When an obligor has not made the payment for thirty days or more, the account is placed in "enforcement" status. The enforcement officer reviews assigned cases and determines what action can be taken to bring the account up-to-date. The first step generally is a letter to the obligor advising him/her that a payment of a certain amount must be paid by a specified date. If the obligor fails to make the payment, he/she can be listed for a contempt conference and subsequent contempt court. If there are extenuating circumstances, the enforcement officer has the option of giving the obligor additional time to make the payment. If the support amount is being deducted from an obligor's pay and the payments are not sent by the employer, the employer can be listed for contempt court.

If the obligor is listed for contempt conference and/or court and does not report as directed, a warrant can be issued for his/her arrest and detainment in Lehigh County Prison pending a bench warrant and contempt hearing before the judge. If the obligor reports as directed for the contempt conference, the enforcement officer will make a decision whether to list the obligor for contempt court that afternoon. The judge will hear the matter and decide whether the obligor is in contempt of the support order. If there is a finding of contempt, the judge can sentence the obligor to a term of imprisonment not to exceed six months. The judge can also enter a "purge" condition which means that the order can include a provision that the obligor could "purge" him/herself of the imprisonment by paying a specified amount on the support account in addition to paying the regular ordered amount.

Other enforcement options include: intercepting the obligor's IRS refund; requesting that the obligor's driving privileges or professional license be suspended; requesting that the obligor's passport be denied; reporting the obligor to the Credit Bureau; placing a lien on the obligor's property; and requesting seizure of funds in bank accounts.

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