CONTACT US
Automated Line (1-866-901-3212)
On the automated line you can:
- Make a payment over the phone
- Speak with your caseworker
- Various languages are available
- Be aware that this option can be time-consuming
- Outside the United States: 1-408-273-0073
- Hearing Impaired TTY: 1-866-399-4096
Employer Services 1-888-898-1743
- Verify company information
- To update company information, visit the Employer Update Contact Information Form
- If your company received an Employer Information Request Form, visit the Employer Update Contact Information Form to update your company information
State Disbursement Unit 1-866-901-3212 (Select option 1)
- Set up electronic payments
- Check to see if payments have been received
- Get employer payment options
- Contacts for solving employer payment problems
- Set up Direct Deposit or Electronic Payment Card
- Way2Go Electronic Payment Card Customer Service (call 1-844-318-0740)
Contact Address (No Payments Accepted)
Department of Child Support Services
P.O. Box 419064
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9064
Payments Address
CA SDU
P.O. Box 989067
West Sacramento, CA 95798-9067
- You can always talk to the agency handling your case
- Find your local agency with our map tool
Help with a problem?
For issues regarding your child support case, contact your local agency Ombudsperson or email your child support specialist through Customer Connect.
To voice your feedback, visit the Voice Committee page or take our customer service survey.
Customer Relations
California Child Support Services tries to make sure you receive the highest level of service from their local child support agencies and through the California State Disbursement Unit (SDU). If you have an open child support case, you have rights regarding the services you receive.
If you are not satisfied with the your service, you should contact the Ombudsperson for the agency handling your case.
If you’re still not satisfied after that, you can file a complaint through the Complaint Resolution Program. Either the person paying support or the person receiving support can file a complaint.
Choose from the customer relations categories below to learn more.
State Hearing Deadlines
- You must file your complaint within 90 days of the date you knew, or should have known, about the subject of your complaint
- You must request a state hearing within 90 days of the date of the written decision of the local child support agency on your complaint
- If the agency does not respond to your complaint in writing, you must request a state hearing within 90 days from the date of your complaint
Forms & Publications
- Request for Complaint Resolution Form or request an accessible version
- Request for State Hearing Form
- Managing Your Child Support Case Brochure
- Managing Your Child Support Case (Accessible)
- Folleto Sobre la Gestión de su Caso de Child Support
- Folleto Sobre la Gestión de su Caso de Child Support (Accessible)
State Hearings
Forms to request a state hearing are available below or you can get them from your local agency.
Instructions for requesting a state hearing are included on all complaint resolution forms, and your agency Ombudsperson will help you complete the forms correctly. If you get a state hearing, you will be notified of the date, time and place of the hearing. If you are unable to attend, ask for a new hearing date or for the hearing to be held by phone.
Only the following complaints will qualify for a state hearing, according to California Family Code section 17801(a):
- Denial of child support services
- Letters required by law have not been provided within a reasonable time, or in the manner required
- Incorrect or missing support payments
- Incorrect calculation of the amount of debt owed
- Decisions to close a case
Deadline for Complaints
- You need to file your complaint within 90 days of the date you knew, or should have known, about the subject of your complaint
- The local child support agency is required to respond to every complaint in writing within 30 days
- Your agency may extend the time for resolving a complaint up to a maximum of 30 additional days. If the period for resolving a complaint is extended for any reason, the agency will mail you a notice stating the reason for the extension
- If your agency does not respond to your complaint in writing, you must request a State Hearing within 90 days from the date of your first written complaint
Ombudsperson
If you need help with a problem, ask to speak with the “Ombudsperson” – it is their job to:
- Help you get child support services
- Explain your rights and responsibilities
- Help you resolve problems with your case
- Explain the complaint process before, during, and after a complaint is filed
- Help you request a state hearing if you’re not satisfied with the results of the complaint resolution process
- Forms are available at each agency, or you can download one below
To reach your Ombudsperson, contact the agency handling your case. To contact your agency, find and connect to your county’s website using our map tool.
Your local child support agency can resolve complaints about:
- Customer service
- Timeliness of service
- Payment and billing problems
- Decisions to close a child support case
Your local agency cannot resolve complaints about:
- The amount of a support order
- Custody
- Visitation
- Spousal support orders
Only the court can work with you on these matters. See your county Family Law Facilitator for help with these topics.
VOICE Committee
VOICE collects customer experiences to aid our decision-making to create a system that is more fair and easier to understand and navigate. If you have opinions you’d like to share with us, visit the Voice Committee page for details.