Overview
What is the Interstate Central Registry?
What is UIFSA?
What forms do I use?
Contact Information

Overview

Part of the function of the Office of Child Support involves providing services to Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agencies, other states and foreign countries in the processing of interstate child support cases. A case is interstate when one party lives in a state or country different from the other, when a court order is in a state or country other than the one where both parties live, or when there is more than one support order covering the same parties. Interstate child support cases are governed by the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). Each state has enacted this uniform law.

• Ohio's UIFSA law is Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 3115.
• To view UIFSA, with comments from the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws, click here.

These services include the operation of the Interstate Central Registry, as well as training and technical assistance on the operation of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).

[Back to Top]

What is the Interstate Central Registry?

Services are provided to parties with interstate cases through the Interstate Central Registry. An interstate case is defined as any case in which the parties live in different states, or a case where the parties live in the same state, but their support order was issued by another state.

The Registry is responsible for receiving, distributing, and maintaining statistics on all interstate case processing requests which come in to Ohio from other states or foreign countries. Staff at the Registry review each incoming request for accuracy and completeness before forwarding to the appropriate jurisdiction for processing. The Registry also maintains a database of all information on these requests and assists local jurisdictions, the federal Office of Child Support, and other states in resolving problems and obtaining the current status of cases.

The Interstate Central Registry has expanded its role to also provide training and technical assistance on matters relating to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), under which all interstate cases must be processed.

[Back to Top]

What is UIFSA?

The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) is a law which regulates the processing of all cases in which parties are located in more than one state. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) required each state to adopt UIFSA verbatim by January 1, 1998. The Ohio Legislature adopted UIFSA on January 1, 1998 by amending Chapter 3115 of the Ohio Revised Code.

UIFSA also allows the processing of child support cases between the state of Ohio and foreign countries. For a list of contacts for many other foreign countries, see International Contacts.

This Act differs from its predecessor, the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act URESA) in several key ways. These include expanded use of "Long Arm" statutes, the concept of "One Controlling Order," expanded evidentiary procedures, and direct interstate enforcement using income withholding.

For a list of Ohio's laws and rules that affect the processing of interstate cases, see State at a Glance (Ohio).

The Office of Child Support has published an Ohio Attorney's Guide to Interstate Child Support. Click here to download it (PDF version).

[Back to Top]

What forms do I use?

Depending on the case circumstances and responding state requirements, the forms required may differ from those listed in the table above. In addition, other documents, such as copies of orders may be required.

Click here for a packet containing the list above and all UIFSA forms.

[Back to Top]

Contact Information

Other states and jurisdictions should contact the Interstate Central Registry via the following methods:

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Office of Child Support
Interstate Central Registry
P.O. Box 182709
Columbus, Ohio 43218-2709
(614) 752-6567

Income withholding notices to attach unemployment compensation or workers compensation benefits should be sent directly by the state or local agency to the following addresses:

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Unemployment Compensation Benefits Division
145 South Front Street
P.O. Box 1618
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation
30 West Spring Street
Columbus, Ohio 43266-0581

If you are an individual with an interstate case, please contact your local jurisdiction or the local agency handling your case to resolve any questions or concerns you may have about your case.

Please note that Ohio is a state supervised, county operated system. Therefore, if you wish to obtain specific information about a case which is on-going, you should first attempt to contact the county Child Support Enforcement Agency CSEA) which is handling the case.

Under Ohio Revised Code section 3115.01, a tribunal for purposes of UIFSA cases is defined as "..a trial court of record.." Because all actions in UIFSA cases must ultimately be filed in a tribunal, and all orders must be made by a tribunal court, it may be necessary from time to time to contact a particular tribunal court.

To download a list of Tribunal Court addresses, click here.

[Back to Top]