Understanding Utah child support laws helps both custodial and non-custodial parents know their rights and obligations. This comprehensive Utah 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 Utah’s child support system in plain language.
Verified against Utah statutes and federal OCSE guidelines as of April 2026.
In This Utah Child Support Guide:
Utah Child Support Overview
| Calculation Model | Income Shares Model |
| Support Ends At | Child support ends at age 18 or upon high school graduation during the normal and expected year of graduation, whichever occurs later. If a child graduates at 17, support continues until age 18. If a child turns 18 before graduating, support continues until graduation. Support may continue indefinitely for an adult child who is incapacitated from earning a living. A child who is emancipated, self-supporting, married, or a member of the armed forces is no longer eligible. |
| College Support Required | NO. Utah does not require parents to contribute to college costs. Standard child |
| Enforcement Agency | Office of Recovery Services (ORS), Utah Department of Health and Human Services |
Utah 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.
Utah uses the income shares model. Both parents’ gross monthly incomes are combined and looked up in statutory child support obligation tables (Utah Code 81-6-304) based on the number of children. The base obligation is then prorated between parents in proportion to each parent’s share of combined income. Three worksheets exist depending on custody arrangement: sole physical custody, joint physical custody (each parent has at least 111 overnights), and split custody (each parent has primary custody of at least one child). Income used in the calculation is limited to the equivalent of one full-time job per parent; overtime and second-job income are generally excluded.
How Utah Calculates Child Support
The Utah child support calculation considers multiple factors:
- Determine each parent’s gross income — wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, investment income, and other sources.
- Calculate combined parental income — add both parents’ adjusted gross incomes together.
- Apply the guideline schedule — Utah’s guidelines provide a base support amount based on combined income and number of children.
- Prorate between parents — each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of the combined income.
- Add healthcare and childcare costs — these are added to the base amount and divided proportionally.
- 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 Utah
Gross income. Includes prospective income from earned and unearned sources: wages, salary, commissions, royalties, bonuses, rents, gifts, prizes, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, and self-employment income (gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses). Income is limited to the equivalent of one full-time 40-hour-per-week job; overtime and additional part-time employment are generally not included. Each parent must provide year-to-date pay stubs or employer statements and complete copies of tax returns from at least the most recent year. Statute: Utah Code 81-6-203.
Imputed income: YES. The court may impute income to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent based on employment potential and probable earnings, considering work history, occupational qualifications, prevailing job opportunities, and earnings levels in the community. If a parent has no recent work history or occupation is unknown, income may be imputed at the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour work week. Exceptions: income shall not be imputed if (1) reasonable childcare costs approach or equal the custodial parent’s potential earnings, (2) a parent is physically or mentally unable to earn minimum wage, (3) a parent is engaged in career or occupational training to establish basic job skills, or (4) unusual emotional or physical needs of a child require the custodial parent’s presence in the home. Incarceration of 90 or more consecutive days shall not be treated as voluntary unemployment. A hearing with findings of fact is required before imputing income in contested cases. Statute: Utah Code 81-6-203.
Deviation factors: Courts may deviate from guideline amounts upon finding sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption. Factors considered include: (1) standard of living and situation of the parties, (2) relative wealth and income of the parties, (3) ability of the obligor to earn, (4) ability of the obligee to earn, (5) needs of the obligee, obligor, and child, (6) ages of the parties, (7) responsibilities of each parent for the support of others, (8) relative tax benefit to each parent, and (9) ability of an incapacitated adult child to earn or other benefits received by the adult child. The court must enter findings of fact supporting the deviation. Statute: Utah Code 81-6-202.
Healthcare & Childcare in Utah Child Support
Health insurance: The cost of the minor children’s portion of health insurance premiums is shared equally between both parents. The parent who provides health insurance may receive credit against the base child support award or recover the other parent’s share of the premium. Non-insured medical expenses — including deductibles, co-payments, and uninsured costs — are also shared equally between both parents. If health insurance is reasonably available through a parent’s employer or other group plan, it should be maintained.
Childcare costs: Work-related childcare expenses are shared equally between both parents. Childcare costs are added to the base child support obligation and split 50/50. The worksheets include a section for calculating the childcare adjustment. Beginning July 1, 2026, if a child support order is entered or modified, the court will require each party to file a proposed award of ongoing childcare expenses before entering or modifying the order (per H.B. 463 enacted 2025).
When Does Utah Child Support End?
In Utah, child support generally ends when the child reaches Child support ends at age 18 or upon high school graduation during the normal and expected year of graduation, whichever occurs later. If a child graduates at 17, support continues until age 18. If a child turns 18 before graduating, support continues until graduation. Support may continue indefinitely for an adult child who is incapacitated from earning a living. A child who is emancipated, self-supporting, married, or a member of the armed forces is no longer eligible.. 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. Utah does not require parents to contribute to college costs. Standard child support terminates at age 18 or high school graduation. Courts do not have statutory authority to order post-secondary education support. Extension of support beyond 18 is limited to incapacitated adult children who cannot earn a living.
Modifying Utah Child Support
When to modify: Three thresholds depending on timing: (1) If 3 or more years since the order was entered or last modified, there must be at least a 10% difference between the current and proposed child support amount. (2) If less than 3 years since the order, there must be at least a 15% difference between the current and proposed amount. (3) If less than 3 years, a petition may also be filed if there has been a material change in a parent’s income of 30% or more. At any time, a modification may be sought upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances, including: permanent change in custody, permanent change in a parent’s income or earning ability, permanent change in medical needs of the child, or changes in legal responsibilities (e.g., child emancipating).
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How to modify: Two paths: (1) Through the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) via a Review and Adjustment process — either parent can request a review; ORS evaluates the current order, gathers income information, and determines whether the modification thresholds are met. (2) Through the court by filing a Petition to Modify Child Support in the district court that issued the original order. The effective date of a modification is the month following service on the affected parent. Modifications are not retroactive.
Either parent can request a modification. Changes are typically not retroactive to before the date of filing the modification request.
Utah Child Support Enforcement
Utah has multiple tools to enforce child support orders when a parent fails to pay:
- Income withholding (wage garnishment — the most common tool
- up to 50% of disposable income for ORS cases)
- automatic payment withdrawal
- federal tax refund intercept
- state tax refund intercept
- administrative offset of federal payments
- property liens (real estate and personal property)
- credit bureau reporting of arrearages
- passport denial (for arrearages exceeding 2500 certified to the federal government)
- driver’s license suspension
- professional license suspension
- recreational license suspension
- contempt of court (fines and jail time for willful nonpayment)
- criminal prosecution for criminal nonsupport (referred by ORS to the Utah Attorney General’s Office)
- interception of government benefits (unemployment compensation
- workers’ compensation)
- and interstate enforcement coordination through UIFSA.
Contact Office of Recovery Services (ORS), Utah Department of Health and Human Services at https://ors.utah.gov/ for enforcement assistance.
Additional Utah rules: (1) Joint Physical Custody Threshold: each parent must have at least 111 overnights per year to qualify for the joint physical custody worksheet; an adjustment factor of 0.0027 per overnight between 110-131 is applied to the base obligation. (2) One Full-Time Job Limitation: income used in the calculation is capped at the equivalent of one full-time 40-hour-per-week job; overtime and second-job income are generally excluded. (3) Incarceration Protection: incarceration of 90 or more consecutive days may not be treated as voluntary unemployment when establishing or modifying a child support order. (4) 2026 Legislative Update: S.B. 257 (2026 General Session) enacted domestic relations amendments affecting child support provisions for orders entered or modified on or after January 1, 2027. (5) Quadrennial Review: Utah’s child support guidelines are reviewed every four years by a Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee.
Official Sources & Resources
- Office of Recovery Services (ORS), Utah Department of Health and Human Services: https://ors.utah.gov/
- Federal OCSE: acf.hhs.gov/css
- Cornell LII — Child Support: law.cornell.edu
- Utah Guidelines Statute: Utah Code Title 81, Chapter 6 (Child Support), effective September 1, 2024. Formerly codified as Title 78B, Chapter 12 (Utah Child Support Act). Key sections: 81-6-202 (application of guidelines and deviation), 81-6-203 (determination of gross income and imputation), 81-6-204 (calculation of obligations), 81-6-206 (joint physical custody), 81-6-304 (base combined child support obligation table).
Last verified April 2026. Contact us if you notice outdated information.
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Formulas last verified: May 2026. This is an estimate only. Actual court-ordered support may differ based on deductions, health insurance, childcare costs, and judicial discretion. This is general educational information, not legal advice. Consult a family law attorney for your specific situation.