Ohio Child Support Payments

By Susan Buckner, J.D. | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff | Last reviewed April 16, 2025

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (JFS) handles all Ohio child support orders. This agency processes all child support cases after the judge signs the court order. Under state and federal law, all child support payments must be paid through one central location. The Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) manages all payments in Ohio.

If you have an issue with child support in Ohio, contact an experienced family lawyer.

Making and Receiving Ohio Child Support Payments

The JFS Office of Child Support Services can help parents pay, receive, and modify their child support order. The office also handles the enforcement of delinquent payors. When you contact the office, be sure you have all your child support case information available, including your case number.

Statutes

Ohio Domestic Relations Children Section 3119.86
Ohio Domestic Relations Children Section 3119.83

Making a Child Support Payment

The Ohio Child Support Payment Central processes all support payments.

The easiest way to make child support payments is through a payroll deduction. The court can send an income deduction order to your employer, who then deducts the support payment amount from your paycheck and sends it to the CSPC.

The advantage of this method is that the payment arrives on time, and there is a record of the payment and receipt. The obligor is not involved, so there is no missed or late payment issue.

If you want to make the payment yourself, there are many other payment options:

Via Mail

Make checks or money orders payable to Ohio CSPC and mail via standard U.S. mail to:

Ohio CSPC
P.O. Box 182372
Columbus, Ohio 43218

Never send cash through the mail. Allow at least two business days for delivery. Do not send payments to your county CSEA.

Direct Deposit

You can make payments directly from your checking or savings account. You must set up the payment plan through the customer service web portal. Allow at least five business days for bank account verification.

Credit Card Payments

CSPC takes Discover, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and other major cards. You can also use mobile app accounts like PayPal, Venmo, and Google Pay. You may choose either fixed payments or one-time payments.

Walk-In Payments

You can make cash payments, money orders, and other in-person payments at your county CSEA office. Call ahead to check if they accept walk-ins.

Some locations may accept MoneyGram payments at Wal-Mart, CVS, and other places.

Your payment information should include:

Your name
Social Security number
SETS case number (10-digit number that begins with a 7)
Court order number

The court or child support enforcement agency can't retroactively modify a parent's duty to pay a delinquent support payment.

Receiving Child Support Payments

You must receive child support payments through a mandatory electronic disbursement program. There are two ways you can get your payments.

Direct deposit to your bank account. You receive payments within three business days of receipt at the CSPC office.
The Ohio Platinum smiONE Visa Prepaid Card credits payments within one business day. You don't need a bank account to use the smiONE card.

Note: State laws are subject to change through the passage of new legislation, court rulings (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. FindLaw strives to provide the most current information available. You should consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) before making any legal decisions.