To check your Florida child support arrears balance, log in to the Department of Revenue’s Child Support eServices portal at childsupport.floridarevenue.com, or call the State Disbursement Unit at 1-877-769-0251.1Florida Department of Revenue. Child Support eServices2Florida Department of Revenue. Receive Payments Both show what has posted to your case and what you still owe. Knowing the number is only the first step, though. Florida charges 8.25% annual interest on unpaid support, the balance never expires, and enforcement actions start piling up automatically once you fall behind.3MyFloridaCFO. Judgment Interest Rates
How to Check What You Owe
The eServices Portal
The Department of Revenue’s online portal is the most direct source. After registering an account, you can view every payment posted to your case, print a payment history, and see what enforcement actions the state has taken.1Florida Department of Revenue. Child Support eServices The system updates as payments move through the Florida State Disbursement Unit (SDU).
By Phone
If you’d rather not use the website, the SDU customer service line at 1-877-769-0251 can give you balance information over the phone.2Florida Department of Revenue. Receive Payments
Court Records
Your original order and any modifications live in the court file at the clerk’s office in the county that issued the order. Many Florida counties now let you search records online.4Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Search Online Court Records When support is paid through the SDU, the county depository also keeps case records.5Duval County Clerk of Courts. Child Support Court records are useful when you want to confirm the exact terms of an order or verify that a modification was entered.
Your Own Records
Keep every receipt, garnishment stub, and SDU confirmation. If the portal and your records don’t match, documentation is what wins a dispute. Payments made directly to the other parent instead of through the SDU are especially hard to prove and often don’t get credited without solid proof.
Why the Balance Keeps Growing
Two things drive a Florida arrears balance upward faster than most parents expect.
First, each missed installment becomes its own judgment the moment it comes due. Once that happens, no court can go back and reduce it. Under Florida Statute 61.14 and federal rules at 45 CFR §303.106, arrears that have already accrued cannot be retroactively modified by any state.6Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 61.14 – Enforcement and Modification of Support7eCFR. 45 CFR 303.106 – Procedures to Prohibit Retroactive Modification of Child Support Arrearages
Second, interest runs on the balance at the statutory judgment rate under Section 55.03. That rate sits at 8.25% per year as of April 2026.3MyFloridaCFO. Judgment Interest Rates On a $10,000 balance, that’s about $825 in interest alone before you account for any new missed payments.
Florida also puts no statute of limitations on collecting child support arrears. Unlike most civil debts that expire after a set number of years, unpaid child support stays enforceable indefinitely, and the interest clock never stops.
What Happens When You Fall Behind
Florida’s enforcement system is layered and largely automatic. You don’t have to wait for the other parent to complain for these to start.
Income withholding. This is the default collection method. Your employer withholds support from your paycheck under a court order. Federal law caps the garnishment at 50% of disposable earnings if you’re supporting another spouse or child, or 60% if you’re not, and those caps rise to 55% and 65% once you’re more than 12 weeks behind.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S. Code 1673 – Restriction on Garnishment Those percentages are far higher than the 25% cap on ordinary consumer debts.
License suspensions. Florida can suspend your driver’s license and vehicle registration once you’re 15 days delinquent and owe more than one periodic payment amount.9Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 61.13016 – Suspension of Driver Licenses and Motor Vehicle Registrations Business, professional, and recreational licenses can go too, including those from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. If you don’t respond within 30 days of notice, the DOR notifies the licensing agency to suspend.10Florida Department of Revenue. Business, Professional or Recreational License Suspension
Liens and bank levies. The state can place liens on your real and personal property under Section 61.1301, which will block a sale or refinance. Florida also participates in the federal Multistate Financial Institution Data Match program, which cross-references child support debtors against bank records nationwide every quarter and can levy matching accounts.
Tax refund and federal payment offsets. The federal Treasury Offset Program intercepts tax refunds and certain other federal payments from parents who owe arrears.11Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Treasury Offset Program Social Security retirement and disability benefits can also be garnished for child support under Section 459 of the Social Security Act.12Social Security Administration. Can My Social Security Benefits Be Garnished or Levied?
Passport denial. Owe $2,500 or more and the U.S. Department of State will deny your passport application or renewal. Even after you pay, it takes two to three weeks for your name to come off the list.13U.S. Department of State. Pay Child Support Before Applying for a Passport
Credit reporting. The Florida Child Support Program reports past-due support to Experian, TransUnion, Equifax, and Innovus once the balance reaches at least two times your monthly obligation or $400, whichever comes first. You get 25 days from the notice to pay or make contact before it hits your report, where it can stay for up to seven years under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.14Florida Department of Revenue. Credit Reporting15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 41 Subchapter III – Credit Reporting Agencies
Contempt of court. When a parent willfully refuses to pay despite the ability to do so, the court can impose fines, order attorney fees and court costs, and even jail the parent. Courts distinguish between a parent who cannot pay and one who chooses not to, so documenting job loss, illness, or other genuine hardship matters if you end up in a contempt hearing.
Your Options for Dealing With the Balance
Set Up a Payment Agreement
Florida does not offer a debt compromise or settlement program for arrears. The full balance has to be paid. What the DOR does offer is a written payment agreement that lets you pay down what you owe in installments alongside your current support.16Florida Department of Revenue. Payment Agreement Options include a lump-sum payoff, fixed periodic payments on top of your current obligation, or a custom arrangement based on ability to pay. If you’re currently looking for work, the DOR can delay the start of repayment by up to 60 days. You can request an agreement through eServices or by email. Entering one can also stop or reverse a driver’s license suspension, which alone is reason to move quickly.
Modify the Order Going Forward
If your income or circumstances have genuinely changed, you can petition the court under Florida Statute 61.14 to modify support going forward. A substantial change in circumstances (job loss, serious illness, a significant income change) is the usual basis, and changes to the guidelines schedule or the availability of medical insurance can also qualify.6Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 61.14 – Enforcement and Modification of Support Federal rules also let either parent request a review at least every three years.17eCFR. 45 CFR 303.8 – Review and Adjustment of Child Support Orders
A modification only reduces payments from the date you file the petition forward. It cannot reduce arrears already on the books. If money gets tight, file the petition immediately. Every week you wait locks in another week of arrears at the old rate that no judge can undo.
Bankruptcy Will Not Erase Arrears
Child support arrears are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Under 11 U.S.C. §523, domestic support obligations are excluded from discharge in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, and enforcement generally continues even during a bankruptcy case.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S. Code 523 – Exceptions to Discharge Bankruptcy can still help indirectly by clearing other debts and freeing up income to pay support, but the arrears themselves survive intact.