires meeting low-income thresholds and showing that the failure to pay was not in bad faith. If you cannot realistically pay the full balance, asking your state agency whether a compromise program applies to your case is worth the call.