Acceptable Locate Resources

DCSS-POL-02-1 v.2

 

  1. OVERVIEW
  1. The purpose of this policy is to provide staff and members of the public a working knowledge of approved locate resources available to the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) for the sole purpose of locating noncustodial parents (NCPs) and/or custodial parents (CPs), as well as sources of income and/or assets.
  1. APPLICABILITY
  1. This policy applies to all Arizona IV-D program staff performing Title IV-D services.
  1. POLICY
  1. The DCSS shall obtain information to locate parties and/or parties' assets from all available resources using prescribed locate tools.
  1. CRITERIA
  1. The DCSS shall obtain records maintained in automated databases by federal, state, and local government agencies, subject to privacy and information security safeguards, for locate purposes only. These records include:
  1. Vital statistics (birth, marriage, divorce)
  2. State and local tax and/or revenue (addresses, employers, income, assets)
  3. Personal property (real and titled)
  4. Occupational/professional licenses
  5. Ownership/control of corporations, partnerships and other business entities
  6. Employment security
  7. Public assistance programs
  8. Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division
  9. Department of Corrections
  10. Systems used by a state agency to locate a person for motor vehicle and/or law enforcement purposes, including:
  1. Arizona Criminal Justice Information System (ACJIS)
  2. Lexis/Nexis® Accurint®
  3. CLEAR® Thomson Reuters™
  1. Federal Case Registry (FCR)
  2. Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) through the State Parent Locator Service (SPLS) (Arizona Parent Locator Service (APLS) is the authorized requester of FPLS data when all available sources are exhausted)
  3. Office of Child Support Services State Services Portal (SSP)
  1. The DCSS shall obtain certain records from private entities, including the following:
  1. In response to a child support subpoena issued by the DCSS, the names and addresses of the NCP, CP, and/or employers, as appearing in records of public utilities and/or cable television companies
  2. Information on the parties to a child support case held by financial institutions
  3. Public information available through CLEAR® and/or Accurint®
  1. If records are not maintained in automated databases or automated feeds to ATLAS, the DCSS may obtain locate information from the following resources:
  1. Local officials and employees administering:
  1. Public assistance, general assistance, and/or medical assistance
  2. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  3. Social services
  1. State agencies and departments maintaining records of:
  1. Public assistance
  2. Wages and employment
  3. Unemployment Insurance
  4. Income taxation
  5. Driver license
  6. Vehicle registration
  1. Criminal records
  2. Other sources
  1. Public information contained in social media websites
  1. Refer to the Social Media Use for Locating Absent Parties SOP
  1. Relatives and friends of parties
  2. Current and/or past employers
  3. Electronic communications and internet service providers
  4. Utility companies
  5. U.S. Postal Service
  6. Financial references
  7. Unions
  8. Correctional institutions
  9. Fraternal organizations
  10. Police, parole, and probation records
  11. DCSS staff may obtain information from resources identified under A, B, and/or C as necessary.

Staff obtaining information other than for locating absent parties in a child support case are guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. Do not attempt to locate parties without DCSS Policy consultation if the resource is not listed within this policy.

  1. PROCEDURE
  1. This policy is supported by staff procedures, which identify how action related to this policy will be conducted, including responsibilities, time frames, and required actions.
  1. AUTHORITY
Federal Authority

466 U.S.C. § 666(c)(D)

Requirement of statutorily prescribed procedures to improve effectiveness of child support enforcement
45 C.F.R. § 303.3(b)(1) Location of noncustodial parents in IV-D cases
45 C.F.R. § 303.70

Procedures for submissions to the State Parent Locator Service (State PLS) or the Federal Parent Locator Service (Federal PLS)
State Authority
A.R.S. § 41-1954(I)(J)(K)(L)

Powers and duties

A.R.S. § 46-291(D)(E)(F)

Administration and notice; expenditure limitation; locating deserting parents and assets; violation; classification

Return to beginning of the Acceptable Locate Resource Policy

 

Policy Revision Date: 11/23/2022
Policy Review Date: 11/21/2022

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