How to collect unpaid child support in Wisconsin

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. 0.5% per month (6% a year) on past-due support, starting when the past-due amount equals or exceeds one month's support.

Interest on unpaid support
6% a year
License suspension
A lien amount equal to or greater than 300% of the monthly support due or $1,000, whichever is greater, with no alternative payment plan in place.
Passport denial
Over $2,500 past due (federal law)

What the agency can do in Wisconsin

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

  • Income withholding (increased up to 50% of current support for past-due amounts)
  • Interest on past-due support
  • State and federal tax refund intercept
  • Federal actions such as passport denial and denial of loans or grants
  • Child support liens
  • Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license denial, suspension or non-renewal
  • Court actions such as contempt

Law: Wis. Stat. ch. 767, 49.22

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

Interest on arrears in Wisconsin

0.5% per month (6% a year) on past-due support, starting when the past-due amount equals or exceeds one month's support. It is charged even while you pay on the debt, but not on unpaid birth costs or fees. (DCF Collecting Past-Due Child Support)

Federal collection tools

  • 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)

Licenses in Wisconsin

A lien amount equal to or greater than 300% of the monthly support due or $1,000, whichever is greater, with no alternative payment plan in place.

Source: DCF License page

When the court steps in, in Wisconsin

The child support agency can take court action, such as contempt, on a case-by-case basis.

Source: DCF Enforcing Child Support Orders page

In nearby states

Steps to collect support in Wisconsin

  1. Keep a payment record

    A simple list of payments received and missed helps the agency.

  2. Contact the agency

    Ask for enforcement from Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), Bureau of Child Support (1-800-991-5530) · Apply online

  3. Give the agency leads

    Leads about income or address speed up collection.

  4. Get the numbers in writing

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

Free help in Wisconsin

Questions about unpaid support in Wisconsin

What happens if child support is not paid in Wisconsin?

Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (increased up to 50% of current support for past-due amounts); Interest on past-due support; State and federal tax refund intercept; Federal actions such as passport denial and denial of loans or grants; Child support liens; Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license denial, suspension or non-renewal; Court actions such as contempt.

Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Wisconsin?

A lien amount equal to or greater than 300% of the monthly support due or $1,000, whichever is greater, with no alternative payment plan in place.

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

The child support agency can take court action, such as contempt, on a case-by-case basis.

Does past-due support grow in Wisconsin?

0.5% per month (6% a year) on past-due support, starting when the past-due amount equals or exceeds one month's support. It is charged even while you pay on the debt, but not on unpaid birth costs or fees. (DCF Collecting Past-Due Child Support)

Keep reading about Wisconsin

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources