Child support cases where the dependent child(ren) and non-custodial parent live in different states may be treated as interstate cases. 

When CSSD determines that a non-custodial parent lives in another state, an appointment may be scheduled for the custodial party (i.e., the DC resident) to provide all necessary information.  A petition is then sent to the child support office in the state where the non-custodial parent resides.  The office in that state will establish paternity, if necessary, and then either establish a new support order, or register an existing one.  That state is then responsible for enforcing the child support order and forwarding payments to DC child support for disbursement to the custodial party.

In other interstate cases, the non-custodial parent lives in DC and the custodial party lives in another state.  DC child support cooperates with the other state to ensure that the custodial party in the other state receives the child support owed.