In short
ASUME issues certifications about your standing with child support obligations. The most common is the compliance certification, which many agencies, government contracts and permits require before they will process anything for you. There is an individual version, for people, and an employer (“patronal”) version, for companies and entities. Both are requested through ASUME’s online system.
This information may have changed. Check the current requirements with the official agency.
What is it?
ASUME is the Child Support Administration, the agency that administers child support in Puerto Rico. Its certification is a document reflecting your standing with the agency. Most people run into it indirectly: they were not looking for anything from ASUME, they were processing a government contract, a permit, a license or an incentive, and “ASUME certification” showed up on the requirements list. There are two versions that get confused constantly: the individual certification, which speaks to a natural person, and the employer (“patronal”) certification, which speaks to an employer — a company or entity — and its compliance with the withholdings it is responsible for.
Who can do it?
The individual certification is requested by the person about themselves; it applies whether or not you have an active ASUME case, because the document also serves to certify that you do not appear with outstanding obligations. The employer certification is requested by the company or entity, normally through someone authorized to represent it. Who may file and what authorization is needed is defined by ASUME, so confirm in the official system before you start.
Requirements
- Know which certification is being required of you: the individual or the employer one.
- Have an account or registered access in ASUME’s online system, when the channel requires it.
- Identify yourself to the agency with the information its system asks for in order to locate your record.
- Have your case number handy, if you have an active ASUME case.
- For the employer version, be authorized to represent the company and have its registration information.
- Resolve with ASUME any debt or discrepancy that prevents the agency from issuing a compliance certification.
Documents you need
Cost
Step by step
Step 1: Clarify which certification you are being asked for
Ask whoever is requiring it whether they need the individual or the employer certification. They are not interchangeable: if you are contracting with the government as a company, they will almost always want the employer one, even though you as a person also have yours. Filing the wrong one is the costliest mistake in time here.
Step 2: Go into ASUME’s online system
ASUME handles these requests through its online platforms. You may have to register or authenticate before you can see or request your certifications. The agency’s own official form may ask you for identifying information; that gets filled in inside ASUME’s system, never on PRFácil.
Step 3: Check your status before you request it
If you have an active case, look first at how your balance shows in the system. If there is a debt or a discrepancy, it is better to find out there than to find out when the agency that asked for the document rejects it. Balance disputes are resolved with ASUME, not with whoever asked for the certification.
Step 4: Request the certification and download it
Once issued, save the document and a copy for yourself. Note the date it was issued, because whoever requests it almost always requires it to be recent, and that rule is imposed by the requesting entity, not by ASUME.
Step 5: Submit it with the rest of your package
The ASUME certification is almost never submitted alone: it usually accompanies other compliance certifications in one package for a contract, a permit or a license. Confirm with the requesting entity which format it accepts — digital or stamped — and whether all the certifications have to carry similar dates.
Where to do it
Through ASUME’s online platforms. The agency also serves the public in person at its regional offices for matters that cannot be resolved in the system. The official site keeps the current list of channels and offices.
How long it takes
What to do if something goes wrong
If the system does not issue the certification, the most common causes are an outstanding balance, a case showing a different status than you expected, or information that does not match what the agency has. None of that gets fixed from the outside: it has to be handled with ASUME, and if there is a debt, discussed with the agency in terms of what payment or arrangement options exist for your case. If the certification comes out with information you believe is wrong, ask ASUME to review the record and keep evidence of your payments. For the employer certification, check that the company’s information in the system is current, because an entity registered with outdated information may not come up.
Common mistakes
- Requesting the individual certification when the agency is asking for the employer one, or the reverse.
- Leaving the certification for the end of a contract or permit package, when an outstanding debt can take time to resolve.
- Assuming you have no ASUME case without verifying it in the system.
- Arguing about a balance with the entity that asked for the document instead of resolving it directly with ASUME.
- Submitting a certification issued a while ago, when the requesting entity requires a recent one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the individual and the employer certification?
The individual one refers to a natural person and their child support obligations. The employer one refers to an employer — a company or entity — and its compliance with the withholdings it is responsible for. If you are contracting with the government as a company, they normally ask for the employer one; confirm which one the party requiring it needs.
Do I need the certification even if I have no child support case?
Yes, that is common. Many procedures ask for the certification precisely to confirm that you do not appear with outstanding obligations, whether or not you have a case. You request it the same way through ASUME’s system.
Can I get the certification if I have an outstanding debt?
An outstanding debt normally affects what the certification says about your compliance. If you are on a payment plan or have an arrangement with the agency, that is reflected in your record, so talk to ASUME about your specific situation before assuming you do not qualify.
How long is the certification good for?
PRFácil does not publish validity periods it has not verified with the agency. In practice, the entity requesting the certification usually imposes its own rule about how recent it must be, so ask that party and confirm with ASUME.
Can someone else request the certification for me?
That depends on the case and on the authorization ASUME accepts. For the employer certification, it is normally filed by someone authorized to represent the company. Confirm with the agency what proof of representation it requires before someone else tries it on your behalf.
Official sources
These are the government pages this guide is based on.
- Administración para el Sustento de Menores (ASUME)
ASUME
app.asume.pr.gov
- ASUME — online services
ASUME
serviciosenlinea.asume.pr.gov
- ASUME — official site
ASUME
asume.pr.gov
Last verified
Pending official verification
MiPRFácil is an independent informational website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of Puerto Rico or any government agency.
MiPRFácil does not submit applications on your behalf.
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