(1) A child support order or an income-withholding order for support issued by a tribunal of another state or jurisdiction may be registered in this state for enforcement pursuant to chapter
26.21A RCW at the request of a party to the order or at the request of the support enforcement agency of an Indian tribe or of another state or country.
(a) At the option of the division of child support (DCS), the support order or income-withholding order may be registered with the superior court pursuant to RCW
26.21A.505 or it may be registered with the administrative tribunal according to subsection (2) of this section. Either method of registration is valid.
(b) A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or jurisdiction is registered when the order is filed with the registering tribunal of this state.
(c) DCS may enforce a registered order issued in another state or jurisdiction in the same manner and subject to the same procedures as an order issued by a tribunal of this state.
(d) DCS may assess and collect interest on amounts owed under support orders entered or established in a jurisdiction other than the state of Washington as provided in WAC
388-14A-7110.
(e) DCS may notify the parties that it is enforcing a non-Washington support order using the notice of support debt and demand for payment under WAC
388-14A-3304 or using the notice of support debt and registration as provided in this section and in WAC
388-14A-7110. Either method of notice is valid.
(2) DCS must give notice to the nonregistering party when it administratively registers a support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or jurisdiction. DCS gives this notice with the notice of support debt and registration (NOSDR).
(a) The notice must inform the nonregistering party:
(i) That a registered order is enforceable as of the date of registration in the same manner as an order issued by a tribunal of this state;
(ii) That if a party wants a hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order, the party must request a hearing within twenty days after service of the notice on the nonregistering party within Washington state. If the nonregistering party was served with the notice outside of Washington state, the party has sixty days after service of the notice to request a hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order;
(iii) That failure to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order in a timely manner will result in confirmation of the order and enforcement of the order and the alleged arrearages and precludes further contest of that order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted;
(iv) Of the amount of any alleged arrearages, including interest, if interest is being assessed under WAC
388-14A-7110; and
(v) Whether DCS has made a determination of controlling order under chapter
26.21A RCW, as described in WAC
388-14A-7325.
(b) The notice must be:
(i) Served on the nonregistering party by certified or registered mail or by any means of personal service authorized by the laws of the state of Washington; and
(ii) Served on the registering party by first class mail at the last known address; and
(iii) Accompanied by a copy of the registered order and any documents and relevant information accompanying the order submitted by the registering party.
(c) The effective date of a request for hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order is the date DCS receives the request.
(3) A party or support enforcement agency seeking to modify, or to modify and enforce, a child support order issued in another state or jurisdiction may register the order in this state according to RCW
26.21A.540 through
26.21A.550.
(a) The order must be registered as provided in subsection (1)(a) if the order has not yet been registered.
(b) A petition for modification may be filed at the same time as a request for registration, or later. The petition must specify the grounds for modification.
(c) DCS may enforce a child support order of another state or jurisdiction registered for purposes of modification, as if a tribunal of this state had issued the order, but the registered order may be modified only if the requirements of RCW
26.21A.550 are met.
(4) Interpretation of the registered order is governed by RCW
26.21A.515.
(5) For information about the registration of a child support order under the 23 November 2007 Convention on the International Recover of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, see WAC
388-14A-7005.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
26.21A.601 through
26.21A.630,
74.08.090. WSR 19-08-086, § 388-14A-7100, filed 4/3/19, effective 5/4/19. Statutory Authority: RCW
26.23.120,
34.05.350 (1)(b),
43.20A.550,
74.04.055,
74.08.090,
74.20.040(9),
74.20A.310 and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.36, 303.7, 303.11, 305.63, and 308.2. WSR 13-01-075, § 388-14A-7100, filed 12/18/12, effective 1/18/13. Statutory Authority: RCW
26.23.120,
43.20A.550,
74.04.055,
74.08.090,
74.20.040(9),
74.20A.310, and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.35, 302.36, 303.3, 303.7, 303.11, 303.20, 305.63, 307.13, and 308.2. WSR 11-22-116, § 388-14A-7100, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11. Statutory Authority: RCW
34.05.220(2),
43.20A.550,
74.04.055,
74.08.090,
74.20.040,
74.20A.310. WSR 07-08-055, § 388-14A-7100, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07. Statutory Authority: RCW
26.21.016. WSR 05-07-059, § 388-14A-7100, filed 3/11/05, effective 4/11/05. Statutory Authority: RCW
74.08.090,
26.23.035,
34.05.220,
74.20A.310. WSR 01-03-089, § 388-14A-7100, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-260 and 388-14-495.]
