How to obtain child support records

Public Records Act Requests | CA Child Support Services

Guidelines for Access to Public Records

The Constitution of California (Art.I, sec.3) and the Public Records Act (Government Code sec. 6250 et seq.) provide a right to access public information in government records. These guidelines provide guidance to members of the public on how to access public records of the California Department of Child Support Services (Department).

Requesting Information About Your Case

Documents containing personal information about your case are confidential and are not public records. If you have a child support case managed by a local child support agency and seek information or documents on your own personal account, please contact the office as follows. You may send an email by logging into your personal Customer Connect account, you may call 1-866-901-3212 or you may make your request in person by visiting the local child support agency that manages your case. Office locations and contact information are available by clicking here. 

Submitting or Making Public Record Requests

The primary recipient of public record requests within the Department is the Office of Legal Services. Written requests must be sent to the following mailing address:

California Department of Child Support Services   Office of Legal Services   P.O. Box 419064    Rancho Cordova, CA 95741

Requests for public records should be specific, focused and detailed so records can be identified, located, and retrieved sufficiently. Oral requests for public records may be confirmed in writing to clarify understanding of the request and to create a tracking record for the request.  Please make sure you include contact information so that the Department can contact you about your request.

Search and Production of Records

Location or search of records will be conducted by appropriate divisions and units of the Department that are the holders of the requested records. If the search cannot be performed or completed immediately, the Department will notify the requester of the result of the search within the 10 days of receipt of the request if the records are readily accessible and they are not subject to specific exemptions from disclosure under the Department. Normal operational functions will not be suspended to permit inspection of records.

If portions of the requested records require redaction, the Department may take reasonable time to provide the redacted records.

Responses to Public Record Requests

The primary responsibility of responding to public record requests lies with the division of the Department that is holder of the requested record. Determinations on producing records or denying disclosure of portions or entire records will be made by management personnel of the specific division involved. The Department may refuse to disclose any records or portions of records which are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act. Claiming of specific statutory exemptions for redaction of information or denying disclosure of records will be communicated to the requester through the Office of Legal Services, in writing.

Charges for Copies

The Department will charge fees for copies covering direct cost of duplication or a statutory fee, if applicable. Copying fees are ten cents ($0.10) per page for each black and white page copies on paper. Direct cost of producing a copy of record on color copier or in an electronic format will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the record requested. Copies of records will be provided after the receipt of payment. A requester may pay for records using a money order, check or cash. If payment is made by check, records may be withheld until after the check has cleared through the Department’s bank account. The requester is responsible for arranging and paying for the pick-up or delivery of the copies.

Florida Dept. of Revenue - public_records

Members of the public are entitled to be treated with respect, courtesy, and professionalism when interacting with the Department of Revenue.

Public records requests do not have to be made in writing, unless a specific statute requires otherwise. In that case, the statute imposing such a requirement shall be cited.

All public records requests shall be acknowledged promptly and in good faith as required by Section 119.07(1)(b), Florida Statutes.

Fees for production of public record documents shall not exceed the statutorily authorized fees and the statutory authority for such fee shall be cited.

The public has the right to receive an itemized invoice of proposed fees or fees charged.

The  right to access public records and meetings is secured under Sections 119.07(1) and 286.011, Florida Statutes and Article 1, Section 24, Florida Constitution.

How to Request Public Records

In an effort to assist you, the Department of Revenue has provided a few easy steps for you to consider when making your request.

1.   Determine if what you are looking for is already available.

We are committed to making it easy for you to get the public information that we have, so we are always working to update and improve our web site. What you are looking for may be available right now. We invite you to visit our Home, Child Support, Property Tax, and other Florida Taxes web pages, or simply ask us your question.

2.   Is the information you are looking for related to your own child support case or tax account? If so, contact the following:

Child support information - Call the Customer Contact Center at 850-488-KIDS (5437). Your case information is confidential. We will not talk about your case with anyone but you or someone you have authorized us in writing to talk to.

Property tax information -  For information about your property value assessment contact your county property appraiser. For information about your property taxes, contact your county tax collector.

Florida tax account (except property) information - Call the Customer Contact Center at 850-488-6800.  For copies of your own tax records , send a written request to: 

Department of Revenue
Records Management Room 1-4364
5050 W. Tennessee St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0158

Written requests help us ensure your confidential information is protected. When submitting your request it should be on company letterhead and include: business Federal Employer Identification Number or owner's Social Security Number, physical location of your business, photo identification (for sole proprietor), records being requested (type of tax, dates, etc.), and the signature of the owner or a registered officer of the business.

3.   Is the information you are requesting confidential?

The Department of Revenue maintains sensitive business and personal information for millions of people. Some of this information is exempt from disclosure under Florida's public records law. When responding to requests for confidential information, it is our policy to provide the information only when permitted by law.

Listed below is the most commonly requested confidential information for child support, property tax, other Florida taxes, and administrative and financial services.

Child Support - We cannot disclose:

• Information about applicants for or recipients of child support services and the children involved such as the address of residence
• Information gathered or used by the parent locator service
• Information in multi-subject documents that is unrelated to the public records requested
• Social security numbers and related records
• Federal taxpayer information

Property Tax - We cannot disclose:

• Ad valorem tax returns
• Financial records, including but not limited to federal income tax returns, wage and earnings statements, and sworn statements of gross income
• Social security numbers and related records
• Federal taxpayer information

Other Florida Taxes - We cannot disclose:

• Florida tax information related to specific taxpayers
  Note: Some tax information can be disclosed, including: 1) statistical information that does not identify individual taxpayers and 2) verification of whether a specific person or business holds a valid registration, pursuant to Chapter 212, Florida Statutes (sales and use tax) and s. 206.27 (fuel tax).
• Reemployment (formerly Unemployment) tax information regarding employers and employees
• Social security numbers and related records
• Federal taxpayer information

Administrative and Financial Services - We cannot disclose:

• Employees' medical and insurance records
• Certain employees' home addresses, date of birth, telephone numbers, and photos
• Procurement documents and bids before the vendor is chosen and the decision is posted
• Social security numbers and related records

4.   How do I make a request for Public Records other than my own account?

Requests for records can be made in-person, by e-mail, by phone, or in writing. We will respond to your request promptly. Because e-mail sent over the Internet is not secure, please do not include your social security number or any other confidential information in an e-mail. Listed below is the contact information for each of our programs for requesting public records.

Child Support Records

Email:
Call:
Write:

[email protected]
850-488-KIDS (5437)
Child Support Program Director’s Office
P.O. Box 8030
Tallahassee, FL 32314

Property Tax Records

Email:
Call:
Write:

[email protected]
850-717-6570
Property Tax Oversight
Florida Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 3000
Tallahassee, FL 32315-3000

General Tax Records(excluding Property Tax)

Email:
Call:
Write:

taxpublicrecords@floridarevenue. com
850-488-6800
Department of Revenue
Records Management Room 1-4364
5050 W. Tennessee St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0158
Efax: 850-922-0861

NOTE: Do not request your own records through e-mail, rather call the numbers listed above. We must establish your identity (or that you are an authorized representative for the taxpayer) before we can discuss or release confidential information to you. To protect the confidentiality of taxpayer records, the requested records will be mailed to your address of record. Requests for confidential taxpayer records will not be responded to through e-mail and you may be required to provide written documentation before we can release the records to you.

Personnel Records

Email:
Call:
Write:

PersonnelPublicRecords@floridarevenue. com
850-617-8370
Department of Revenue
Office of Workforce Management
P.O. Box 10410
Tallahassee, FL 32302

Financial Records
Use to request contracts, procurements and budget records:

Email:
Call:
Write:

[email protected]
850-617-8430
Department of Revenue
Operational Accounting
P.O. Box 10669
Tallahassee, FL 32302

Revenue's Open Government Officer
       

Email:
Call:
Write:

Sarah Wachman Chisenhall [email protected]
850-617-8347
Department of Revenue
Office of the General Counsel
P. O. Box 6668
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6668

5.   I've made my request for public records, now what?

When we receive your public records request, we check to see if the Department of Revenue has the records requested, if the request includes confidential information, and if there will be a charge for responding.

Then we will promptly provide you with an accurate, clearly communicated response. This response may include the information requested or an explanation of when the information will be ready.

If part of the information you request is confidential and cannot be disclosed, we will provide you with redacted records. This means that confidential or exempt information in the records will be blacked out. If all, or part, of your request cannot be disclosed, we will provide you with an explanation and legal reference.

You will also receive an itemized invoice of proposed fees or fees charged. State law allows agencies to charge for filling requests that require extensive time and effort by staff (including time spent redacting confidential information) and a per-page charge of $0.15 for copies (Section 119.07(4), Florida Statutes).

Get a child support certificate in 2023

Anyone who has at least something to do with this side of the legal relationship may need to issue a child support certificate. Questions for which a support certificate can be taken relate to confirming the amount of alimony payments or clarifying what part of the income this alimony represents. In addition, a certificate can be issued to find out the exact amount of the delay. Moreover, you can issue a document not only to the payer, but also to the recipient. Then, with this certificate, you can apply to both private and public organizations, receive various benefits, etc. The document does not have a standardized form, but there is a specific list of information that must be displayed. nine0003

In what cases will you need a certificate of maintenance

The essence of the alimony certificate is to show whether money for the maintenance of the child was transferred from a person who, by law, must pay for it. At the same time, the reference in question can be used in a number of different situations:

• A certificate can be taken by a woman who is trying to get some kind of state benefit, where the fact of insufficient income is important. For example, this certificate can be taken into account when a family becomes registered with the status of a low-income family. Also, women can bring a certificate if they apply for various regional or federal-type benefits for children. nine0014
• Not infrequently, a certificate is issued by men who pay alimony and must prove their legal purity. It is standard practice for a bank to request documents on the expenses of its customers. Especially when it comes to loans.
• Quite often, a maintenance certificate is issued at the request of a tax inspector, since the document in question is fundamentally important in order to adequately calculate the taxable base.
• If the alimony payer's employer conducts alimony through his database, he will need a certificate for record keeping. nine0014
• Bailiffs are also executors of alimony certificates, especially if they are involved in the opening or closing of enforcement proceedings.

Obtaining a certificate can be problematic in a situation where the payer does not work anywhere, and no benefits have been issued in his name. Even if he regularly transfers alimony, it is rather difficult to prove the fact of their receipt, which means that it will not be possible to issue a certificate.

Where to get a certificate of maintenance

Usually, alimony is assigned in three ways - through a writ of execution, through a court order and on the basis of a notary agreement. Hence, you need to build on the case of issuing a certificate.

For example, if the recoverer initiated enforcement proceedings through the FSSP, a certificate can be obtained from the bailiffs. You can also draw up documents from the employer if the writ of execution for withholding alimony was sent to the work of the payer. In the case of a notarial agreement, supporting documents are drawn up between the parties to the transaction. nine0003

Sometimes a child support certificate is used as part of a document confirming a person's income and expenses. But in this case it can be replaced by payment documents from the bank. A receipt for the transferred funds may also be suitable. But it is important to indicate the purpose for which the payment is made. So write that they transferred the money as child support.

Certificate of maintenance from the place of work

Employers often become unwitting participants in the “support war” between their employees and their families. nine0010 For example, if an employer receives a writ of execution, he must by law withhold alimony from each salary of an employee and transfer them to the recipient of the alimony in question. And if he is asked for a certificate, he must provide it. And several persons can make a request at once, including the claimant, the payer and the bailiff.