Form 3200: California Child Support Application

To open a child support case in California, you file the California child support application with the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). The packet is free, either parent or a legal guardian can file it, and you can submit it online, by mail, or in person at a local child support agency.¹ The form is sometimes informally called “Form 3200,” but the official packet is published by DCSS under its own numbering and available on the agency’s website.²

Who Can Apply and What It Costs

Custodial parents, non-custodial parents, and legal guardians are all eligible, whether or not a court order already exists.¹ A non-custodial parent who wants the amount set fairly has just as much standing to open a case as the custodial parent seeking payments.

There is no fee to apply. If you have never received public cash assistance and DCSS collects at least $550 in support on your behalf, the state charges a $35 annual service fee, taken from the collected support rather than billed to you.³ If you are the parent paying support, all services are free.⁴

If you receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the state will typically open a child support case on your behalf automatically, and cooperation with the child support program is a condition of receiving those benefits.

Information You’ll Need Before You Start

The application asks about three groups of people: you, the other parent, and each child.

For yourself, provide your full legal name, current address, and Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. DCSS uses your SSN for identification and to communicate with you; ITIN information is voluntary but helpful.⁵

For the other parent, give whatever you know: name, date of birth, Social Security Number, current or last known address, employer, and a physical description. Missing information is not a reason to hold off. DCSS has access to the California Parent Locator Service, which cross-references state and federal databases including tax filings, employment records, and other government records to track people down.⁶ The more you provide upfront, the faster the search runs.

For each child, you’ll list the full name, date of birth, and current living arrangements. You also complete a separate Parentage Questionnaire for each child, which is included in the application packet.⁵

Documents to Attach

Gather these before submitting:

A copy of the birth certificate for each child listed on the application.
Any existing court orders, including divorce decrees, custody orders, or prior child support orders.
A copy of any Voluntary Declaration of Parentage that was signed but not filed in California.
Any assisted reproduction or surrogacy agreement relevant to a child on the application.

The application packet itself specifies each of these documents.⁵ Having everything ready upfront prevents back-and-forth that slows cases down. If you’re missing something, submit what you have; a caseworker can tell you what else is needed rather than holding up the whole application.

How to Submit the Application

The fastest route is online. DCSS runs an enrollment portal on its website where you fill out and submit the application electronically.¹ After enrolling, you track your case through the state’s self-service portal, Customer Connect.

You can also mail the completed packet to your local child support agency or deliver it in person at a regional office. Send it to the office in the county where the child lives, so the case doesn’t stall on jurisdiction.

What Happens After You Apply

A caseworker reviews the packet for completeness and accuracy. If something is missing or unclear, the caseworker contacts you to fill in the gap. Once the case is opened, both parents are notified, and the other parent must be legally served with notice of the proceedings before any orders can be issued. This service-of-process step satisfies due process and can take time if the other parent is hard to locate.

If parentage has not been established, the agency can arrange genetic testing. Once parentage is confirmed and both parties are properly served, the case moves toward either a stipulated agreement, where both parents agree on an amount, or a court hearing where a judge decides. You can watch the status through Customer Connect, and your caseworker should provide updates as the case moves.

What DCSS Can Do Once Your Case Is Open

Filing the application gives you access to services the agency provides at no upfront charge. DCSS can locate a missing parent, establish legal parentage through genetic testing or court proceedings, obtain new financial and medical support orders, enforce existing orders, reduce past-due balances, and modify orders when circumstances change.¹ The agency handles the legal work, so you don’t need to hire a private attorney to get a support order in place.

On enforcement, wage assignment is the default in every new case: an order goes to the paying parent’s employer requiring automatic deduction from paychecks. Other tools include tax refund intercepts, license suspension, passport denial when past-due support exceeds $2,500, bank levies through the Financial Institution Data Match program, property liens, credit reporting, and, as a last resort, contempt of court.⁴

If You Already Have an Order and Need a Change

If a support order already exists and your situation has shifted, you don’t file a new application; you request a “review and adjustment” from DCSS. Either parent or a guardian can ask for one at any time at no cost. The agency will generally modify an order if the recalculated amount would differ by at least 20 percent or $50 from the current amount, whichever is less.⁷

Common triggers include job loss, a significant income change for either parent, a change in custody or visitation, a new child in either household, disability, incarceration, or military deployment. If the paying parent will be incarcerated for 60 or more consecutive days, a specific form exists to request a reduction during that period.⁷

Act quickly when circumstances change. A court generally will not reduce support retroactively to the date your income dropped; the reduction typically starts from the date you file the request.

1
California Child Support Services. Enroll for Support
2
California Child Support Services. Forms and Publications
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 654 – State Plan for Child and Spousal Support
4
California Child Support Services. Frequently Asked Questions
5
California Child Support Services. Application for Child Support Services Packet
6
California Child Support Services. Parent Locate Forms
7
California Child Support Services. Changing a Child Support Amount