How to collect unpaid child support in Alabama

How unpaid support is collected, interest and license rules, and a free letter asking the agency to enforce.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

Arrears means child support that is past due. Unpaid support carries interest at the judgment rate: 7.5% a year on judgments entered since September 1, 2011 (12% for judgments from November 13, 1981 to August 31, 2011, and 6% before that).

License suspension
Unpaid support equal to at least six months of payments. You get a notice and 60 days to pay, set up a payment plan, or ask for a hearing (within 15 days) before the license is suspended.
Passport denial
Over $2,500 past due (federal law)

How support is collected in Alabama

Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:

  • Income withholding (required in every support order)
  • Federal and state tax refund intercept (back support of at least $150 on TANF cases or $500 on other cases)
  • Credit bureau reporting (arrears over $1,000)
  • Passport denial (arrears over $2,500)
  • Bank account match, liens and levies
  • Driver's, professional, hunting and fishing license suspension
  • Contempt of court
  • Federal prosecution for crossing state lines to avoid support

Law: Ala. Code 30-3-61, 30-3-171 to 30-3-175, 30-3-192

Ask the agency in writing to collect what is owed: Ask the agency to collect unpaid support

Interest on arrears in Alabama

Unpaid support carries interest at the judgment rate: 7.5% a year on judgments entered since September 1, 2011 (12% for judgments from November 13, 1981 to August 31, 2011, and 6% before that). A parent who has paid the past-due amount and paid current support for 12 months, or made every payment on a repayment agreement for 12 months, can ask the court for a rebate of interest, but only if each person owed the interest agrees in writing.

Law: Ala. Code 8-8-10, 30-3-6.1

Licenses in Alabama

Unpaid support equal to at least six months of payments. You get a notice and 60 days to pay, set up a payment plan, or ask for a hearing (within 15 days) before the license is suspended.

Law: Ala. Code 30-3-171, 30-3-191(7)

What federal law adds

  • Tax refunds. The federal government can take a federal tax refund to pay past-due child support. Law: 42 U.S.C. 664
  • Passports. A parent who owes more than $2,500 in past-due support can be refused a passport. Law: 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
  • Pay withholding limit. For support, up to 50% of take-home pay can be withheld if the parent supports another spouse or child, or 60% if not. It is 55% or 65% when support is more than 12 weeks behind. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
  • Past-due support. Each unpaid payment becomes a judgment on the day it is due. It can't be lowered later, except back to the date the other parent got notice of a request to change the order. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)

Court action in Alabama

The parent owed support can file a Contempt Petition for Non-Payment of Support (CS-06) in the court that issued the order.

In nearby states

Your next steps in Alabama

  1. Write down every payment

    Note the date and amount of each payment, and each missed one.

  2. Contact the agency

    Contact Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), Child Support Enforcement Division ((334) 242-9300) · Apply online

  3. Give the agency leads

    Tell the agency where the other parent works or lives.

  4. Ask about interest

    Ask whether interest is added and how much is owed in total.

Where to get free help in Alabama

Questions about unpaid support in Alabama

What can the agency do about unpaid support in Alabama?

Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (required in every support order); Federal and state tax refund intercept (back support of at least $150 on TANF cases or $500 on other cases); Credit bureau reporting (arrears over $1,000); Passport denial (arrears over $2,500); Bank account match, liens and levies; Driver's, professional, hunting and fishing license suspension; Contempt of court; Federal prosecution for crossing state lines to avoid support.

Can unpaid support cost a driver's license in Alabama?

Unpaid support equal to at least six months of payments. You get a notice and 60 days to pay, set up a payment plan, or ask for a hearing (within 15 days) before the license is suspended.

Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Alabama?

The parent owed support can file a Contempt Petition for Non-Payment of Support (CS-06) in the court that issued the order.

What is the interest rate on arrears in Alabama?

Unpaid support carries interest at the judgment rate: 7.5% a year on judgments entered since September 1, 2011 (12% for judgments from November 13, 1981 to August 31, 2011, and 6% before that). A parent who has paid the past-due amount and paid current support for 12 months, or made every payment on a repayment agreement for 12 months, can ask the court for a rebate of interest, but only if each person owed the interest agrees in writing.

Related Alabama pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources