How to Use the Federal Parent Locator Service to Find a Missing Obligor

California Child Support Recovery System | Justice Foundation

The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) is a powerful location tool operated by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement — and it’s available to you for free through California DCSS. The FPLS has access to federal databases that no private skip-tracing service can match: IRS records, Social Security Administration wage data, Department of Motor Vehicles records across all states, and the National Directory of New Hires that captures new employment information nationwide within days of a hire.

What the FPLS Can Find

The FPLS can locate a missing parent’s current address by cross-referencing federal and state databases. Current employer: the National Directory of New Hires requires all employers to report new hires within 20 days, giving the FPLS near-real-time employment data nationwide. Current address: IRS records, Social Security Administration files, and state DMV records frequently contain current address information. Financial institution data: in some circumstances, the FPLS can identify financial institutions where the parent has accounts. Military service: the Defense Manpower Data Center provides military service information including current assignment location.

How to Request FPLS Services

FPLS access is available through DCSS for cases with open child support orders. Contact your DCSS caseworker and specifically request a FPLS search for the obligor. Provide as much identifying information as possible: full legal name, Social Security number (essential for accurate matches), date of birth, last known address, and any other identifying information. DCSS submits the request and transmits results to you. The FPLS is not available directly to the public — you must go through DCSS or, in some circumstances, through the court.

Using FPLS Results for Enforcement

FPLS results identifying a new employer immediately enable a new income withholding order. FPLS results identifying a new state enable DCSS to engage that state’s child support agency for interstate enforcement. FPLS results identifying financial institutions inform bank levy proceedings. The information the FPLS provides feeds directly into the enforcement actions described throughout this month’s series. The Justice Foundation kit includes the FPLS request procedures and a guide to using location results for immediate enforcement action.