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CS 145P Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS)

10/97 Revised 08/24/23 Training Completed 09/07/23 Last Reviewed 03/04/25

45 CFR 302.35, 303.3, 303.7, 303.15, 303.69, 303.70; OCSS DCL-01-14

 

 

Overview

 

The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) is a computerized national location network that provides a variety of information to child support agencies. This information is provided only to authorized users for the purpose of locating individuals to establish paternity, and for establishing, modifying, and enforcing a child support obligation. The Office of Recovery Services/Child Support Services (ORS/CSS) provides FPLS locate only services to authorized persons. For more information on the FPLS, refer to CS 146P Federal Parent Locator Services (FPLS) Locate Only Services. FPLS information is also used to assist authorized persons in resolving parental kidnapping and child custody and visitation determination cases. For more information on parental kidnapping and child custody and visitation determination, refer to CS 147P Locate Only: Parental Kidnapping, Child Custody or Visitation (Parent-time) Determination.

 

FPLS information is obtained by request through the Federal Case Registry (FCR), which is a national database containing skeletal case information on child support cases and all support orders established or modified on or after October 1, 1998. States electronically transmit case and order information to the FCR, where it may be accessed by authorized agents in other states.

 

In situations where FPLS information is needed immediately, such as a social security number (SSN) verification or identification for an immediate enforcement action, you may contact a CSS authorized person in your region, who will call the FPLS emergency hotline.

 

To ensure confidentiality and security of the data, the FPLS will only release the information to these authorized persons or their designees.

 

 

FPLS Electronic Submissions

 

All noncustodial parents (NCPs) or alleged fathers are sent to the FPLS for the first time when they are submitted for registration on the FCR. After registration on the FCR a FPLS locate request is electronically submitted every 85 days for all NCPs or alleged NCPs except when the case is in collection or paternity function with the exception of incoming intergovernmental cases. When a request for FPLS has been submitted, ORSIS automatically updates the “LAST RUN” field to the date of submission. The “NEXT RUN” field is also updated with a future date 85 days from the “LAST RUN” date. The FPLS accesses information from the following federal databases:

 

1.                   Department of Defense/Office of Personnel Management (DOD/OPM);

2.                   Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI);

3.                   Internal Revenue Service (IRS);

4.                   Social Security Administration (SSA);

5.                   Prisoner Matches (PRSN);

6.                   Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);

7.                   National Directory of New Hires (Quarterly Wage and Unemployment Insurance records); and,

8.                   National Directory of New Hire (NDNH).

 

For information regarding the codes that interface with the State Verification and Exchange System (SVES) go to the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) website http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/css/resource/fcr-release-02-01-minor-sves-data-dictionary.

 

 

FPLS Electronic Matches

 

ORSIS receives electronic responses to FPLS requests daily. Each database accessed uses the NCP/alleged father’s name and SSN when attempting to match information in their database to the NCP/alleged father submitted for locate. ORSIS receives an individual response from each database containing any information found on the NCP/alleged father submitted for locate. All information obtained through the FPLS is restricted.

 

 

Social Security Number Search Procedures

 

The FPLS may be used to identify a SSN by conducting an SSN search with the Social Security Administration (SSA) if the following information is provided:

 

1.                   The NCP's name;

 

2.                   The NCP's approximate date of birth; and,

 

3.                   Three of the following six items relating to the NCP;

a.                   City of birth;

b.                   State or country of birth;

c.                   Father's first name;

d.                   Father's last name;

e.                   Mother's first name; and,

f.                    Mother's maiden name.

 

When the custodial parent’s (CP) SSN is provided to the FPLS, the IRS will research its records to determine if the CP filed a joint return with the NCP within the last three years. If so, the IRS will provide the NCP’s SSN and his/her address as it was reported on the joint return.