The California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is authorized to collect past due child support by levying bank accounts, IRAs and financial securities. If you have a past due child support balance of $100.00 or greater your bank account may be levied.

As long as you have a past due account of $100.00 or greater, your accounts may be levied up to 5 times a year, per financial institution.

If you are having financial hardship you may call 1-866-901-3212 and ask for the bank levy department. You may request a hardship review at which time you will have to prove you are having financial hardship. Please note that the only time period in which Child Support Services can reverse the levy is while your bank has the money on hold. Please call your bank and inquire about the number of days the money will be on hold. The standard hold time is 10 business days but ask your bank for their policy. Once the money is received by our office, we will be unable to reverse the levy.

Bank charges are non-refundable and are not charged by our office. The only instance DCSS can assist with the bank fee is if the levy was generated in error. Levies generated in error are extremely rare and only occur if the child support balances are not up-to-date.