Iowa Code § 598.22 — IA Code / Title XV / Chapter 598 / Section 598.22
Support payments clerk of court collection services center or comparable government entity in another state defaults security.
Status: in_force

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 598.22A, this section applies to all initial or modified orders for support entered under this chapter, chapter 234, 252A, 252C, 252F, 600B, or any other chapter of the Code. All orders or judgments entered under chapter 234, 252A, 252C, 252F, or 600B, or under this chapter or any other chapter which provide for temporary or permanent support payments shall direct the payment of those sums to the clerk of the district court or the collection services center in accordance with section 252B.14, or as appropriate, a comparable government entity in another state as provided in chapter 252K for the use of the person for whom the payments have been awarded. All income withholding payments shall be directed to the collection services center, or as appropriate, a comparable government entity in another state as provided in chapter 252K. Payments to persons other than the clerk of the district court, the collection services center, or as appropriate, a comparable government entity in another state as provided in chapter 252K do not satisfy the support obligations created by the orders or judgments, except as provided for trusts governed by the federal Retirement Equity Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-397, for tax refunds or rebates in section 602.8102, subsection 47, or for dependent benefits paid to the child support obligee as the result of disability benefits awarded to the child support obligor under the federal Social Security Act. For trusts governed by the federal Retirement Equity Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-397, the order for income withholding or notice of the order for income withholding shall require the payment of such sums to the alternate payee in accordance with the federal Act. For dependent benefits paid to the child support obligee as a result of disability benefits awarded to the child support obligor under the federal Social Security Act, the provisions of section 598.22C shall apply.

(2) An income withholding order or notice of the order for income withholding shall be entered under the terms and conditions of chapter 252D. However, for trusts governed by the federal Retirement Equity Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-397, the payor shall transmit the payments to the alternate payee in accordance with the federal Act.

(3) An order or judgment entered by the court for temporary or permanent support or for income withholding shall be filed with the clerk. The orders have the same force and effect as judgments when entered in the judgment docket and lien index and are records open to the public. Unless otherwise provided by federal law, if it is possible to identify the support order to which a payment is to be applied, and if sufficient information identifying the obligee is provided, the clerk or the collection services center, as appropriate, shall disburse the payments received pursuant to the orders or judgments within two working days of the receipt of the payments. All moneys received or disbursed under this section shall be entered in records kept by the clerk, or the collection services center, as appropriate, and the records kept by the clerk shall be available to the public. The clerk or the collection services center shall not enter any moneys paid in the record book if not paid directly to the clerk or the center, as appropriate, except as provided for trusts and federal social security disability payments in this section, and for tax refunds or rebates in section 602.8102, subsection 47, or as appropriate, a comparable government entity in another state as provided in chapter 252K.

(4) If the sums ordered to be paid in a support payment order are not paid to the clerk or the collection services center, or a comparable government entity in another state as provided in chapter 252K, as appropriate, at the time provided in the order or judgment, the clerk or the collection services center, as appropriate, shall certify a default to the court which may, on its own motion, proceed as provided in section 598.23.

(5) Prompt payment of sums required to be paid under sections 598.10, 598.21A, 598.21B, 598.21C, and 598.21E is the essence of such orders or judgments and the court may act pursuant to section 598.23 regardless of whether the amounts in default are paid prior to the contempt hearing.

(6) Upon entry of an order for support or upon the failure of a person to make payments pursuant to an order for support, the court may require the person to provide security, a bond, or other guarantee which the court determines is satisfactory to secure the payment of the support. Upon the person’s failure to pay the support under the order, the court may declare the security, bond, or other guarantee forfeited.

(7) For the purpose of enforcement, medical support is additional support which, upon being reduced to a dollar amount, may be collected through the same remedies available for the collection and enforcement of child support.

(8) The clerk of the district court in the county in which the order for support is filed and to whom support payments are made pursuant to the order may require the person obligated to pay support to submit payments by bank draft or money order if the obligor submits an insufficient funds support payment to the clerk of the district court.

[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §598.22; 82 Acts, ch 1134, §1]85 Acts, ch 100, §7; 85 Acts, ch 178, §8; 86 Acts, ch 1246, §319, 320; 88 Acts, ch 1218, §6 – 8; 90 Acts, ch 1123, §13; 90 Acts, ch 1224, §46, 47; 93 Acts, ch 79, §50; 97 Acts, ch 175, §194; 98 Acts, ch 1170, §11, 12; 2002 Acts, ch 1018, §18; 2005 Acts, ch 69, §46; 2012 Acts, ch 1033, §10; 2015 Acts, ch 110, §113; 2025 Acts, ch 57, §3, 5