Rule 100.4.Authority of Administrative Hearing Officers
Article I. General Rules · Last amended 1992 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 100.4 spells out what an administrative hearing officer can do during a child support hearing, from taking testimony and ruling on evidence to recommending orders a judge still has to sign off on.
(a)Powers of Administrative Hearing Officers. Administrative hearing officers shall have
the authority to conduct child support hearings, to administer oaths and affirmations, to take testimony under oath or affirmation, to determine the admissibility of evidence, to propose findings of fact, and to recommend orders to the judge based on such evidence as prescribed by the Act.
(b)Accept Voluntary Agreements of Parties. Administrative hearing officers may accept stipulations of fact and voluntary agreements of the parties setting the amount of child support to be paid or medical support liability and to recommend to the judge the entry of orders incorporating such agreements.
(c)Accept Voluntary Acknowledgments of Parentage. Administrative hearing officers may accept voluntary orders of parentage and recommend to the judge the entry of orders based on such acknowledgments. Prior to accepting an acknowledgment of parentage, administrative hearing officers shall advise the putative father of his rights and obligations.
(d)Discovery. Administrative hearing officers shall manage all stages of discovery, including hearings on citations to discover assets and setting deadlines for the completion of discovery, and to direct the submission to tests pursuant to section 11 of the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 and Rule 100.5 below. Administrative hearing officers may not enter orders with respect to disputed discovery matters though they may recommend the entry of such orders to a judge. Discovery shall be conducted in accordance with these rules and shall be completed prior to the expedited child support hearing. No discovery shall be permitted after the hearing, except upon leave of court and good cause shown.
(e)Compelling Appearance of the Obligor. The person designated in the Plan may recommend that the judge issue a notice requiring the obligor to appear before the administrative hearing officer or in court.
(f)Recommend Default Orders. Administrative hearing officers may recommend that the judge issue a default order to absent parties who fail to respond to a notice to appear before the administrative hearing officer or such other orders as are specified in Rule 100.11(d).
(g)Authority over Unemployed Obligor. Administrative hearing officers may recommend that an unemployed obligor who is not making child support payments or who is unable to provide support be ordered to seek employment and may recommend that the obligor be required to submit periodic reports as to such efforts. Administrative hearing officers may recommend that the obligor be ordered to report to the appropriate agency to participate in job search, training or work programs.
(h)Foreign Support Matters. Administrative hearing officers may recommend that foreign support judgments or orders be registered as Illinois judgments or orders.
(i)Non-IV-D Obligees. Administrative hearing officers shall inform non-IV-D obligees of the existence and services of the IV-D program and provide applications if requested. Administrative hearing officers shall also inform such obligees that payment may be requested through the clerk of the circuit court. Any such request that payment be made through the clerk shall be noted in the recommended order to the judge.
Plain-English Summary
An administrative hearing officer runs the hearing much like a judge would: administering oaths, taking testimony, ruling on what evidence comes in, and proposing findings of fact. But the officer can't enter a binding order alone; every result goes to a judge as a recommendation, whether it's a support amount both parties agreed to, a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage, or a default recommendation against someone who never showed up.
Hearing officers also manage discovery, including hearings on citations to discover assets, and can recommend genetic testing under Rule 100.5. They can't rule on contested discovery disputes themselves, though they can recommend how a judge should rule. They can recommend that an unemployed parent be ordered to look for work and report on that effort, and they can recommend that a foreign support order be registered in Illinois. If a parent isn't part of the state's IV-D enforcement program, the hearing officer has to tell that parent about the program and how to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an administrative hearing officer issue a final child support order?
No. The officer recommends an order, which a judge then reviews and enters.
Can a hearing officer order genetic testing in a paternity case?
The officer can recommend that the judge order genetic testing under Rule 100.5.
What happens if discovery becomes contested during an expedited hearing?
The hearing officer can't rule on the dispute directly but can recommend how the judge should resolve it.
Can a hearing officer make an unemployed parent look for work?
The officer can recommend that the judge require the parent to seek employment and report on those efforts.
Does a hearing officer tell parents about state child support enforcement services?
Yes, hearing officers must inform non-IV-D parents about the IV-D program and provide an application if requested.
Amendment History
Adopted April 1, 1992, effective immediately.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:what can a child support hearing officer doadministrative hearing officer powersrecommended order child support Illinoisgenetic testing paternity hearing officerIV-D program explanation