External Locate Sources

Automatic matching occurs constantly between the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) and the Federal Case Registry (FCR). However, even with the automatic matching, child support workers may need certain specific locate information not available through the NDNH or FCR. Using the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS), state IV-D child support agencies may request additional employment or benefit information from certain agencies. These federal agencies accessed by the FPLS are considered external locate sources.

What are the external locate sources, and what information do they provide?

• The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides identification and verification of the Social Security Number (SSN) and either the employer name and address or, if SSA benefits are being mailed, the employee name and address.
• The Department of Defense (DOD) provides a person's military duty address, pay grade, and data of separation from the service.
• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides SSN Identification or verification, and the address on a person's most recent tax return. The IRS also operates "Project 1099", which provides information reported by financial institutions, employers, etc. about self-employment, earnings from stocks and bonds, capital gains, interest from back accounts, royalties and prizes, and addresses fro employers and financial institutions.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs provides information about pensions, compensation and educational benefits, and the address to which benefits are being sent.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provides home and work addresses for its employees, and other employment data including status, date of hire, salary, and health coverage.

How do states request locate information from these external locate sources?

States send their locate requests through the FCR to the FPLS to obtain specific kinds of locate information not provided automatically through NDNH/FCR matching. States can request which sources the FPLS should check for information. The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) will process the requests and return information directly to the requesting state.

As a custodial party or non-custodial parent, do I have access to this locate information?

Under certain circumstances, custodial parties and non-custodial parents may have access to some FPLS locate information.

If you are a custodial party seeking to use the locate services of the FPLS for child support purposes, you should go to your state or local IV-D child support agency and request assistance.

If you are a non-custodial parent seeking to use the FPLS for custody or visitation services, you should go to the court, which may submit your request through the state IV-D agency, to the FPLS.