Paternity Information by State

In almost all states, the father of a child is the one named on the child's birth certificate. For married parents, the husband is the presumptive father. For unmarried parents, or if another individual claims paternity, state laws have procedures for establishing paternity.

The mother of a child may file paternity proceedings seeking child support from the presumed father. However, there are other reasons the father of a child may want a judgment of paternity.

• Child custody and visitation rights: The alleged father must prove they have legal rights to custody arrangements with the child
• Parent-child relationship: The legal father can provide health insurance and financial support, gain access to school and other vital records, and be part of the child's life without other restrictions

States have various methods of establishing paternity. The list below provides links to state agencies that can assist parents in filing documents to open a paternity case to obtain a judgment of paternity. For general information on paternity law, see FindLaw's Paternity section.

Some useful terms you should know:

• Biological father of a child: The one who fathered the child, whether married to the mother or not
• Genetic testing: Also called DNA testing or a paternity test. A presumed father may submit to a test, or a birth mother can request a court order during court proceedings to establish paternity
• Order of paternity: A legal document establishing the paternity of a child
• Paternity affidavit: An affirmation under oath made by the legal father confirming parentage. The father may sign this at the time of birth or later
• Voluntary acknowledgment of paternity: Like a paternity affidavit, the father acknowledges paternity at or after the child's birth

Alabama

• Putative Father Registry: Establishing Paternity (Alabama Department of Human Resources)

Alaska

• FAQs About Paternity Establishment (Alaska Court Self-Help Center)

Arizona

• Establishing Paternity (Arizona Dept. of Economic Security)

Arkansas

• Paternity (Arkansas Dept. of Finance & Admin.)

California

• Forms and Instructions for Parentage Cases (Judicial Council of California)

Colorado

• Establishing Paternity (Colorado Judicial Branch)
• Disclaiming Paternity Forms (Colorado Judicial Branch)

Connecticut

• Paternity Actions in Connecticut (Connecticut Judicial Branch)

Delaware

• Paternity / Parentage Establishment (Delaware Child Support Services)

District of Columbia

• Paternity and Child Support (District of Columbia Courts Child Support Division)

Florida

• Establishing Paternity (Florida Department of Revenue)

Georgia

• Paternity Establishment (Georgia Division of Child Support Services)

Hawai'i

• Paternity (Hawai'i State Child Support Enforcement Agency)

Idaho

• Questions and Answers About Paternity [PDF] (Idaho Department of Health & Welfare)

Illinois

• Paternity Information (Illinois Child Support Enforcement)
• Paternity (Illinois Dept. of Public Health)

Indiana

• Establishing Paternity (Indiana Department of Child Services)

Iowa

• Paternity FAQ (Iowa Judicial Branch)

Kansas

• Establishment of Paternity (Kansas Child Support Services)

Kentucky

• Establishing Paternity FAQ (Kentucky Child Support Services)

Louisiana

• Louisiana Establishing Paternity Program (Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services)

Maine

• Maine Parentage Act FAQ [PDF] (Maine Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Maryland

• Paternity Establishment (Maryland Department of Human Resources)

Massachusetts

• Establishing Parentage (Massachusetts Government)

Michigan

• Paternity Establishment (Michigan Department of Human Services)

Minnesota

• Paternity (Minnesota Judicial Branch Self-Help Center)

Mississippi

• Child Support (Mississippi Department of Human Services)
• Paternity Establishment brochure [PDF] (Mississippi Department of Human Services)

Missouri

• Paternity Forms and Information (Missouri Judicial Branch)

Montana

• Paternity Information (Montana Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Nebraska

• Paternity Establishment (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services)

Nevada

• Establishing Paternity (Nevada Dept. of Health and Human Services)
• Paternity Issues FAQ (Clark County, Nevada)

New Hampshire

• Paternity FAQs [PDF] (New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services)
• Putative Father Registry (New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services)

New Jersey

• Establishing Paternity (New Jersey Child Support Services)

New Mexico

• Parentage Custody Packet [Downloads] (New Mexico District Court)

New York

• Paternity Petition DIY Forms (New York State Unified Court System)

North Carolina

• Paternity Establishment Procedures (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services)

North Dakota

• Paternity Establishment (North Dakota Department of Human Services)

Ohio

• Paternity Establishment Overview (Ohio Department of Job & Family Services)

Oklahoma

• Paternity: Who is the Father of the Child? (Oklahoma Department of Human Services)

Oregon

• You Owe It to Your Child - Paternity Information for Mothers and Fathers [PDF] (Oregon Department of Human Services)
• Paternity (Oregon Department of Justice Child Support Services)

Pennsylvania

• Establish Paternity FAQ (Pennsylvania Child Support Program)

Rhode Island

• Establishment of Parentage (Rhode Island Child Support Services)

South Carolina

• Establishing Paternity (South Carolina Department of Social Services)

South Dakota

• Voluntary Paternity Establishment [PDF]
• Paternity (South Dakota Law Help)

Tennessee

• Tennessee Paternity Acknowledgment Program (Tennessee Department of Human Services)

Texas

• Paternity Establishment (Texas Office of the Attorney General)
• Paternity (TexasLawHelp.org)

Utah

• Establish Paternity (Utah Department of Human Services)

Vermont

• Parentage (Vermont Judiciary)

Virginia

• Facts About Establishing Paternity [PDF](Virginia Dept. of Social Services)

Washington

• Establishing Parentage Court Forms (Washington Courts)
• Establishing Parentage (Washington State Department of Social & Health Services)

West Virginia

• Establish Paternity [PDF] (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources)

Wisconsin

• Establishing Legal Fatherhood (Paternity) (Wisconsin Department of Children & Families)

Wyoming

• Parents and Caregivers (Wyoming Department of Family Services)

Need More Paternity Information for Your State? Reach Out to an Attorney

Determining paternity may be as easy as getting a DNA test. If a woman seeks a child support order, she needs to go to family court and prove the father is the legal parent through a paternity action. That may require a court order for a paternity test to receive an order of paternity. In that case, the respondent father may challenge the test results to avoid child support obligations or other financial support obligations for the child, such as providing health care. Not all parents want to exercise parental rights or have legal rights to the child.

If you need assistance with filing a paternity action or with other family law matters, help is available. Learn more about the paternity laws in your state by speaking with a local family law attorney.