I have two children 5 and 10. Their father is paying support(I get it through the state CSE )but has not seen the elder since he was four and the baby not at all. I have primary custody and have no contact with the father at all. I (we)will be traveling abroad for a brief trip and someone told me that I had to have written permission from him to take them out of the counrty. Is this true? His name is not listed on their birth certificates so when they get their passports do I have to say anything about him? We don't even have his current address to even write and ask for permission so if I do have to have it how would I get his current address? Help!

I have two children 5 and 10. Their father is paying support(I get it through the state CSE )but has not seen the elder since he was four and the baby not at all. I have primary custody and have no contact with the father at all. I (we)will be traveling abroad for a brief trip and someone told me that I had to have written permission from him to take them out of the counrty. Is this true? His name is not listed on their birth certificates so when they get their passports do I have to say anything about him? We don't even have his current address to even write and ask for permission so if I do have to have it how would I get his current address? Help!
Since there is a legal father you will NOT be able to get childrens' passports without his consent.
To get his current address you can try going to CSE and explaining the situation. Although they probably won't actually tell you his address, if you take the paper he has to sign to them with a stamped envelope, they might be willing to send it on to him.
You can also look in the court's file to see if an address is listed in the file.