§ 19-11-153.Employer’s civil liability
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 5. Direct Enforcement of Order of Another State Without Registration · Last amended 2024 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-153
Plain-English Summary
Employers sit in the middle of child support enforcement. The employee may object to every dollar withheld; the obligee may complain it isn’t enough. This section protects the employer that plays by the rules. An employer that complies with an income withholding order issued in another state, in accordance with the interstate support article, is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency for withholding child support from the obligor’s income.
The protection depends on compliance “in accordance with this article.” That means following § 19-11-151 — giving the obligor a copy immediately, treating a facially regular order as a Georgia order, following its payment terms, and applying the work state’s law on fees, limits and timing — and following § 19-11-152 when there are multiple orders. The shield covers claims by “an individual or agency,” so it protects against suits by the employee, the obligee or a support enforcement agency.
The flip side is § 19-11-154: an employer that willfully fails to comply faces the same penalties as for ignoring a Georgia order. An employee who believes the order is wrong has a route of his or her own — contesting the order under § 19-11-155 — rather than a lawsuit against a complying employer. The section was last amended in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my employee sue me for withholding child support under an out-of-state order?
Not if you complied with the order in accordance with Georgia’s interstate support law. This section says such an employer is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency with regard to withholding child support from the obligor’s income. An employee who disputes the order may contest it under § 19-11-155.
What must an employer do to be protected from liability?
Comply with the order in accordance with the interstate support article. That means following § 19-11-151: give the employee a copy immediately, treat an order regular on its face like a Georgia order, follow its terms, and apply the law of the employee’s principal place of employment on fees, limits and timing. With multiple orders, follow § 19-11-152.
Does the protection cover claims by the parent receiving support?
Yes. The section protects a complying employer from civil liability to “an individual or agency” over its withholding of child support. That language covers the obligee and a support enforcement agency as well as the employee whose income is withheld.
What should an employee do if the out-of-state withholding order is wrong?
Contest the order. Under § 19-11-155, the obligor may register the order in a Georgia tribunal and file a contest under Part 6 of the article, or contest it the same way as a Georgia order. The obligor must give notice of the contest to the obligee’s support agency, each employer that received the order, and the designated payee (or the obligee, if none is designated).
Is an employer protected if it ignores the withholding order?
No. The protection covers an employer that complies. Under § 19-11-154, an employer that willfully fails to comply with an out-of-state income withholding order received for enforcement is subject to the same penalties that may be imposed for noncompliance with an order issued by a Georgia tribunal.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013; Laws 2024, Act 428, § 9, eff. July 1, 2024.