When Does Child Support End? Age by State (2026)

Child support termination age varies significantly by state — from 18 to 21, with some states extending through college. Find your state below.

All 50 States + DC Updated 2026 Special Circumstances

Updated March 2026

Quick Summary

States end at age 18

States end at age 19

States end at age 21+

States allow college support

Full State-by-State Table
Special Circumstances
College & Higher Education
How to Terminate Support
FAQ

Child Support Termination Age — All 50 States + DC

Use the search box to quickly find your state. Color coding: 18 | 19 | 21 | College

State	Standard Age	Extended To	Notes
Alabama	19	College possible	Ends at 19; court may order college support by agreement
Alaska	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Arizona	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still attending high school
Arkansas	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or when child graduates high school (whichever is later, up to 19)
California	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later (max 19). No college support.
Colorado	19	21 if in school	Ends at 19; may extend to 21 if child is still in high school or equivalent
Connecticut	18	College (23)	Ends at 18; court can order support through college to age 23
Delaware	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or age 19 if still in high school
DC	21	—	Ends at 21 — one of the highest in the nation
Florida	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if child is still in high school and expected to graduate before 19
Georgia	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or age 20 if still in secondary school
Hawaii	18	College possible	Ends at 18; court may order through college by agreement
Idaho	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or end of high school if still enrolled at 18
Illinois	18	College (23)	Ends at 18; court can order support for college expenses through age 23
Indiana	19	21 for education	Ends at 19; may extend to 21 if child is in post-secondary education
Iowa	18	College (22)	Ends at 18; may be extended through college to age 22 (post-secondary subsidy)
Kansas	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or upon high school graduation (max June after turning 18)
Kentucky	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Louisiana	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in secondary school
Maine	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in secondary school
Maryland	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Massachusetts	18	College (23)	Ends at 18; extends to 21 if dependent, or 23 if enrolled in educational program
Michigan	18	19.5 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 years 6 months if still attending high school full-time
Minnesota	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 20 if still in secondary school
Mississippi	21	—	Ends at 21 — one of the highest ages in the US
Missouri	18	21 for education	Ends at 18; may extend to 21 if child is in higher education
Montana	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Nebraska	19	—	Age of majority is 19 in Nebraska
Nevada	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
New Hampshire	18	College (21)	Ends at 18; may be extended through college to 21
New Jersey	19	College	No set termination age; usually 19, but court regularly extends through college
New Mexico	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or upon high school graduation
New York	21	College	Ends at 21; courts may also order educational support
North Carolina	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 20 if child is still in primary/secondary school
North Dakota	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Ohio	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still attending high school full-time
Oklahoma	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 20 if still in high school
Oregon	18	21 for education	Ends at 18; may extend to 21 if child is attending school
Pennsylvania	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or high school graduation (max age 19)
Rhode Island	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
South Carolina	18	College	Ends at 18; courts may order support through college under certain conditions
South Dakota	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Tennessee	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or upon high school graduation (whichever occurs later)
Texas	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or until high school graduation if still enrolled at 18
Utah	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or high school graduation (max age 19)
Vermont	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school
Virginia	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school and living at home
Washington	18	College (23)	Ends at 18; may extend to 23 if child is pursuing post-secondary education
West Virginia	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 20 if still in secondary school
Wisconsin	18	19 if in HS	Ends at 18, or 19 if still pursuing high school diploma or GED
Wyoming	18	20 if in HS	Ends at 18, or when child completes high school (max 20)

Special Circumstances That Extend or End Support Early

Disability

In virtually every state, support can continue indefinitely for a child with a physical or mental disability that prevents self-support. The disability must have existed before the child reached the age of majority. This is the most common reason support extends past the standard age.

Emancipation

Support ends early if a child is legally emancipated — typically by marriage, joining the military, becoming financially self-supporting, or court order. Emancipation can occur as early as age 16 in some states.

Marriage

In nearly all states, a child's marriage terminates child support automatically. This applies even if the child is under 18. However, if the marriage is later annulled, support obligations may be reinstated in some jurisdictions.

Military Service

Enlisting in the armed forces is considered an emancipating event in every state. Once a child enters active military service, child support obligations typically end. Reserve or National Guard duty alone may not qualify.

Death of Parent or Child

Child support obligations end upon the death of the child. If the paying parent dies, the obligation may survive as a claim against their estate in some states. If the receiving parent dies, the paying parent may owe support to whoever assumes custody. Any arrears owed at the time of death remain collectible.

Adoption

If the child is adopted by another person (such as a stepparent), the biological parent's child support obligation terminates. However, any back-owed support (arrears) accumulated before the adoption must still be paid.

College & Higher Education Support

Whether a parent can be ordered to pay for college is one of the most contested areas of child support law. Here is the current landscape:

Key Principle

Married parents are not legally required to pay for their child's college. However, some states allow courts to order divorced or separated parents to contribute to college costs — creating an arguably unfair situation where children of divorce may have more legal right to college support than children of intact families.

States That Allow Court-Ordered College Support

Connecticut — Support can extend through college to age 23
Illinois — Courts can order college contributions through age 23
Indiana — Support extends to 21 for post-secondary education
Iowa — Post-secondary education subsidy to age 22
Massachusetts — Support to 23 if enrolled in educational program
Missouri — May extend to 21 for higher education
New Hampshire — Support through college to age 21
New Jersey — Courts regularly order college support (no set end age)
New York — Support to 21; educational expenses may be ordered
Oregon — May extend to 21 for education
South Carolina — Courts may order college support
Utah — By agreement, not court order
Washington — Post-secondary support to age 23

States That Do NOT Allow Court-Ordered College Support

The majority of states — including Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania — do not give courts the authority to order parents to pay for college. In these states, college contributions can only be agreed to voluntarily by the parents.

How to Terminate Child Support

Child support does not automatically stop in most states, even when the child reaches the termination age. Here is what you need to do:

Check your order. Some orders specify an exact end date. If yours does, payments should stop automatically through wage withholding.
File a motion. If your order does not have an end date, file a motion to terminate with the family court. In many states, you can also request termination through the child support enforcement agency.
Continue paying until it is official. Do not simply stop paying. Even if your child has turned 18, you could be held in contempt of court and accumulate arrears if you stop without a court order.
Settle any arrears. Even after the order is terminated, any back-owed support must still be paid. Arrears do not go away when support ends.
Get written confirmation. Obtain a court order or administrative letter confirming the termination of your obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age does child support end in most states?

In most US states, child support ends when the child turns 18. However, about 15 states extend support to age 19 if the child is still in high school, and a handful of states (like New York, Indiana, and Mississippi) extend support to age 21. Some states also allow courts to order support through college under certain circumstances.

Which states require child support through college?

Several states allow or require courts to order child support to continue through college, including Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. The specifics vary by state and usually require a court order.

Does child support end automatically at age 18?

Not always. In most states, child support does not automatically stop. The paying parent typically needs to file a motion to terminate the order or request an administrative termination. If you simply stop paying, you could be held in contempt of court and accumulate arrears. Always get a formal termination through the court or child support agency.

Can child support continue past 18 for a disabled child?

Yes. In virtually every state, child support can continue indefinitely if the child has a physical or mental disability that prevents self-support. The disability must have existed before the child reached the age of majority. Courts can order ongoing support for the lifetime of the disabled adult child.

Does child support end if my child gets married?

In most states, yes. Marriage is typically an emancipation event that terminates child support. Other common emancipation events include joining the military, becoming self-supporting, or a court order declaring the minor emancipated. However, back-owed support (arrears) must still be paid.

What happens to unpaid child support after the child turns 18?

Unpaid child support (arrears) does not go away when the child turns 18. The custodial parent can still collect arrears through wage garnishment, tax intercepts, license suspension, and other enforcement methods. In most states, there is a statute of limitations on collecting arrears, typically 10 to 20 years after the child reaches majority.