Child support liens: Vehicle and vessel dealers

How are vehicle titles used to enforce child support?

We work together with the Department of Social and Health Services Division of Child Support (DCS) to enforce child support and collect delinquent payments. The process works like this:

  1. If someone owes child support, DCS places a lien on the person’s vehicle or vessel.
  2. We send a Notice of Cancellation to the person or business who holds the title on the vehicle or vessel under the lien.
  3. We tell the titleholder to return the cancelled title to us or destroy it.
  4. Then we issue a new title that lists the corrected lien holder(s).

How do child support liens affect vehicle and vessel dealers?

Sometimes a title that was cancelled due to a child support lien is used fraudulently to trade in a vehicle. Although DCS intends to collect from the person who owes the child support, a dealership may be held liable for paying all or part of the amount of the lien.

How can a vehicle or vessel dealer verify who hold a lien on a vehicle?

  • Use our Internet Vehicle/Vessel Information Processing System (IVIPS).
    • You must set up an account before using the system.
    • There is a one-time deposit of $25 and a charge of $.04 per inquiry. 
    • Contact our Public Disclosure Section at (360) 902-3760 for more information.
  • Contact our Records Section at (360) 902-4000.
    • Service is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am through 5:00pm, except holidays.
    • If you have an IVIPS account, you can obtain lien holder name(s). If you don’t have an IVIPS account, you can only find out if there is a lien holder on the title.

What else can vehicle and vessel dealers do to avoid receiving a fraudulent title?

  • Create a form for customers to sign that says the vehicle they are trading in or selling does not have a DCS lien.
  • Contact the primary lien holder for payoff information and ask them if there is a lien held by DCS.
  • Provide us with your current address and verify that it is correct.
  • Prosecute the felon.

Where can I get more information?

Request a DSHS/DCS Dealers & Lenders Brochure by:

  • calling (360) 664-5000.
  • faxing (360) 664-5209.