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Making

Child Support Payments

California’s State Disbursement Unit (SDU) offers several options to Person Paying Support (PPS) for paying support if the payment is not already being withheld from the PPS's earnings or if the PPS wants to make additional payments. If you have an open case with a local child support agency (LCSA), you can pay by check, money order, credit card, cash or electronic funds transfer (EFT) using the following options below.

Learn more at California Department of Child Support Services' website or call (866) 901-3212.

Visit California Child Support Services

You will not receive credit for a payment until it is processed by the SDU.

Pay Online

You can make a single debit or credit card payment by accessing the SDU online.

Visit SDU online

Pay by Phone

You can make a single debit or credit card payment over the telephone at (866) 901-3212.

Pay by Smart Phone

You can make a single debit or credit card payment by accessing: www.childsupport.ca.gov.

Pay By Smart Phone

Pay by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

You can set up ongoing (recurring) automatic withdrawals by EFT from your checking or savings account. See Person Paying Support Registration.

Pay by EFT

Pay by Mail

You can pay by mail with a check or money order, made payable to SDU. DO NOT SEND CASH. Be sure to include your information on the check or money order:

Name
Participant number
Case number
Social Security number

Mail payments to:
California State Disbursement Unit
P.O. Box 989067
West Sacramento, CA 95798

Please note: Send Payments Only to the SDU. Please send all other written communication to our offices.

Visit Our Locations

Pay in Person

You can also make a payment in person using check, money order, or credit card with the cashier or by using the kiosk.

Visit Our Locations

Pay by MoneyGram

You can pay by cash or debit card at 6,200 locations in California. Find a location by accessing MoneyGram online or calling 1 (800) 926-9400. You will need your child support Participant ID number and Receive Code 14630 to make a payment. MoneyGram charges a $1.99 per transaction fee.

The payment may take three business days to post to your child support account.

Go to Moneygram website

Pay NearMe

You can make a cash payment at over 8,500 7-Eleven, Family Dollar and ACE Cash Express locations nationwide. To find a location go to the PayNearMe map. You will need to sign up and log onto the PayNearMe website and enter your name and child support Participant ID to obtain a payment code to make the payment. PayNearMe charges $1.99 per transaction fee.

The payment may take three business days to post to your child support account.

Go to PayNearMe map Visit PayNearMe Website

Pay Online

You can make a single debit or credit card payment by accessing the SDU online.

Visit SDU online

Pay by Phone

You can make a single debit or credit card payment over the telephone at (866) 901-3212.

Pay by Smart Phone

You can make a single debit or credit card payment by accessing: www.childsupport.ca.gov.

Smart Phone Payments

California Child Support Mobile Application

The California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) now offers the ease and convenience of using our free mobile application to access your child support account. You can download the new mobile app via App Store or Google Play Store.

The new Child Support Mobile App provides you with access to the following features:

Check My Account provides your latest account information via Customer Connect. You can view upcoming appointments, amounts owed and payments made.
Make a Payment connects you to the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) where you can make electronic payments, request direct deposit or sign up to receive an Electronic Payment Card (EPC).
Search Local Child Support Agency provides you with a phone number, address, website and directions to your local county child support agency.
Resources and FAQs provide more information about the services available at the California Department of Child Support Services.

Stay informed about all of the professional services available when you establish a child support case with your local child support agency. For more information about our new mobile app, visit The California Child Support Services Department (DCSS) website.

Visit Mobile App Page

Pay by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

You can set up ongoing (recurring) automatic withdrawals by EFT from your checking or savings account. See Person Paying Support Registration.

EFT Payments

Pay by Mail

You can pay by mail with a check or money order, made payable to SDU. DO NOT SEND CASH. Be sure to include your information on the check or money order:

Name
Participant number
Case number
Social Security number

Mail payments to:
California State Disbursement Unit
P.O. Box 989067
West Sacramento, CA 95798

Please note: Send Payments Only to the SDU. Please send all other written communication to our offices.

Visit Our Locations

Pay in Person

You can also make a payment in person using check, money order, or credit card with the cashier or by using the kiosk.

Visit Our Locations

Pay by MoneyGram

The payment may take three business days to post to your child support account.

Go to Moneygram website

Pay NearMe

you can make a cash payment at over 8,500 7-Eleven, Family Dollar and ACE Cash Express locations nationwide. To find a location go to the PayNearMe map. You will need to sign up and log onto the PayNearMe website and enter your name and child support Participant ID to obtain a payment code to make the payment. PayNearMe charges $1.99 per transaction fee.

The payment may take three business days to post to your child support account.

Go to PayNearMe map Visit PayNearMe Website

Glossary Terms

Answer: A legal document that responds to a Complaint and must be filed with the court by the Person Paying Support. In general, an Answer can be used to ask for genetic testing or a chance to go to court about the amount of child support. A blank Answer form is served on the Person Paying Support with the Summons and Complaint/Proposed Judgment.

Arrears: Past-due unpaid support, including interest.

CalWORKs: Welfare Program

Central Civil West (CCW): Central Civil West District of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. The courthouse is located at 600 S. Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005.

Court Hearing: If the PPS files an Answer with the court clerk, the case will be scheduled for a court hearing. A PPS may request Genetic Testing to determine if he is the biological father of the child and may ask the court to decide the amount of child support. If the PPS does not attend the hearing, the court may make an order without him or her.

CSSD: Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department – The agency responsible for managing the child support program in Los Angeles County.

Default: An action that is automatically taken when someone does not respond to legal papers or show up to court as expected.

Default Judgment: In general, if the PPS did not file an Answer to the S&C within 30 days, and a stipulation has not been reached, the judicial officer may enter a Judgment by default. This means the judicial officer may enter a final Judgment based on the terms of the Proposed Judgment, without a court hearing and without any input from the PPS.

Direct Deposit: You can have the payments automatically deposited into a checking or savings account. There are several ways to enroll

Electronic Payment Card (EPC): You receive a Mastercard branded card that works like a debit card. You can receive support payments easier, faster and have access to the funds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The card can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Some fees may be associated with the Electronic Payment Card.

Emancipate: Refers to legal emancipation, which frees a minor child (under 18) from the parents’ control if the minor marries, joins the armed forces, or gets a court order of emancipation. A parent does not have to pay current child support for an emancipated minor.

File: Submitting paperwork to the court clerk.

Guideline Calculator: The California Guideline Child Support Calculator – Online tool that can be used to estimate the amount of child support that may be ordered in your case. The calculator is based on child support guidelines set by law in California.

Income Withholding Order (IWO): Income Withholding Order – A document that tells an employer to withhold a specific amount of money from a Person Paying Support's wages for support and to send it to the State Disbursement Unit.

Judgment: A final determination by the court about the rights and responsibilities of the parties in a case, which usually establishes parentage (who the parent of the child is), and orders child support and health insurance.

Judicial officers: A Judge, or a Commissioner who is appointed by a Judge to hear a child support case.

Local child support agency (LCSA): The agency in each county that is responsible for managing the child support program.

Modification: A court-ordered change to an order, e.g., the amount of current child support ordered may be modified up or down.

National Medical Support Notice (NMSN): A notice that acts as an order requiring the employer (or other group providing health insurance) to enroll the employee’s child in the employer’s health insurance plan.

NRPS: A document that tells the Person Paying Support that support payments must be made to the State Disbursement Unit.

Order: A command of the court that decides an issue or directs action.

Parentage: Parent-child relationship (who the parent of the child is).

Passport Denial Program (PDP): Passport Denial Program.

Person Paying Support (PPS): Parent who the child does not live with most of the time.

Person Receiving Support (PRS): Parent or legal caretaker who the child lives with most of the time.

PPS: Person Paying Support - Parent who the child does not live with most of the time.

PRS: Person Receiving Support – Parent or legal caretaker who the child lives with most of the time.

Serve: Deliver legal paperwork to a party.

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): Servicemembers Civil Relief Act – Provides special protections to active members of the armed forces.

State Disbursement Unit (SDU): State Disbursement Unit – A central payment processing site that is responsible for collecting and distributing child support payments.

Stipulation: Agreement.

Summons and Complaint and Proposed Judgment (S&C): Summons and Complaint/Proposed Judgment – A set of legal documents filed with the court and served on the Person Paying Support telling him or her of the lawsuit for parentage or child support.