Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) Fees

The Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-171, Section 7310) and Georgia law authorize DCSS to collect a $35 annual maintenance fee. This annual maintenance fee is charged for successful child support collection for a family that has never received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The fee applies to all active IV-D cases which have had $550 disbursed (check/debit card issued) to the custodial parent (CP) during the current fiscal year. The annual $35 maintenance fee ($2.92 per month) is due from the noncustodial parent (NCP). If an Income Withholding Order / Notice (IWO) was sent to the NCP’s employer, the DCSS system will automatically generate an update identifying the changes in deduction amounts to include the $2.92 fee amount.

Under Georgia Law an employer may charge an administrative fee up to $25 to establish the income deduction and up to $3 per income deduction thereafter which could range from $108 - $216 annually.

DCSS has contracted with a private vendor to provide exclusive paternity testing services for all DCSS offices statewide. Local DCSS offices must collect payment for paternity testing from any male who is tested and the results indicate that he is found to be the biological father and from any mother who names an alleged father who is tested and excluded as the biological father. The paternity testing fee will not be charged to mothers who are receiving TANF or Family Medicaid, grandparents raising grandchildren, or relative/non-relative third-party custodians. The fee is $22.00 per party member tested. For example, if the NCP, CP and one child are tested, the fee will be $66.00.

Georgia law, O.C.G.A. §19-11-7(e) states that “the department may collect the legal rate of interest on any judgment obtained in any support action initiated by the department.”   Therefore, DCSS is authorized to apply and collect interest on judgments that were either established by DCSS or those private orders modified by DCSS.  If a private order is modified by DCSS, then DCSS would collect interest from the date of entry of the new judgment, i.e., the modification order.  Interest calculation begins when the NCP becomes 30-days delinquent.  Interest is calculated on arrears that were due on January 1, 2007 to present at a rate of 7%.

In accordance with federal regulations at 45 CFR 302.33(c)(2)(i) and (d) and Georgia law O.C.G.A. 19-11-12(g), DCSS is authorized to establish and collect a fee of $100 for a review and modification of a support order.  If you are the person requesting a review, you will have to pay a $100 non-refundable review application fee when the review is complete.  A fee will not be charged to a person currently eligible for and receiving TANF or to any applicant for such services whose reported monthly income is $1,000 or less.  The non-refundable $100 fee is due for each child support case, regardless of the final result.

NCPs will be charged a payment processing fee not to exceed $1.50 per transaction to cover the cost of processing and distributing child support to families.  This is in accordance with O.C.G.A. 19-6-33.1(j).

Those who pay child support using a credit and/or debit card will be charged a convenience fee equal to 2.5 percent of the payment. This fee is in addition to a Family Support Registry fee charged for all payments made through DCSS.  Payments made by check, money order, cash or directly debited from a checking account are not subject to the 2.5 percent convenience fee.                             

Example                              

Credit Card Payment	$100.00
FSR Fee	$1.50
New Total	$101.50
Credit Card Convenience Fee of 2.5%	$2.54
TOTAL CREDIT CARD PAYMENT	$104.04

State Tax Offset Fee
In accordance with federal regulations at 45 CFR 302.33(c)(2)(i) and (d) and Georgia law O.C.G.A. 19-11-12(g), DCSS is authorized to establish and collect a fee for the offset of state taxes.  An administrative fee of $12.00 per offset will be assessed from the NCP by a deduction from the tax payment prior to distribution.  The case will be credited for the intercepted amount less the fee.

Federal Tax Offset Fee
An administrative fee of $25.00 per offset will be accessed from the NCP by a deduction from the tax payment prior to distribution.  Arrears will be credited for the intercepted amount less the fee.