How to collect unpaid child support in Kansas

Arrears, interest and enforcement, with a letter to the agency.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

Arrears means child support that is past due. Unpaid support that is due becomes a judgment and can carry interest at the Kansas judgment rate, which is 4 percentage points above the federal discount rate and resets each July 1.

License suspension
90 days past due and more than $500 owed (DCF License Restriction flyer, July 2025).
Passport denial
Over $2,500 past due (federal law)

Collection tools in Kansas

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

  • Income withholding
  • Driver's license restriction
  • Hunting and fishing license denial
  • Professional license suspension
  • Passport denial
  • Federal and Kansas tax refund intercept
  • Unemployment benefit collection
  • Attaching personal injury and workers' compensation claims
  • Property liens and tax foreclosure intercept
  • Casino, lottery and sports bet winnings intercept

Law: K.S.A. 39-753 (IV-D services)

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

Court action in Kansas

CSS or the other parent can ask the court for an Order to Appear and Show Cause. If the judge finds you had the ability to pay and did not, you can be held in contempt and fined or jailed, but the order must give you a way to fix (purge) the contempt. A parent who can't afford a lawyer and faces jail can ask for one.

Source: CSS Policy Manual, Section 19

Interest on arrears in Kansas

Unpaid support that is due becomes a judgment and can carry interest at the Kansas judgment rate, which is 4 percentage points above the federal discount rate and resets each July 1. CSS does not calculate this interest; it will enforce it only if the total is clearly stated in a court order.

Law: K.S.A. 16-204(e)

Tools that work in every state

  • 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)

License suspension in Kansas

90 days past due and more than $500 owed (DCF License Restriction flyer, July 2025).

In nearby states

Steps to collect support in Kansas

  1. Track what was paid

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

  2. Open a case or ask the agency

    Contact Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Support Services (CSS) (1-888-757-2445) · Apply online

  3. Share what you know

    Leads about income or address speed up collection.

  4. Get the numbers in writing

    Ask the agency for the total owed, with any interest.

  5. Get help

    Legal aid can help for free: Kansas Legal Services.

Free legal help in Kansas

Questions about unpaid support in Kansas

What happens if child support is not paid in Kansas?

Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding; Driver's license restriction; Hunting and fishing license denial; Professional license suspension; Passport denial; Federal and Kansas tax refund intercept; Unemployment benefit collection; Attaching personal injury and workers' compensation claims; Property liens and tax foreclosure intercept; Casino, lottery and sports bet winnings intercept.

When can Kansas suspend a license for support?

90 days past due and more than $500 owed (DCF License Restriction flyer, July 2025).

What can a court do about unpaid support in Kansas?

CSS or the other parent can ask the court for an Order to Appear and Show Cause. If the judge finds you had the ability to pay and did not, you can be held in contempt and fined or jailed, but the order must give you a way to fix (purge) the contempt. A parent who can't afford a lawyer and faces jail can ask for one.

Is there interest on unpaid child support in Kansas?

Unpaid support that is due becomes a judgment and can carry interest at the Kansas judgment rate, which is 4 percentage points above the federal discount rate and resets each July 1. CSS does not calculate this interest; it will enforce it only if the total is clearly stated in a court order.

Related Kansas pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources