Paternity is the legal status of being a father. A lawsuit or court motion which is filed to have a man declared the father of a child is called a paternity action. This can be commenced by either the mother or the father. A father might commence a paternity action to establish his right to visitation or custody of the child. The mother usually initiates a paternity action to establish the father's obligation to pay child support.  Paternity actions can be initiated by public officials who are providing welfare benefits to the mother and are required by law to seek financial reimbursement from the father.  Please see specific state for details and/or differences.

ALABAMA | ALASKA | ARIZONA | ARKANSAS | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | CONNECTICUT | DELAWARE | FLORIDA 
 GEORGIA | HAWAII | IDAHO | ILLINOIS | INDIANA | IOWA | KANSAS | KENTUCKY | LOUISIANA | MAINE | MARYLAND 
 MASSACHUSETTS | MICHIGAN | MINNESOTA | MISSISSIPPI | MISSOURI | MONTANA | NEBRASKA | NEVADA 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE | NEW JERSEY | NEW MEXICO | NEW YORK | NORTH CAROLINA | NORTH DAKOTA | OHIO 
 OKLAHOMA | OREGON | PENNSYLVANIA | RHODE ISLAND | SOUTH CAROLINA | SOUTH DAKOTA | TENNESSEE 
 TEXAS | UTAH | VERMONT | VIRGINIA | WASHINGTON | WEST VIRGINIA | WISCONSIN | WYOMING

ALABAMA
Alabama Code 26 - 17- 1 to 26- 17-21.

ALASKA
AS 25.20.050 and 25.27.165.

ARIZONA
ARS §12-841 to 12-855.

ARKANSAS
Ark. stat. Ann. 9-10-101, to 9-10-120.

CALIFORNIA
Cal. Fam. Code §7630-7643.

COLORADO
CRSA §19-4-101 to 19-4-129.

CONNECTICUT
C.G.S.A. §46b-160.

DELAWARE
13 DCA §801-819.

FLORIDA
FSA § 742.011 - 742.17.

GEORGIA
GC §19-7-40 to 19-7-53.

HAWAII
HRS §584-1 to 584-26.

IDAHO
IC §7-1101 to 7-1124.

ILLINOIS
750 ILCS ACT 45.

INDIANA
AIC §31-6-6.1-1 to 6.1-20.

IOWA
ICA Chapter 600B.

KANSAS
KSA §38-1110 to 38-1129.

KENTUCKY
K.R.S. §406.011 to 406.180.

LOUISIANA
CC Art. 184-202; and RS 9:391-400.

MAINE
19 MRSA §271-287.

MARYLAND
ACM §5-1001 to 5-1048.

MASSACHUSETTS
ALM 273 §13 - 18.

MICHIGAN
MCLA §722.711 to 722.730.

MINNESOTA
Minn. Stat. § 257.

MISSISSIPPI
MC 93-9-1 to 93-9-49.

MISSOURI
VAMS §210.817 to 210.852.

MONTANA
MCA 40-6-101 to 40-6-135.

NEBRASKA
Reissued Revised Statutes 43-1401 to 43-1418.

NEVADA
NRS 126.011-.371.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
RSA 168:A-1 to A-13.

NEW JERSEY
NJSA 9:17-38 to 17-59.

NEW MEXICO
§40-11-1 to 40-11-23 NMSA.

NEW YORK
Family Court Act § 511 - 517; Social Services Law § 110 - a, and 111 - g - 111 - k.

NORTH CAROLINA
GS §49-1 to 49-17.

NORTH DAKOTA
NDCC Chapter 14.17.

OHIO
ORC 3111.01-.29.

OKLAHOMA
10 Okl.St.Ann. §70-90.5.

OREGON
ORS 109.070 - 109.119.

PENNSYLVANIA
23 Pa.C.S.A. §5102 - 5104.

RHODE ISLAND
GLRI 15-8-1 to 15-8-27.

SOUTH CAROLINA
1976 Code §20-7-952 to 957.

SOUTH DAKOTA
S.D.C.L. 25-8-1 to 25-8-59.

TENNESSEE
TCA §36-2-101 to §36-2-115.

TEXAS
V.T.C.A., Family Code §160.001-.206.

UTAH
UCA 78-45a-1 to 78-45a-17.

VERMONT
15 VSA Sections 301-306.

VIRGINIA
CV §20-49.1 to 20-49.9.

WASHINGTON
RCW §26.26.

WEST VIRGINIA
WV Code §48A-6-1 to 6-6.

WISCONSIN
Wis. Stat. §767.45 - 767.62.

WYOMING
W.S. 14-2-101 to 14-2-120.