A child support warrant in Sedgwick County is different from a criminal warrant. It comes out of a civil case, usually after a parent ordered to pay support did not appear at a contempt hearing. The Sedgwick County Sheriff lists child support as an example of a charge whose bond must be paid in cash, so a bail bondsman cannot post it for a percentage. Many of these can be cleared at the courthouse through the Court Trustee. This page gives the steps and explains the law behind them.
Case Bail Bonds can check a name for warrants and tell you what kind you have. Call (316) 900-1667. We are at 705 N Broadway in Wichita.
On this page
- Why does a child support case lead to a warrant?
- How to clear a child support warrant in Sedgwick County
- What if you are arrested on the warrant?
- Who collects child support in Sedgwick County?
- Behind on support but no warrant yet?
- Child support warrants and other cases
- Frequently asked questions
- Call Case Bail Bonds
Why does a child support case lead to a warrant?
The process is set out in K.S.A. 20-1204a, the Kansas statute on indirect contempt.
- A motion and affidavit are filed. They say a person has not obeyed a court order, such as an order to pay support.
- The court orders the person to appear and show cause. The order is served and states the time and place.
- The hearing is held. The judge can give the person more time to make things right, which lawyers call purging the contempt. If the judge finds contempt, the court decides the punishment.
- If the person does not appear, the court may issue a bench warrant. The same is true if the court finds the person is hiding to avoid being served.
So the warrant is usually for missing the hearing, not for the debt alone. After an arrest on it, the statute lets the court set release conditions it considers proper while the hearing is pending.
The statute adds consequences beyond jail. When arrears equal six months of support or more, or the person has not kept up with a court ordered payment plan on arrears, the court may restrict the person’s driver’s license. A restricted license can still allow driving to and from work. The court may also notify a professional licensing board.
How to clear a child support warrant in Sedgwick County
The Sheriff’s instructions for withdrawing a warrant sort cases by the letters in the case number. Child support cases are domestic or reciprocal cases, marked DM or RC.
1. Confirm the warrant and the case number
Check the county warrant lookup or ask us to run the name. Our Wichita warrant search page lists the official searches.
2. Contact the Office of the Court Trustee
The Court Trustee enforces child support in Sedgwick County. The office is in the Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N Main, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Two official pages give different details, so call before you go. The court’s own page lists the office on the 6th floor, west side, at 316-660-5909. The Sheriff’s warrant instructions list the 7th floor and 316-660-5833.
3. Get the amount
The Sheriff’s instructions say the office reviews the case and states the amount needed to withdraw the warrant.
4. Pay and get a court date
You are given a copy of the paperwork with a court date on it.
5. Go to the hearing
Attendance is required. The instructions are plain: miss it and another warrant is issued.
Staff in the Court Trustee’s office are officers of the court and cannot give legal advice to either parent. The court’s page points people to private counsel or to the self help center on the 4th floor of the courthouse.
What if you are arrested on the warrant?
A child support warrant can be served at any traffic stop in Kansas. An arrest in Sedgwick County means booking at the Adult Detention Facility, 141 W Elm.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can a bondsman post the bond? | Not if it is cash only. The Sheriff names child support as an example of a cash only charge |
| How is it paid? | In full, in cash. Personal and business checks are not accepted on cash only bonds |
| Over $10,000? | The person paying shows photo ID and completes an IRS reporting form |
| Who gets the receipt? | The person who pays, with the inmate named as beneficiary |
| Is it refunded? | Ask the Court Trustee how the payment will be applied. Money paid on a support warrant is generally applied to the support owed |
Read the whole jail record before paying. If there is also a criminal charge with an ordinary bond, a bondsman can post that line while the family pays cash on the support line. See cash only bonds in Sedgwick County and what a hold means in jail.
If the family cannot raise the cash, the next step is a hearing. A lawyer can ask the judge to review the amount or set a payment arrangement.
Who collects child support in Sedgwick County?
Two offices are involved, and knowing which one has your case saves a trip.
| Office | Cases |
|---|---|
| Office of the Court Trustee, 18th Judicial District | Support orders in Sedgwick County cases filed after February 1, 1996 that are not in the federal program, unless a judge granted an exception |
| Kansas Department for Children and Families | Cases in the federal child support program |
The court says the Court Trustee charges a 4% fee on support collected to cover its operating costs, and that its fees increased on February 1, 2026 under an administrative order.
Behind on support but no warrant yet?
This is the best time to act.
- Go to every hearing. The warrant comes from not showing up. A parent who appears and explains has options that a parent who hides does not.
- Pay something and keep records. Partial payments and proof of them matter at a contempt hearing.
- Ask the court to change the order if your income dropped. A support order stays at the old amount until a judge changes it. The self help center on the 4th floor of the courthouse has forms for people filing without a lawyer.
- Keep your address current with the court, so orders to appear reach you.
- Protect your license. The six month arrears rule can cost you the ability to drive anywhere but work.
Child support warrants and other cases
A support warrant can surface during an arrest for something else. Then the jail record has two lines that follow different rules.
| Line on the record | How it is cleared |
|---|---|
| New criminal charge with a bond amount | Signature, cash or a bondsman at the 10% minimum |
| Child support warrant | Cash, or a hearing in the domestic case |
The criminal bond can be posted first, but the person stays in until the support line is resolved. For the criminal side, see how much a bond costs in Kansas.
A child support warrant can also come from another county. See out of county warrants in Kansas. Because it is a bench warrant, the person is brought before the judge who issued it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to jail for not paying child support in Kansas?
Yes, through contempt of court. In most cases the arrest follows a missed hearing.
Can a bail bondsman get someone out on a child support warrant?
Not when the bond is cash only, which the Sheriff says is the case for child support.
How do I find out how much I need to pay?
Contact the Court Trustee. The office reviews the case and states the amount needed to withdraw the warrant.
Will paying the amount end the case?
No. You get a court date and have to appear.
Can my license be suspended for unpaid child support?
A court can restrict it when arrears reach six months of support or a payment plan is not followed.
Call Case Bail Bonds
We are a family owned company run by Tyson and Rachel Case. We are open 24 hours at 705 N Broadway, Wichita, KS 67214. Call (316) 900-1667.
Sources
- Sedgwick County Sheriff, instructions to have a warrant withdrawn
- 18th Judicial District Court, Office of the Court Trustee
- K.S.A. 20-1204a, indirect contempt procedure, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- Sedgwick County Sheriff, how to post bond for an inmate
- Kansas Department for Children and Families
This article is general information checked against the sources above in October 2026. It is not legal advice.
