The Kentucky delinquent child support list is published by the Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Child Support Services and appears in two forms: an online listing of parents who owe court-ordered support, and a “Most Wanted” poster that highlights up to ten parents whose whereabouts are unknown and who owe at least $10,000. Both are accessible through the Kentucky Child Support website, and being named on either one sits alongside a much larger set of enforcement consequences.
Where to Find the List
The main entry point is the Kentucky Child Support website at csws.chfs.ky.gov, which links through to the Department of Child Support Services portal maintained by the Office of the Attorney General.1Kentucky Child Support Website. Kentucky Child Support Interactive The delinquent listing shows each parent’s name, the unpaid support amount, and the county where the obligation was established.2Kentucky Administrative Regulations. 40 KAR 1:080 – Child Support Most Wanted Program – Section 4 Court records can also be searched by name through KYeCourts, the Kentucky Court of Justice’s public records system.3Kentucky Court of Justice. KYeCourts – Guest Login
If you’re calling about an existing case, the phone number for the Office of the Attorney General’s child support line is (800) 248-1163. As of July 1, 2025, child support enforcement moved from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Office of the Attorney General, so older references to the Division of Child Support Enforcement point to the previous structure.1Kentucky Child Support Website. Kentucky Child Support Interactive
Who Ends Up on the Most Wanted Poster
The Most Wanted poster is narrower than the online list. It’s designed to locate parents the state cannot find, and every one of the following has to be true before a parent’s photograph appears:4Kentucky Administrative Regulations. 40 KAR 1:080 – Child Support Most Wanted Program
- An open IV-D case with support payable through the child support agency.
- Unpaid support of at least $10,000, established by court order.
- No payment made in the preceding six months.
- An active arrest warrant outstanding.
- Unknown whereabouts, after the agency has unsuccessfully tried to verify the parent’s location in the last six months.
- The parent is not currently incarcerated.
- Written authorization from the custodial parent to publish the name and photograph.
- The parent is not receiving K-TAP, SSI, or food stamps.
The poster is published annually and distributed to child support offices across the state. Any custodial parent can submit a name for consideration, and the poster carries a toll-free tip line for the public to report information.
The Broader Online List and Newspaper Publication
The online delinquent listing has a wider reach than the Most Wanted poster. Names are removed from it upon written request from the child support agency, generally after the parent addresses the arrearage or the case circumstances change.2Kentucky Administrative Regulations. 40 KAR 1:080 – Child Support Most Wanted Program – Section 4
Kentucky law also gives the Office of the Attorney General authority to compile a list of parents who have gone at least six months without a payment, or who have failed to comply with subpoenas or warrants in paternity or child support proceedings, and to furnish that list to a county newspaper for publication.5Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 405.411 – Newspaper Publication of Names of Persons With Child Support Arrearage Newspaper publication is a separate tool, with a lower threshold than the $10,000 required for the Most Wanted poster.
What Happens to a Parent on the List
Public listing is one piece of a broader enforcement system. Kentucky uses administrative tools that make continued non-payment progressively harder.
License Suspension
When the Office of the Attorney General certifies that a parent owes arrearages equal to or greater than six months of cumulative non-payment, or has failed to comply with a subpoena or warrant in child support proceedings, the Transportation Cabinet must suspend or deny that parent’s driver’s license.6Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 186.570 – Denial or Suspension of License Professional and occupational licenses can be suspended under separate statutes tied to child support enforcement, which can affect the ability to work in a licensed field.
Tax Refund Intercepts
Both federal and state income tax refunds can be intercepted to satisfy child support, maintenance, and medical support arrearages. Kentucky law authorizes the Office of the Attorney General to refer verified amounts for offset through the federal Treasury Offset Program and the state refund offset program.7Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 15.838 – Federal and State Income Tax Refund Offsets
Wage Withholding
Child support orders enforced through the Office of the Attorney General include immediate income withholding. The court orders the employer to deduct support directly from wages.8Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 405.465 – Income Withholding or Wage Assignments for Child Support
Liens and Bank Account Levies
Kentucky authorizes liens on a delinquent parent’s real and personal property. Liens can be filed in any county where the parent owns property and remain in place until the arrearage, interest, penalties, and fees are paid.9Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 15.852 – Interstate Lien to Enforce Kentucky Child Support Obligation Child support liens rank alongside tax liens in priority and outrank most mortgages filed after the lien is recorded. The state also levies financial institution accounts identified through a data match system.
Passport Denial
Once arrears exceed $2,500, the state can certify the amount to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, after which the Secretary of State will refuse to issue a passport and may revoke or restrict an existing one.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 652 – Duties of Secretary International travel is blocked until the arrearage drops below the threshold or is resolved.
Criminal Exposure
Non-payment can also be prosecuted. Under Kentucky law, a parent who persistently fails to provide support they can reasonably afford, and who is delinquent for at least two months, commits nonsupport, a Class A misdemeanor. A second offense carries a minimum of seven days in jail; a third or subsequent offense carries at least 30 days. The charge escalates to flagrant nonsupport, a Class D felony, when the parent has gone six consecutive months without any payment, has accumulated arrears of $1,000 or more, or has placed the child in destitute circumstances.
Federal law reaches parents whose support obligation crosses state lines. A willful failure to pay support for a child in another state is a federal misdemeanor when the debt exceeds $5,000 or has gone unpaid for more than a year, punishable by up to six months in prison. If the arrearage exceeds $10,000 or remains unpaid for more than two years, the offense becomes a felony carrying up to two years.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 228 – Failure to Pay Legal Child Support Obligations
Interest Keeps the Debt Growing
Kentucky charges 12% interest compounded annually on unpaid child support from the date a judgment is entered. A parent who owes $10,000 and makes no payments will owe roughly $11,200 after one year from interest alone. The longer the debt sits, the harder it is to clear.
Getting Off the List or Challenging Placement
The most direct route off the online delinquent listing is paying the arrearage in full. Names are removed after the child support agency submits a written request, which in practice happens once the parent has paid or entered a formal payment agreement and is meeting its terms.2Kentucky Administrative Regulations. 40 KAR 1:080 – Child Support Most Wanted Program – Section 4 Any outstanding arrest warrants have to be resolved through the courts separately.
A parent who believes the listing is wrong can request an administrative hearing within 20 calendar days of receiving notice of placement. The request can be made on form CS-180, in writing, or orally (the agency converts oral requests to writing) and is filed with the child support office in the parent’s county of residence or the central office.12Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 921 KAR 1:430 – Child Support Administrative Hearings Hearings are granted on a mistake of fact, such as misidentification or an incorrect arrearage amount. Before a formal hearing is scheduled, the agency holds an informal conference within ten calendar days to try to resolve the dispute. If that fails, the formal hearing proceeds in the parent’s county of residence, and the parent can bring legal counsel or another representative.