2019 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 63 - South Carolina Children's Code
Chapter 17 - Paternity And Child Support
Section 63-17-2310. Clerk of court authority to attempt to locate and right to obtain information from organizations.

(A) The Department of Social Services shall attempt to locate individuals for the purposes of establishing paternity and establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations. In all cases not being administered pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act by the department, the clerk of court may attempt to locate individuals for the purpose of enforcing child support obligations. Notwithstanding any other provision of law making this information confidential, these entities in this State promptly shall provide to the department, its designee or a federally approved child support agency of another state, or to the clerk of court, information upon request of the department or another agency for the purpose of establishing paternity or establishing, modifying, or enforcing a support obligation or the clerk of court for the purpose of enforcing child support obligations:

(1) All entities in the State including, but not limited to, for-profit, nonprofit and governmental employers, and labor organizations shall provide the full name, social security number or the alien identification number assigned to a resident alien who does not have a social security number, date of birth, home address, wages or salary, existing or available medical, hospital, and dental insurance coverage, and number of dependents listed for tax purposes on all employees, contractors, and members of labor organizations.

(2) All utility companies, including wire and nonwire telecommunication companies, cable television companies, and financial institutions, shall provide the full name, social security number or the alien identification number assigned to a resident alien who does not have a social security number, date of birth, home address, telephone number, account numbers, and other identifying data, including information on assets and liabilities, on all persons who maintain an account with that entity. For purposes of this item, a financial institution is defined as a federal, state, commercial, or savings bank, savings and loan association, cooperative bank, federal or state chartered credit union, benefit association, insurance company, safe deposit company, money market mutual fund, or investment company doing business in this State.

(3) The appropriate state or local agency of this State shall provide access to information contained in these records:

(a) vital statistics;

(b) state and local tax and revenue records;

(c) records concerning real and titled property;

(d) records of occupational and professional licenses;

(e) records concerning the ownership and control of corporations, partnerships, and other business entities;

(f) employment security records;

(g) records of motor vehicle departments; and

(h) corrections records.

A state or local agency, board, or commission that provides information pursuant to this subsection to the department, or to the clerk of court in non-Title IV-D cases, may not charge the department or the clerk of court a fee for providing the information; however, a commission that receives federal grants, the uses of which are restricted, may charge a fee for providing the information.

(B) An entity that provides information pursuant to this section in good faith reliance upon certification by the department, or to the clerk of court in non-Title IV-D cases, that the information is needed to establish paternity or to establish, modify, or enforce a support obligation is not liable for damages resulting from the disclosure.

(C) An entity that fails to provide the requested information within thirty days of the request may be subject to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars for each occurrence. Fines imposed pursuant to this subsection must be enforced as provided for in Section 63-3-530(A)(43) and distributed according to Section 63-17-520.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2013 Act No. 74, Section 1, eff June 14, 2013.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment rewrote the section.