Minnesota Child Support — Calculator, Laws & Guide (2026)

Understanding Minnesota child support laws helps both custodial and non-custodial parents know their rights and obligations. This comprehensive Minnesota child support guide covers how payments are calculated, what income counts, when support can be modified, and how orders are enforced. Whether you are going through a divorce, seeking a modification, or dealing with non-payment, this guide explains Minnesota’s child support system in plain language.

Verified against Minnesota statutes and federal OCSE guidelines as of May 2026.

Minnesota Child Support Overview

Minnesota uses the income shares model for calculating child support. This model is based on the principle that children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family were intact. Both parents’ incomes are combined, and the support obligation is divided proportionally.

Support is based on the combined gross income of both parents (called Parental Income for Determining Child Support / PICS). Each parent’s PICS percentage determines their share of the combined basic support obligation from the guidelines table (Minn. Stat. 518A.35). A parenting expense adjustment (518A.36) based on court-ordered overnights reduces the obligor’s payment. The guidelines table covers 1-6 children; for more than 6, the court may derive support considering principles of the guidelines. Combined PICS above 20000 per month is capped.

How Minnesota Calculates Child Support

The Minnesota child support calculation considers multiple factors:

1. Determine each parent’s gross income — wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, investment income, and other sources.
2. Calculate combined parental income — add both parents’ adjusted gross incomes together.
3. Apply the guideline schedule — Minnesota’s guidelines provide a base support amount based on combined income and number of children.
4. Prorate between parents — each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of the combined income.
5. Add healthcare and childcare costs — these are added to the base amount and divided proportionally.
6. Apply adjustments — parenting time credits, other child obligations, and special circumstances may adjust the final amount.

Online calculator: Use our child support estimator below to calculate your estimated obligation.

What Counts as Income in Minnesota

Gross income under Minn. Stat. 518A.29 includes: salaries, wages, commissions, self-employment income, workers compensation, unemployment compensation, annuity payments, military and naval retirement, pension and disability payments, spousal maintenance received, and Social Security or veterans benefits paid for a joint child. Income is calculated before participation in employer-sponsored pretax benefit plans. Excluded: child support received, spouse’s income, public assistance based on need, adoption assistance, Northstar kinship assistance, and foster care subsidies.

Imputed income: YES. Under Minn. Stat. 518A.32, if a parent is voluntarily unemployed, voluntarily underemployed, or employed less than full-time, the court calculates support based on potential income. There is a rebuttable presumption the parent can work full-time (40 hours/week). Potential income is determined by: (1) probable earnings based on employment potential, work history, and occupational qualifications in the community; (2) actual unemployment or workers comp benefits if receiving them; or (3) a minimum wage floor of income from 30 hours/week at 100% of federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher.

Deviation factors: Under Minn. Stat. 518A.43, courts may deviate based on: (1) all earnings, income, circumstances, and resources of each parent including real and personal property; (2) extraordinary financial needs and resources, physical and emotional condition, and educational needs of the child; (3) the standard of living the child would have enjoyed absent dissolution; (4) whether either parent has income from excess employment beyond full-time; (5) the self-support reserve — if the obligor cannot retain 120% of federal poverty guidelines for one person after taxes, a downward deviation may apply. Joint legal custody alone is NOT a basis for deviation.

Healthcare & Childcare in Minnesota Child Support

Health insurance: Under Minn. Stat. 518A.41, the costs of private health care coverage and all unreimbursed/uninsured medical expenses are divided between parents based on their proportionate share of combined monthly PICS. If one parent carries coverage and the other contributes to the cost, the carrying parent’s basic support is reduced by the contributing parent’s share. Medical support is NOT subject to cost-of-living adjustments (COLA).

Childcare costs: Under Minn. Stat. 518A.40, work-related or education-related child care costs for joint children are divided between parents based on their proportionate share of combined monthly PICS. The amount is adjusted by estimated federal and state child care credits. The court must require verification of employment or school attendance and documentation of child care expenses. Child care support is NOT subject to COLA.

When Does Minnesota Child Support End?

In Minnesota, child support generally ends when the child reaches 18, or 20 if the child is still attending secondary school (high school). No age limit if the child is incapable of self-support due to physical or mental condition. Per Minn. Stat. 518A.26 subd. 5, support for a specific per-child amount terminates automatically upon emancipation without need for a motion.. However, support may continue or end earlier based on:

• The child graduates from high school (if still a minor)
• The child becomes emancipated (marriage, military service, self-supporting)
• The child has special needs requiring ongoing support
• College support: NO. Minnesota has no statute requiring parents to contribute to college or post-secondary education expenses. Courts cannot order college support. However, parties may voluntarily agree to designate a sum above court-ordered child support as a trust fund for postsecondary education costs, subject to court approval.

Modifying Minnesota Child Support

When to modify: A rebuttable presumption of substantial change exists when applying current guidelines yields an amount at least 20 percent AND at least 75 per month higher or lower than the current order. If the current order is less than 75 per month, the threshold is at least 20 percent higher or lower. Other grounds include: substantially increased or decreased gross income or need, receipt of public assistance, change in cost of living, extraordinary medical expenses, change in health care coverage availability or cost, change in child care expenses, or enactment/amendment/repeal of applicable law. Per Minn. Stat. 518A.39.

How to modify: Parents may use the Child Support ezDocs online tool at dcyf.mn.gov to request a review, respond to a review request, or file a pro se motion to modify. Alternatively, a parent may hire an attorney to file a motion to modify in court. County child support agencies can also initiate reviews. The modification is filed with the court that issued the original order.

Either parent can request a modification. Changes are typically not retroactive to before the date of filing the modification request.

Minnesota Child Support Enforcement

Minnesota has multiple tools to enforce child support orders when a parent fails to pay:

• Income withholding (wage garnishment) with priority over other attachments except IRS; federal and state tax refund intercept; driver’s license
• occupational/professional license
• and recreational license suspension; motor vehicle title liens; contempt of court (when arrears equal or exceed 3 times the monthly obligation and no payment agreement compliance); Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) to seize bank accounts; credit bureau reporting (monthly
• when arrears reach 3 times monthly obligation and at least 500 or arrears-only cases at 500); passport denial (when arrears exceed 2500
• certified to U.S. State Department); state student grant denial; referral to Department of Revenue or private collection agencies; federal criminal prosecution for extreme cases.

Contact Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) — Child Support Division (county-administered, state-supervised program) at https://dcyf.mn.gov/individuals-and-families/family-services/child-support for enforcement assistance.

Additional Minnesota rules: (1) Biennial cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) required under 518A.75 — indexed to CPI-U or CPI-W Minneapolis-St. Paul, applied automatically on May 1 by child support office for full-service cases, with at least 20 days notice to the obligor. Medical and child care support are exempt from COLA. (2) Parenting expense adjustment under 518A.36 — based on percentage of court-ordered overnights averaged over a two-year period; if a parent has more than 55% of parenting time, there is a rebuttable presumption of a 0 basic support obligation. (3) Nonjoint children deduction under 518A.33 — 75% of the guideline amount for a parent’s nonjoint children (legal children of one but not both parents; stepchildren excluded). (4) Self-support reserve under 518A.42 — 120% of federal poverty guidelines for one person. (5) Combined PICS cap at 20000 per month; support above the cap requires deviation findings.

Official Sources & Resources

• Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) — Child Support Division (county-administered, state-supervised program): https://dcyf.mn.gov/individuals-and-families/family-services/child-support
• Federal OCSE: acf.hhs.gov/css
• Cornell LII — Child Support: law.cornell.edu
• Minnesota Guidelines Statute: Minn. Stat. Chapter 518A (specifically 518A.34 for computation, 518A.35 for the guidelines schedule/table, 518A.36 for parenting expense adjustment, 518A.29 for gross income, 518A.32 for potential income, 518A.39 for modification, 518A.40 for child care, 518A.41 for medical support, 518A.42 for self-support adjustment, 518A.43 for deviation factors). Full chapter at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/518A

Last verified May 2026. Contact us if you notice outdated information.

Estimate Your Child Support

Use our free child support estimator to calculate estimated monthly payments. Enter both parents’ incomes, number of children, and custody arrangement to see a personalized breakdown based on your state’s formula.

Related Guides

• Minnesota Divorce Process Guide
• Minnesota Child Custody Guide
• Minnesota Alimony Guide
• All Child Support Guides