N.Y. LIE Law § 211

§ 211. Arrears/past due support. 1. The New York state office of\ntemporary and disability assistance, or a local social services\ndistrict, or its authorized representative on behalf of persons\nreceiving services under title six-A of article three of the social\nservices law shall have a lien against personal property owned by a\nsupport obligor when such support obligor is or was under a court order\nto pay child support or combined child and spousal support to a support\ncollection unit and such support obligor has accumulated support\narrears/past due support in an amount equal to or greater than the\namount of support due pursuant to such order for a period of four\nmonths. Such lien shall be in an amount sufficient to satisfy such\nsupport arrears/past due support. Said lien shall be perfected in the\ncase of a vehicle as that term is defined in section two thousand one\nhundred one of the vehicle and traffic law with the department of motor\nvehicles. The filing of a notice of lien or of a release of lien shall\nbe completed without payment of a fee. The filing of notice of lien or\nrelease of lien may be done by electronic means.\n 2. The state shall accord full faith and credit to liens which arise\nin another state when such state agency, party or other entity seeking\nto enforce such a lien complies with the procedural rules relating to\nsuch liens as provided for in section one hundred eleven-u of the social\nservices law, article forty-six of the vehicle and traffic law or\narticle nine of this chapter as is appropriate. Such rules may not\nrequire judicial notice or hearing prior to enforcement of such a lien\nand enforcement shall be governed by article nine of this chapter.\n 3. For the purposes of determining whether a support obligor has\naccumulated support arrears/past due support for a period of four\nmonths, the amount of any retroactive support, other than periodic\npayments of retroactive support which are past due, shall not be\nincluded in the calculation of arrears/past due support pursuant to this\nsection; however, if at least four months of support arrears/past due\nsupport have accumulated subsequent to the date of the court order, the\nentire amount of any retroactive support may be collected pursuant to\nthe provision of this section or as otherwise authorized by law.\n