§ 19-11-161.Requirements for registration of orders issued by another state or foreign country; other filings
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 6. Enforcement and Modification of Support Order After Registration · Last amended 2024 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-161
Plain-English Summary
This section is the checklist for registering an out-of-state or foreign support order in Georgia. The person seeking registration sends five things to the appropriate Georgia tribunal: a letter of transmittal asking for registration and enforcement; two copies of the order, one of them certified, including any modification; a sworn statement by the person requesting registration, or a certified statement by the custodian of the records, showing the amount of any arrearage; the obligor’s name and, if known, the obligor’s address and Social Security number, employer and other income sources, and any non-exempt property in Georgia; and, except as § 19-11-131 provides, the name and address of the obligee and of anyone else who is to receive payments. Section 19-11-131 lets a party keep identifying information sealed when disclosure would jeopardize someone’s health, safety, or liberty. Hague convention orders follow their own document list in § 19-11-184.1.
Once the request arrives, the tribunal shall have the order filed as an order of another state’s tribunal or a foreign support order, with one copy of the documents, whatever their form. A party may also ask for remedies that Georgia law requires to be affirmatively sought — the section names a rule for contempt and a petition for income withholding as examples — and take related discovery, either with the registration request or later. That filing must state its grounds.
When two or more orders are in effect, the person registering shall provide a copy of every order claimed to be in effect, say which one is alleged to be the controlling order, if any, and state the amount of consolidated arrears, if any. A request to decide which order controls may be filed on its own or together with registration for enforcement or modification, and the requester shall notify each party whose rights the decision may affect. The rules for picking the controlling order are in § 19-11-116. The section was last amended in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need to register an out-of-state child support order in Georgia?
Five items go to the appropriate Georgia tribunal: a letter of transmittal requesting registration and enforcement; two copies of the order, including one certified copy, plus any modification; a sworn statement by the requesting person or a certified statement by the records custodian showing any arrearage; the obligor’s name and, if known, address, Social Security number, employer, other income sources and non-exempt Georgia property; and the obligee’s name and address and, if applicable, of the person who receives payments.
How many copies of the support order do I need to register it in Georgia?
Two copies, and one of them must be certified. The copies must include any modification of the order. The tribunal then files the order together with one copy of the documents and information you sent, regardless of their form.
Can I ask for contempt at the same time I register an out-of-state support order in Georgia?
Yes. A petition, motion or comparable filing seeking a remedy that must be affirmatively sought under Georgia law, along with related discovery, may be filed at the same time as the registration request or later. The section names a rule for contempt and a petition for income withholding as examples. The filing must specify the grounds for the remedy you want.
What if there is more than one child support order for the same child?
The person registering shall give the tribunal a copy of every support order claimed to be in effect, identify the order alleged to be the controlling order, if any, and state the amount of consolidated arrears, if any. A request to decide which order controls may be filed separately or with the registration. The requester must give notice to each party whose rights may be affected, and § 19-11-116 sets the rules the court uses to choose.
Do I have to list my address when registering a support order if I fear for my safety?
Perhaps not. The requirement to give the obligee’s name and address applies except as § 19-11-131 provides. Under that section, if a party alleges in an affidavit or sworn pleading that disclosing specific identifying information would jeopardize the health, safety or liberty of a party or child, the information must be sealed. A tribunal may later order disclosure after a hearing that considers those risks.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013; Laws 2024, Act 428, §§ 7, 9, eff. July 1, 2024.