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Child Support Program

Paternity Establishment: General Requirements

Compiled by NCSL 11/99

Updated 10/01

State

Procedures to permit paternity establishment from birth to age 18

Putative father guaranteed reasonable opportunity to initiate paternity action

No right to jury trial for paternity cases

Simple process for voluntary paternity acknowledgment

Requires oral and written notice of alternatives and legal consequences prior to signing

Father's name not permitted on birth certificate unless both parents sign acknowledgment

Voluntary acknowledgment is legal determination after 60 days

Circumstances under which voluntary acknowledgment may be challenged

Alabama

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Alaska

Case Law

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Arizona

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Arkansas

l

Admin. Policy

l

l

Admin. Policy

l

l

l

California

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Colorado

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Connecticut

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Delaware

l

l

Jud. Rule

l

l

l

l

l

District of Columbia

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Florida

 

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

Georgia

l

l

l

l

 

 

l

l

Hawaii

l

l

Case Law

l

l

l

l

l

Idaho

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Illinois

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Indiana

l

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

Iowa

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Kansas

l

 

 

l

l

 

l

l

Kentucky

l

l

l

l

l

Admin. Policy

l

Admin. Policy

Louisiana

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Maine

l

l

 

 

l

l

l

l

Maryland

 

l

l

l

l

 

l

l

Massachusetts

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Michigan

l

l

 

l

Admin. Policy

l

l

l

Minnesota

l

l

Waivered

l

l

l

l

l

Mississippi

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Missouri

 

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Montana

 

 

Exemption granted

l

l

l

l

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

l

l

 

l

l

Nevada

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

New Hampshire

 

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

New Jersey

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

New Mexico

l

l

l

l

l

 

l

l

New York

 

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

North Carolina

l

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

North Dakota

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Ohio

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Oklahoma

l

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

Oregon

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Pennsylvania

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Rhode Island

l

 

l

l

l

l

l

l

South Carolina

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

South Dakota

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Tennessee

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Texas

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Utah

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Vermont

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Virginia

l

l

Case Law

l

l

l

l

l

Washington

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

West Virginia

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Wisconsin

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Wyoming

 

 

 

 

l

 

l

l

TOTAL STATES:

43

46

41

49

50

45

51

50


For additional information on state child support enforcement, please contact the Child Support Project at 303/364-7700.

Denver Office: Tel: 303-364-7700 | Fax: 303-364-7800 | 7700 East First Place | Denver, CO 80230 | Map
Washington Office: Tel: 202-624-5400 | Fax: 202-737-1069 | 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515 | Washington, D.C. 20001